Down by the Riverside: Our Baptismal Covenant and guns, mental health care and the culture of violence

Jordan River

Today's sermon is based on Isaiah 43:1-7, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22.

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The people were filled with expectations and they were blessed and they were the beloved. May you be filled with expectations, blessings and know you are the beloved. Amen.


Listen again to the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.”

What must these people have seen and heard, standing in line at the river?

They had come from seemingly everywhere, traveling a long perilous journey across desert and mountains, to the lowest place on earth – the Jordan River Valley.

Now they stood in line, waiting to be washed in the river by a strange holy man, to be baptized into a new way of living.

Standing next to them in line was a young man from the north, from the region known as the Galilee.

Did they even notice him in line?

Or were they so consumed by their own worries, their own struggles, their own expectations, that they didn’t notice who stood with them.

He waited his turn. If he said anything to anyone, no one seems to have noticed enough to remember it or what he looked like.

Yet one man did notice. John, he was known, the one who they would call “the Baptist.”

John was an austere man of the desert, living off the land, and he attracted followers, lots of them. We can guess some of them were starving. Maybe all he could give them was insects and a little honey. It was all he ate, and it was enough.

Then there were these lines of people from all over the Judean countryside, waiting to see him.

Maybe some were fleeing from something, but I will bet most were not unlike us – searching for some sense that God is with them, that God has not deserted them in their troubles.

And there was this other man standing in line, this man from the north, and he came alone.

John, the one they called the Baptist, he noticed him. He knew exactly who he was, and he knew in an instant that the world would never – could never – be the same.

He washed this lone man in the river, baptized him like so many others. But this time it was different. This time it was the Baptist who felt like he had been washed, made new, made holy.

And he heard the voice, maybe only a whisper, saying that this man in the river is “my beloved. Listen to him.”

For countless centuries many have pondered this scene, debated its significance, wondered why on earth Jesus, the Son of God, would chose to stand in line with all these troubled people and chose to baptized.

To find the answer, maybe we need look no further than ourselves. By standing in line to be baptized, Jesus chose to be one of us, to share in the same troubles, to experience life as we experience it, and ultimately to bring the Godness within him to dwell with us, too.

He yearned to show us that we, too, are the beloved of God, that our very existence is God’s dream.

Today we are passing along this gift of God’s dream through baptism to three children: Charlotte, James, and Alice.

We will stand with them at the font in the center of our church, where so many have been baptized for decades and decades.

We will signify with the outward symbols of water and words, music and prayers, that these three beautiful children are the beloved of God.

And we will do more: We will promise to stand with them in whatever life brings them. We will declare that nothing – nothing – will separate them from the love of God. Down through the centuries, many have declared this reality in countless places, and in countless ways.

Indeed, today, by what we do, we are reaching back thousands of years to the ancient Hebrew prophets.

Listen again to the prophet Isaiah, who in a few short words proclaims the very essence of what we do today:

“You are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.”

No one can be a bystander today. Baptism brings with it challenges for each one of us.

In a few moments, we will join together in renewing our baptismal covenant. We will make promises for how we will live our life in faith – promises not just for ourselves but for these three children and for every child in the entire world.

We will pledge to pray together and share in the breaking of the bread – regularly.

We will promise to love our neighbors as ourselves – regularly – and promise that when we fall into sin – as we will do regularly – that will return to the Lord, again and again.

And here is the hardest one. We will promise to respect the dignity of every human being.

By doing this, we are holding these promises in trust for these three children until they are old enough to hold these promises for themselves.

If we take seriously the promises of our baptism, that will have consequences and will change the world.

Our baptism commissions us to be servants for each other, servants of our community and servants of every nation. The only privilege of our baptism – the only privilege – is the privilege to be servants.

We can start by proclaiming in word and example that we stand for an end to the way of violence, warfare, poverty, and ignorance – and an end to the idol of guns.

I want you to know that, with 27 others from our diocese, I have co-sponsored a resolution at our upcoming Diocesan Council to join with other religious communities in calling for laws restricting the sale high-powered military weapons; strengthening our mental health system; and calling on all of us to take a critical look at our culture that glorifies violence.

My baptismal promises compel me to do no less.

People of faith can differ on the details, yet we must not shrink from doing what we can to make our world safer.

Yet know this too: Wherever we go in life, whatever good we do, or the mistakes we make, Christ Jesus stands in this line with us – joins us in the water of baptism – telling us over and over that each one of us is the beloved, each of us is God’s dream.

“Do not fear,” Isaiah proclaims, “for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.”

These are the promises that never, never, never end. AMEN

James Richardson, Fiat Lux

Today's consecration of our new bishop, and meeting with Presiding Bishop Katharine

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori

Later this morning, the Rev. Canon Susan Goff will be ordained a bishop in God's Church and consecrated as our new Bishop Suffragan in the Diocese of Virginia. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will preside at the ceremony.

Suffragan bishops are assistant bishops to the diocesan bishop, who in our diocese is the Rt. Rev. Shannon Johnston.

The ceremony will take place at St. Paul's, Richmond at 11 am, and you best go early to get  seat.

Yesterday the clergy of the Diocese of Virginia spent the afternoon in conversation with Presiding Bishop Katharine. She has visited our diocese several times (and spent three days with us in 2010 at St. Paul's) but it was the first time she has met with the assembled clergy as whole.

Canon Susan Goff

She talked about many things, and I jotted a few notes. She began by reminding us that this was a conversation -- a give-and-take, and listening to each other. And so it was.

Much of the conversation was about how the Episcopal Church is confronting, like all churches, a world in turmoil and change. She encouraged us to get the church out of our walls and meet people where they are, and yet we live in the tension of "holding a space" inside our buildings for people to be safe, quiet and feel forgiven.

"Welcome to the crucified place," she said.

We talked a lot about the recently concluded General Convention and a resolution affirming that Holy Baptism is the "normative" entry to Holy Eucharist. She asked us to see that not as restrictive but as pastorally inviting people to baptism. "Let's practice open baptism," she said. "We don't do discipline at the Altar Rail."

We also talked about the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, and she noted that it is no longer the "new" prayer book. "We aren't rewriting it; we are adding to it. We are still living into the ethos that is there."

After our conversation, I chatted with her and mentioned that when she had visited St. Paul's in 2010 she ended her sermon with "Be bold!" We've been in a year-long listening process in our congregation and we've asked ourselves the question many times: Are we being bold? It's become something of an unofficial vision statement for St. Paul's: Be Bold!


By James Richardson, Fiat Lux, St. Paul's Memorial Church

Letter from Bishop Shannon -- please read

Bishop Shannon Johnston of the Diocese of Virginia -- our bishop -- issued a letter today reflecting on our recently concluded General Convention, the highest governing body of the Episcopal Church.

His letter is thoughtful, comprehensive and thoughtful. I highly commend this letter to you, whether you live in the Diocese of Virginia or elsewhere. We have a very good bishop who is guiding us well and pastorally. Here is his letter:

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July 24, 2012


The 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, recently concluded in Indianapolis, was by far the best - and most positive - of the five that I have attended. How so? In almost every case, disagreement did not manifest itself in division. In all of the "key" votes, bishops and deputies debated and responded in such a way as to minimize the sense of winners-and-losers. Even during the most controversial matters at hand, in which profound disagreements were voiced and significantly split votes resulted, both sides remained respectful and reached out to one another after all was said and done.


For example, with regard to one of the most publicized and momentous resolutions, the authorization of a "provisional" rite for the blessing of same-sex couples, strong conscience-clauses were inserted to protect clergy and congregations whose convictions will not allow for such liturgies. I can tell you first-hand that some of the most vocal support for the conscience-clauses came from those who staunchly supported same-sex blessings. This, for me, is important evidence that Episcopalian inclusivity can indeed embrace both left and right.


I supported the Convention's resolution not because of the movement of secular culture but out of personal and theological conviction. Moreover, after over 30 years of the Church's study and dialogues, I believe that it is time to be publically clear about the full acceptance of committed same-sex relationships in the life and witness of our Church. I will continue to honor the convictions of our clergy and communicants who disagree, because in my judgment we have now reached an equitable and workable settlement of this long-running debate. We can now move on to other important matters that require the Church's energetic attention.


That resolution takes the same track we have had in the Diocese of Virginia for more than a year now. The process I have previously outlined will remain the same - clergy must still submit a fulsome application for my approval to perform such rites- but starting with the First Sunday of Advent this year (December 2, 2012) the liturgy to be used will be the one approved by the Convention (rather than a specially-composed service in each case).


The Convention did address several other critical issues, including the budget, the Anglican Covenant, the nature of baptism and its requirement for admission to the Holy Communion, and the very structure and governance of the Episcopal Church. In each one, there was a high degree of consensus as the classic Anglican via media (middle way) prevailed in the various proposals. On baptism, however, the teaching was traditional and clear: Holy Baptism is the ancient and normative way into full, sacramental Christian life. A large majority of the House of Bishops rejected proposals that weakened the requirement of baptism prior to receiving communion, and the House of Deputies concurred. In this, I wholeheartedly agree. I am aware of places that make exceptions to this requirement and I quite understand what people are hoping for in allowing the communion of those not baptized. There are other ways to achieve hospitality and inclusion within a community of faith. Baptism is specifically a part of the Great Commission from Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20) and it remains primary in our discipleship of the risen Lord.


Another area of particular interest was the proposed Anglican Covenant. Because of its provisions for a legalistic process to enforce a kind of uniformity of doctrine and discipline throughout the worldwide Anglican Communion, the Covenant has been controversial in a number of our global Provinces (the Church of England, among others, rejected it). The Convention recognized that the Episcopal Church does not have a real consensus, and declined to take a position on the Covenant itself. Instead, we strongly reaffirmed our commitment to the Anglican Communion and our full participation in its mutual life and ministries. I have been clear that I am vigorously "pro-Communion." Even so, I oppose the adoption of the Covenant in its present form because I believe that our worldwide fellowship of Churches must be chosen and not required and enforced. To me, this dynamic is at the heart of our very essence. We must be able to honor our faithful differences (many of them cultural and historical in nature) and learn to live together with them. To be sure, this is messy but I am convinced that it is a witness this polarized world desperately needs.


Our presiding bishop, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, paved the way through a brewing controversy regarding the Church's budget by offering her own detailed proposal, based on the Anglican Communion's "Five Marks of Mission." These points were developed by the Anglican Consultative Council (an international, representative body of the Communion) and are as follows: (1) To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom; (2) To teach, baptize and nurture new believers; (3) To respond to human need by loving service; (4) To seek to transform unjust structures of society; and (5) To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and renew the life of the earth. A very fine presentation of the final version of the proposed budget ensured a virtually unanimous vote in favor from the Convention. That in itself was highly indicative of how hard this General Convention worked to achieve broad consensus. 

After the Convention adjourned, there appeared two op-ed pieces about our Episcopal Church, one in the Wall Street Journal and the other in the New York Times. Probably most of you have either read, read about or simply heard of these articles. They were both "opinion" pieces, the former chock-full of factual errors and shameless personal invective and the latter based on several unexpressed and very questionable assumptions about our Church and its witness. To me, the quite positive thing about these distressing articles is how strongly a broad range of persons (including conservatives who are usually critical of the Episcopal Church) refuted the writers' opinions. I would hope that we agree that "opinion" articles, particularly those published in distinguished newspapers, should not be allowed to leave plain fact behind, let alone descend into mean-spirited personal attacks.


General Convention 2012 showed that the Episcopal Church is indeed vibrant and Spirit-filled. Although no one can say that "all is well" - in my view we have some major reality-checks to face - I, for one, came out of our gathering hopeful and encouraged. I also emerged prouder than ever of our Diocese of Virginia. We are strong and very much considered across the Church as a leading and faithful witness. I hope you were able to follow news and perspectives from the Convention in our unique publication, Center Aisle. That is a true gift to the Church at large, one that was appreciated by thousands over those long days.


Our great thanks must go to our hard-working deputation, diocesan staff and the several volunteers who were with us. If ever I'm in need of a reminder of the Church at its best I need only think of all of them. With blessings and prayers for all of you,


The Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston
Bishop of Virginia

General Convention: Reflection from Bishop-elect Susan Goff

Earlier this morning I shared a reflection from our diocesan bishop, Shannon Johnston, about his experience at General Convention in Indianapolis. Here is another reflection published in Center Aisle, from our Bishop Suffragan-elect, Susan Goff. She will be ordained a bishop on July 28 at St. Paul's, Richmond, and I hope you will join us if you can. Here is Susan's reflection:

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Church Structure: Be Servants to One Another

This entry was posted on July 11, 2012, in From Today's Print Edition, Reflections & Perspectives. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment

By the Rev. Susan E. Goff, Bishop Suffragan-Elect, Virginia

Jesus said, “I am among you as one who serves.”

A bishop, two priests and a homeless man were walking down the street.  It sounds like the beginning of a joke.  In reality, it was the beginning of an illustrative encounter – one night here in Indianapolis.

As my husband and I were returning to our hotel in the soaring heat, a visiting bishop from another country came to us with a look of distress in his eyes.  He could not find his hotel. I pulled out a downtown map, but the hotel did not seem to be where the map said it was.

Just then, a homeless man came along and we asked him for help.  He gave us directions, then pointed to the place where he was going to spend the night.  He asked if we could spare a few dollars so that he could get something to eat.

In thanksgiving for his help, we gave him enough to get a meal.  He then gave us even more specific directions. Together we found the entrance to the seemingly hidden hotel.

With relief visible on his face, the bishop thanked us and we all parted to go our different ways.  In that brief encounter of people from different races, languages and socio-economic backgrounds, it wasn’t clear who was servant and who was served.  The roles kept changing as we entered into relationship with each other.

At this General Convention, we have talked much about structure, both of the convention and of the Episcopal Church.  We have talked much about the power and authority that structure represents.  Our encounter on the street reminded me powerfully of the whole point of structure.  It is intended to be a vessel, like the hull of a great ship, which holds us together in relationship with each other.

Our life of faith, after all, is all about relationship with God and with one another.  The mission of God in which God calls us to participate is all about serving one another and the world in Christ’s name.  So our structures need to be all about relationship and service.

A few weeks after I was elected bishop suffragan of the Diocese of Virginia, I had a waking dream that gave me a visual image for structure in service to relationship. In my mind’s eye, I saw hands placing a miter on my head, but it jumped off as if it were on a spring.  Another set of hands placed it on my head, and again it sprang off.

Then I put the miter on my head myself, and it leaped even higher than before.  But it landed in my hands, upside down.  As I held that inverted miter, it filled with fruit of every shape and color.  The upward pointing triangle of the miter had previously looked to me like the hierarchical structure of the Church.  Held in a different way, looked at from another angle, the structure became a vessel that holds God’s people in loving, fruitful, faithful relationship.

May whatever work we do to restructure General Convention and Church institutions always be for the sake of bearing fruit.  May it always be for the sake of building relationships.  And may it always teach us how to be servants to one another and to a world in need, for Christ’s sake.

General Convention: Reflection from Bishop Shannon Johnston

The 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church concludes today with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori preaching at a Holy Eucharist and with whatever business is still in the hopper. Most of the big items are wrapped up or awaiting the appointment of task forces for the next three years until the next General Convention. You can see and hear her homily on a webstream by clicking HERE.

This morning I bring you the reflections of our Bishop Shannon Johnston, published in the final edition of Center Aisle, the convention newspaper published by the Diocese of Virginia. For those of you joining us at Shrine Mont this weekend, Bishop Shannon will be with us, so I hope you will get a chance to ask him first-hand about his impressions of General Convention.

Here is his reflection:

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From Today’s Issue: Convention’s Liturgies Have Offered Energy, Spirit

This entry was posted on July 12, 2012, in From Today's Print Edition, Reflections & Perspectives. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment

By the Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston, Bishop of Virginia

With this last issue of Center Aisle for General Convention 2012, I want to continue with a theme I noted in the first issue:  fundamentals in our life and witness as a church. Specifically, I happily consider our worship throughout the days of this convention.

It is my firm belief that worship is the first “response-ability” of the Church.  It is our greatest privilege and our primary means of identity and expression.  Whether in the day-to-day, week-to-week ministry of a congregation or at this massive triennial gathering, our worship is what empowers us, above all else, to live more and more fully into the creeds and our Baptismal Covenant, both personally and in community.

This conviction that I hold so dearly is why I’ve been so encouraged (not to mention strengthened) throughout this convention.  With the Holy Eucharist being celebrated each day, we gathered to be the people of God and the Body of Christ as the very basis of all else that faces us.

Attendance has been consistently strong.  The quality of planning and execution was truly exceptional – from the logistics, to the music, to the preaching, and in all else that made this convention’s spiritual life deeper and richer.  To borrow from the unforgettable sermon preached by the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, bishop of North Carolina, we are all “crazier Christians” because of the care that was lavished on this central aspect of our corporate life as a church in council.

The very fact of worship each day carried us through the many long hours that followed. Time and again, I both engaged in and overheard conversations that overflowed with the energy, spirit and message that worship brought to us.

This convention prompts me to suggest that we would all do well to think again about the power of worship in our congregations. That power is truly defining.

In my experience, most seekers and newcomers still encounter the Episcopal Church most meaningfully (or not) through our liturgies.  Perhaps that is different in other places, but then I suspect that those who are engaged by our Church through specific ministries and other activities look next to go deeper, to connect more to the Church’s broader life and expression.

By whatever means people find themselves at worship with us, we must never underestimate the fact that it is their experience of our liturgies that makes sense of their spiritual yearnings and confirms the presence and movement of God in their lives.  It is for us, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, to let a predominantly secular culture know that the living and loving God can indeed be found in and through the Church.

All being said and done, it is worship that unites us as a church and makes us the best that we can be. To be sure, we differ in many ways with respect to how we express ourselves in worship, but I strongly believe that this diversity is all to the good.

Even more than that, it is the postures of praise and thanksgiving, of intercession and supplication, that bring out the best of us as children of God. Whatever our programs and issues, however we go about our mission to proclaim and serve the Gospel, it is the font and the table that make us who we are, most recognizable to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. And it is the journey from font to table that is our center aisle.

General Convention Update: Bishop-elect Goff introduced to House of Deputies

Here is a quick update: With her confirmation complete, Canon Susan Goff, our bishop suffragan-elect, was introduced to the House of Deputies late this afternoon. After being introduced, Bonnie Anderson, president of the House of Deputies, told her and the other bishops-elect to go take their "proper place" in the other house.

Here is a photo of Canon Goff (center) surrounded by the deputation from the Diocese of Virginia on the floor of the House of Deputies during her introduction.

General Convention: Susan Goff confirmed as Bishop Suffragan for the Diocese of Virginia

The news from General Convention in Indianapolis is the confirmation of the Rev. Canon Susan Goff as our bishop suffragan. Because her election was within 120 days of General Convention, she had to be confirmed by the deputies and House of Bishops meeting this week.

The Very Rev. Hilary Smith, who leads our deputation (note: not called "delegation") posted a short video of the vote on her Facebook last night. What was remarkable was how unremarkable it has become that women are elected and confirmed as bishops. There were no speeches, no dissenting votes, just a quick "aye" before the House of Deputies moved onto the next order of business.

Meanwhile, the Church of England, our "mother church," continues to struggle with the concept of women bishops. There is proposal awaiting its governing body that would allow women bishops but limit their authority because they are women. A number of women priests in England consider that proposal a "poison pill" and are considering a "no" vote.

In the United States, we crossed the river of women bishops in the 1980s, and the Church is the stronger for it, in my view (and we now have a woman as our presiding bishop and primate).

I've been asked what a "suffragan" bishop is. Basically, suffragan bishops have full sacramental authority but serve as assisting bishops to the diocesan bishop. Suffragans have no right to succeed the diocesan bishop, though that sometimes happens through an election upon the death or retirement of a diocesan bishop. In the Diocese of Virginia, Canon Goff was elected to fill the vacancy of Bishop Suffragan David Jones, who retired earlier this year. Typically, large dioceses (like ours) have suffragan bishops to share the workload and Sunday visits to parishes with the diocesan bishop.

God willing, and the weather cooperating, Canon Goff will be ordained a bishop at ceremony at St. Paul's, Richmond, on Saturday July 28 at 11 am. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will preside, and everyone is invited. Please come if you can!

By James Richardson, St. Paul's Memorial Church, Fiat Lux

The next chapter in the life of the Diocese of Virginia is now

VIRGINIA: ‘Continuing congregations’ turn focus to future

By Emily Cherry | May 30, 2012 2 Comments |

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Church of the Epiphany Episcopal welcomes the community to worship. Photo/Frances Caldwell

[Episcopal News Service] The past weeks have been a time of transition for the Diocese of Virginia. Congregations that have worshiped away from their home churches for more than five years have made joyful homecomings to their church buildings. The entire diocese has joined in celebrating these returns, all while entering into a discernment process to help these congregations make plans for the future.

The recent returns and celebrations have been a longtime coming for the four “continuing congregations” that have worshipped in temporary spaces while the diocese and breakaway congregations that had joined the Convocation of Anglican Churches in North America fought over rights to diocese-owned properties in the courts. The breakaway congregations occupied the church buildings throughout the court proceedings.

In all, seven church properties (and a number of additional buildings and land parcels) have been returned to the Diocese of Virginia following the near conclusion of a five-year legal dispute. Each has a different story to tell, and telling these stories is a key part of a diocesan initiative known as “Dayspring,” an effort to discern the work of the Holy Spirit with graciousness and patience as the diocese explores how best to use resources and properties for the ministry of the church.

As the continuing congregations have begun discerning their way forward, each has realized that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to a new beginning.

Members of Church of the Epiphany in Fairfax returned home on May 6, after worshiping in a local school. While making that transition, they’re also welcoming a new interim vicar and are turning to social media and marketing to increase their visibility in the community.

It’s been a time of challenge, but since returning home the congregation has tripled Sunday attendance and doubled its membership from 25 to 50 members.

The congregation also has benefitted from what the Rev. Jennifer McKenzie, interim vicar, calls the “Blessing-a-Day Club.” A slew of blessings that “seem to fall out of the sky,” she said, have landed on Epiphany’s doorstep, including volunteer musical groups for Sunday worship, pro-bono graphic design services, and more.

“The biggest challenge right now for us is building the staff infrastructure that we need to support this growth, so that as this growth continues, we don’t let people slip through the cracks and lose people,” said McKenzie.

The congregation’s hopes for the future are high. It’s launching a new branding- and direct-mail effort to raise the church’s image and presence in the community; hosting community groups, from the Boy Scouts to an Irish dance group; and participating in a local festival. And it’s rolling out the welcome mat. “Our big thing here is, ‘All are welcome,’ said McKenzie. “And we really mean that. When people walk in the door, we want them to know that there is a place for them.”

The Rt. Rev. Ted Gulick, assistant bishop in Virginia, and the Rev. Kate Chipps, priest-in-charge of St. Margaret's, Woodbridge, celebrate a baptism with the continuing congregation. Photo/Courtesy St. Margaret's, Woodbridge

The continuing congregation of St. Margaret’s in Woodbridge, meanwhile, hasn’t made an official “move.” Although the original St. Margaret’s church property was returned to the diocese earlier this spring, the congregation continues to worship in its “temporary” worship space, which it shares with three other denominations. Members of the congregation are joining together to discuss what shape their physical church will take in the years to come. Meanwhile, they’re saying goodbye to the Rev. Kate Chipps, priest-in-charge, who has led them through this difficult process. Chipps will retire in July.

St. Margaret’s vestry is leading the congregation through this time of transition, gathering input from members on the best possible worship space to meet their needs, and meeting with the Dayspring teams to discern a way to move the congregation out of “reaction mode” into “planning mode,” explained Eleana Boyer, senior warden.

“The spirit of the church is moving more toward a positive direction,” added Boyer. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t facing challenges, including how to grow their congregation and how to financially support their ministries. But they’re meeting those challenges head-on. “Once we get through this transition and change, you’ll see us really shine,” said Boyer. “We are a faithful people. We have come this far by faith, and we are moving forward in faith.”

Members of St. Stephen’s in Heathsville returned to their church building on Palm Sunday and the congregation is as active as ever. Members are busy planning their community strawberry festival and the annual spring barbecue and bluegrass event. Read more about their story here.

And then there’s the Falls Church, a congregation that continued to grow while worshipping in a temporary space, and where a large number of members have just “returned” to a church building where they’ve never worshipped before.

“It’s just really exciting to see how things are falling into place,” said the Rev. Cathy Tibbetts, priest-in-charge.

On the congregation’s first evening back in its worship space, members opened the doors to the building, inviting families to come and explore the church grounds. “We wanted them to have the opportunity to explore the blessings that God has bestowed on us,” said Tibbetts.

The congregation is looking at growing its clergy staff, including calling a “planter-builder” to oversee the church’s growth process.

A community focus is a large part of the Falls Church Episcopal DNA, according to Mike Lockaby, the senior warden.

“I think that being involved in the community is going to draw in people who previously did not feel welcome, or previously were un-churched,” he said. So the congregation focuses on “being more open to our community and more positive toward our community and more involved in what’s local.”

In addition, they’re looking inward by establishing small group ministries, in which 10-to-16 parishioners will gather for fellowship and/or Christian formation. The congregation also has instituted a “partnership ministry,” which gives newcomers a contact person who is familiar with the church’s culture and spirit and who can determine the best way to welcome that person. “The message that we have been stressing and that we wish to continue to stress is, ‘We welcome you,’ and there’s no asterisk to that,” said Lockaby.

The Falls Church Anglican is the only one out of the seven properties returned to the Diocese that continues to pursue its appeal. The diocese has made settlement negotiations with the other six congregations involved in the litigation. In these cases, the Convocation of Anglicans in North America congregations agreed to return church property and Episcopal funds, and to withdraw their appeals.

In addition to the church buildings belonging to the four continuing congregations, three additional church properties have been returned to the diocese as a result of the litigation. These churches previously did not have continuing Episcopal congregations associated with them. The diocese already has reinstated Episcopal worship services at St. Paul’s in Haymarket; and the property of Church of the Apostles, Fairfax, also has been returned to diocesan ownership. The diocese has arranged a yearlong lease with the Anglican congregation of Truro Church, Fairfax, and both parties have agreed to enter into a “covenant of mutual charity and respect,” a piece of the agreement which the Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston, bishop of Virginia, describes as “an opening for a transformative witness to many across the worldwide Anglican Communion.”

Coordinating these efforts amidst unique circumstances is no small task. And that’s where Dayspring comes in. The Dayspring initiative – so named for the poetic, biblical term that translates to “new dawn,” brings together leaders from across the Diocese of Virginia to plan, vision and strategize about the properties returning to the diocese, and how best to put them to use for the mission of the Episcopal Church in Virginia. Johnston is at the head of the effort, which also is guided by the Rev. Canon Susan Goff, bishop suffragan-elect, and Henry D.W. Burt, secretary of the diocese.

“It is heartening to consider how the Diocese of Virginia is responding to the staggering richness of the possibilities before us,” said Burt in a recent letter to the diocese. “Each of the continuing congregations remains profoundly committed to its mission and ministry. They are experiencing significant growth, and Dayspring teams are considering a number of transformational mission efforts at churches where no continuing congregation exists. There is tremendous energy and a gracious spirit ever present in this work.”

– Emily Cherry is the communications officer for the Diocese of Virginia.

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Susan Goff elected Bishop Suffragan

Bishop Ted Gulick, Susan Goff, and Bishop Shannon Johnston
photo taken at today's electing Council

FREDERICKSBURG, Virginia -- Today we made history: the election of Susan Goff as Bishop Suffragan in the Diocese of Virginia. She is the first woman so elected in our diocese, the largest domestic diocese in the Episcopal Church.

And someone can correct me on this: To my knowledge, Susan is the first woman elected bishop from a Southern diocese (if we don't count Washington D.C.).

Susan was elected from an extraordinary group of six nominees, two of whom were formed as Christians as young adults through the Canterbury program at St. Paul's Memorial Church (Hillary Smith and Randy Alexander).

I've gotten to know Susan the last couple of years in her capacity as Canon to the Ordinary. She led our Vestry retreat in January. She is prayerful and a great listener. She also knows how to get to the heart of matters without injecting her own agenda.

Today's election was held at St. George's Episcopal Church, an historic church in the center of Fredericksburg. We jammed into the old pew boxes, sang hymns, had Eucharist, listened to meditations, and cast ballots. We broke for lunch and returned for more this afternoon. Susan was elected in the fourth ballot (it takes a majority of both clergy and lay delegates to have an election).

We stood to applaud, and she addressed us from the pulpit for the first time as Bishop-elect to thank everyone, especially her fellow nominees, for the prayers and the trust.

It was my privilege to be a part of this election and to be with so many faithful people.

Bishop candidates appearing next week

Next week, the six candidates for bishop suffragan of the Diocese of Virginia will participate in a series of walkabouts. These events are open to all, and are especially geared for those who will be voting delegates at the April 21 election at St. George's, Fredericksburg. The walkabouts will be a chance to hear from the candidates and listen to their responses to questions submitted in advance by the people of the Diocese. The walkabouts will take place: Monday, March 19, St. Paul's, Ivy, 7-9:30 p.m. 851 Owensville Rd., Ivy, VA  Tuesday, March 20, Christchurch School, Christchurch, 1-3:30 p.m. 49 Seahorse Ln., Christchurch, VA  Tuesday, March 20, St. George's, Fredericksburg, 7-9:30 p.m. 905 Princess Anne St., Fredericksburg, VA  Wednesday, March 21, Christ Church, Winchester, 7-9:30 p.m. 114 Boscawen St., Winchester, VA  Thursday, March 22, Good Shepherd, Burke, 7:30-10 p.m. 9350 Braddock Rd., Burke, VA  Friday, March 23, St. James's, Richmond, 7-9:30 p.m. 1205 W. Franklin St., Richmond, VA  No registration is required for the walkabouts. We look forward to seeing you at one of these events, and invite you to view the Job Description and Ministry of the Bishop Suffragan document to learn more. Read profiles of the candidates online. Delegates, don't forget to register  for the Electing Council by April 15!