Contact: Greg Robbins, 412-855-1330, [email protected]

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 11 /Christian Newswire/ -- It all started at a little Baptist church in Merlin, Oregon. And on September 15th Greg Robbins, creator of the popular faith based situation comedy “Pastor Greg,” will return to the Community Baptist Church in Merlin, Oregon to film some footage of the little church that helped make history and thank those parishioners who unwittingly aided in the creation of a hit comedy show.

“When I decided to make a TV comedy about a church, its pastor, his staff, and congregation, I used this delightful little congregation in Merlin as my model,” recalled Robbins. “Little did I know that I was creating the world’s first faith-based sit-com. All I knew is that here was a place with a lot of warmth and a fun-loving spirit – a place I could take an audience to every week.”

Robbins is making the trip back to shoot a behind the scenes episode of the popular sit-com. “We’ll see the church I used for the set design and for the exterior shots in the show,” he said. “We’ll also meet some of the folks I used to create characters like Lori and Flo, as well as the model for Pastor Greg himself. And we’ll get a chance to chat with the man behind our theme song ‘A New Day.’”

“Pastor Greg,” which debuted last year to rave reviews and awesome audience response, is gearing up for its second season on both Christian networks and over 100 network affiliates nationwide. The first season of this groundbreaking half-hour comedy found Greg Wilson, a former gambling, drinking “lost soul” who comes to faith, answering the call to pastor a small-town church whose parishioners are, to say the least, set in their ways. With his casual dress, clumsy demeanor, and unconventional ways, Pastor Greg unwittingly stirs things up before winning over the church’s feisty congregation and quirky staff. In the process he helps his congregant clan discover some important truths about love, forgiveness, faith, and being a part of God’s family.

“With season two we’re adding some exciting and wildly funny twists and turns to ‘Pastor Greg,’” said Robbins who, incidentally, also plays the role of Pastor Greg.

One of the biggest treats is the introduction of Pastor Greg’s mother, played to perfection by Dawn Wells, whom a generation of baby-boomers will remember as Mary Ann, the farm fresh castaway who dolled up the prime-time sit-com “Gilligan’s Island” during the mid-1960s.

“Dawn brings veteran comic timing and a perfect understanding of her character and how to pull the most out of the role,” said Robbins. “We’re honored to have her as a member of the Pastor Greg team.”

During its first season “Pastor Greg” drew a lot of media attention as the first Christian themed television sit-com. Robbins appeared on CBN’s “700 Club,” ABC’s “Good Morning America, and the FOX Network’s “Fox and Friends” program.

But while “Pastor Greg” is, indeed, the world’s first “Christian” sit-com, Robbins said viewers shouldn’t expect a lot of religion. “You’re not going to run into any Bible-thumping or religiosity on the show, unless we’re poking good-natured fun at some of the folks we’ve actually known at church,” explained Robbins. “We use humor to deal with life issues everyone faces, and try to show folks living out their faith in the real world. ‘Pastor Greg’ is really the perfect blend of comedy and heart-warming drama. We think people are going to love our second season.”