A Statement from the Board of the Anglican District of Virginia
January 31, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jim Pierobon, 301-520-1758

FAIRFAX and FALLS CHURCH, Va, Jan. 31 - We have learned tonight from the media that the Diocese of Virginia has filed civil lawsuits against the clergy and volunteer lay leadership of eleven Virginia churches.

These are the same Virginia churches that voted overwhelmingly to sever ties with The Episcopal Church (TEC) and affiliate with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), a fully recognized branch of the Anglican Communion under the Anglican Church of Nigeria.

We receive this news as an act of betrayal.

Contrary to statements issued by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, we have filed no lawsuits. Our only action has been to record our parish votes in December and January for the public record.

In addition, our volunteer lay leaders diligently followed the steps outlined in the Diocese of Virginia's "Protocol for Departing Congregations" trusting that the diocese would honor its own protocol. The actions taken today show that we were betrayed by that trust.

We still believe that there are better ways to settle our differences then by the unprecedented actions the Diocese of Virginia took today against lay volunteers and their clergy. We request that the Diocese of Virginia step back from this precipitous behavior and resolve to find an amicable and reasonable way forward that will honor Christ and be a blessing to His Church.

The Board of the Anglican District of Virginia

Tom Wilson, Senior Warden, The Falls Church,
Chairman, Board of Directors

Jim Oakes, Senior Warden, Truro Church,
Member of the Board

David Allison, Senior Warden, Church of the Apostles,
Member of the Board

Warren Thrasher, Treasurer
Mary McReynolds, Secretary

This article comes from the Anglican District of Virginia, an association of congregations
under the ecclesiastical authority of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA).