Although Pleasant Valley members have different beliefs, they share the denomination's principles of individual worth and freedom of religious expression. Interest in paganism grew in the late '60s with the feminist and environmental movements, Mr. Hurley said. It grew, and some wanted to form separate congregations. Pleasant Valley members worship in a living-room size chapel in a former real estate office in downtown Garland. They've spent months renovating the building, which they bought in April.
Members come from throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
The church attracts people of various races who range in age from toddlers to senior citizens. The mood and dress code is casual, with members often wearing jeans and tennis shoes. The church has no minister, so services are led by members. At one service, a member read an essay that applied principles of gardening to everyday life. Shannon Ader, the church's vice president, became a pagan several years ago, following the path of her mother, Janice, who is also a church member.