Church of the Word
TRURO COMMITTED TO HOLY SPIRIT

Truro Church Remains Committed to Departed Mission
02/10/2006

Following the Feb. 6 announcement that an assembly from the congregation of Holy Spirit Church, Ashburn, had voted unanimously to leave the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia the day before, the senior warden of Truro Church, Fairfax, said he anticipated no significant change to the future relationship between his parish and the mission congregation Truro planted about five years ago.

In announcing their departure, the Rev. Clancy Nixon, vicar of Holy Spirit, said he and the congregation of about 200 members had already transferred their allegiance to the Rt. Rev. Benezeri Kisembo, Bishop of Ruwenzori in the Anglican Church of Uganda. While saddened by the departure, Jim Oakes, senior warden at Truro, told The Living Church the strong bonds of familial affection and financial support between the two congregations will probably not be affected.

“We have watched with almost parental joy as [Fr.] Nixon was raised up from our congregation,” Mr. Oakes said. “The church went from nothing to where it is today in just five years and they have continued to grow since the 2003 General Convention. We will continue to feel as though they are part of our family.”

Mr. Oakes said part of the support Truro currently provides to Holy Spirit includes some financial assistance, although he did provide an exact figure. The vestry at Truro Church had not met since the announcement by Holy Spirit, but Mr. Oakes said he did not believe that Truro would want to cease offering financial assistance to its mission congregation or that it would encounter any resistance from the diocese.

“We certainly have our disagreements with Bishop [Peter J.] Lee," he said, “but I think Bishop Lee understands how committed we are to mission. We probably spend more than $1 million each year toward mission projects all over the world. To my knowledge the diocese has never told us who or what we could support.”

© Copyright 2003 The Living Church Foundation. All rights reserved.

This article comes from The Living Church Foundation
http://www.livingchurch.org/

The URL for this story is:
http://www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=1694