From the Rev. Michael Pipkin, priest-in-charge of The Falls Church, Episcopal:
December 19, 2008
Dear Friends in Christ,
We received word today, that the Fairfax County Circuit Court has issued a ruling, wrapping up the remaining issues before the court. Included in this ruling were the questions relating to our Endowment Fund and the applicability of the trustee law (57-9) to the most historic two acres of property, upon which our beloved historic church is built.
The rulings were split, with the judge ruling in favor of the CANA congregation on the issue of property, and ruling in favor of the Diocese of Virginia on the question of our Endowment Fund, saying that ownership of our endowment cannot be confused with ownership of physical property.
Bishop Lee called upon “the CANA congregation occupying The Falls Church property to drop their claim on the endowment fund, and thus allow The Falls Church Episcopal to use the endowment for desperately needed outreach in the Falls Church area, in line with the original purpose of the fund.” We echo that call, and ask that those in need not suffer because of the sadness of our division.
What do these rulings mean, and how will this effect our congregation?
The meaning of these rulings is not at all clear. But what is clear is that in the two years since our exile from our home in the historic church, we have rebuilt this parish into a vibrant and loving congregation that seeks but to worship the Lord Jesus Christ.
As I count our blessings I see that in the past two years our parish has grown from 27 people to over 140. We’ve gone from having no budget and a Navy Chaplain as our part-time priest to having two priests on staff, a proposed 2009 budget in excess of $250,000 (10% of which is dedicated to outreach and another 10% is dedicated to the diocese), a full-time Music Minister, and a wonderful group of kids in Sunday School.
We have a sacristy that is full of vestments that belong to us, a chalice and paten that were given to us as a gift from St. Anne’s in Reston, and altar linens that we are slowly hemming and fitting to our needs. We have acolytes robes and healing oil, and more than enough hymnals that we use to praise to God. We have a rising average Sunday attendance and we have a significant number of visitors that come to us every week because they are hearing about the wonderful community that has gathered to worship this God made Man, Jesus.
We have begun to rebuild relationships with other Christian communities such as the Presbyterians and our own Episcopalian brothers and sisters in the Diocese and beyond. We have been a witness to what Orthodoxy and Evangelism really mean, but most importantly, the things, and they are just things, listed above, don’t define us as a Church.
What makes us a Church is that we are a group of people who are growing closer together, day by day, who care for one another, who reach out to those in need, who share stories and life experiences, and who dearly love one another. We do all of this because we share one table, worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ who commanded us to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
The God that we worship is faithful. He is merciful, he hears the cries of his people, and he comes to us and shares our burdens. As we approach the Feast of the Incarnation, we again encounter and worship a God who is with us, and we know him because he himself knows our pain and has saved us from the depths of sin and death. In all of these trials and tribulations, God has been present with us, sharing our sadness and disappointment, and sanctifying our tears.
Even as I write to you, I know that there are many difficult and sad days ahead – because division is always sad and difficult – but I choose to bear them because I know that God is with us (not “on our side”, but sharing our pain). Most importantly, I give thanks, for you, and for all of those who are willing to stand in witness to the truth. We will see the other side of this. We will know the meaning of resurrection and salvation – and by the Grace of God we will be healed.
Faithfully,
Michael+