The Rev. Dr. John Yates Writes to The Fall's Church
01/19/2007

To The Falls Church Family:

Yesterday we sent an announcement about this week’s upcoming activities celebrating and exploring our many Outreach ministries - it’s called Week for the World. It’s exciting to contemplate the scores of ministries in which we’re involved. However, yesterday’s announcement by the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, that he considers us “to have abandoned our church,” reminds us of the other crucially important mission in which we are engaged, and that is our mission to maintain our witness as an historic church that is in the Anglican tradition, true to scripture and true to our Reformation heritage. We have the great privilege to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and sacrificially serve him to extend the mighty reign of God. While the announcement by Bishop Lee was not unexpected, the letter he wrote and the claims he makes are extremely disappointing to me, especially after the efforts of the last year to build consensus around a negotiated settlement plan for churches departing the Diocese. It is only as I reflect on our fundamental disagreements about the meaning of truth, authority, the nature of the church itself, and Christian orthodoxy, that I can make sense of his position. I hope you will read his letter below, and form your own opinions. In addition, I would like to clarify just a few questions raised by this announcement.

We are described in this letter as “dissidents” who have abandoned our church, leaving behind a congregation without clergy or vestry. We are accused of “abandonment.” This is a technical word adapted from the canons of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. It really means that since our congregation has voted overwhelmingly, in accordance with Virginia law, to separate from The Episcopal Church, The Episcopal Church views this as somehow abandoning our physical church property, and, as well, the minority who opposed this decision. Given that 2,500 people are here worshiping God each weekend, it is a curious choice of words.

I think you know that our attitude towards our church members who did not want to leave The Episcopal Church has always been consistent. These are our brethren and we are still members of The Falls Church family together. We are excluding no one from worship or from parish meetings of any kind. Our vestry and clergy care deeply about every member of this church family. I have learned that last Sunday 40 of our people met in a private home to worship with an “Episcopal” priest suggested by the press secretary of the Diocese. This saddens me greatly. Bishop Lee says that these brothers and sisters have been “spiritually abandoned.” I have met with one of the organizers this week and I have sought repeatedly to reach out to those who did not agree with the outcome of our congregational vote. I will continue to do so. As I wrote you 10 days ago, I have three meetings scheduled over this weekend for this very purpose. I hope many will come.

The announcement also implies that we can no longer be considered part of the Anglican Church. While this is certainly not the most important issue, I do want you to understand the facts. The announcement misquoted a recent statement by a lawyer connected to the Archbishop of Canterbury regarding CANA’s position within the Anglican Communion. Our Anglican District of Virginia (ADV) is part of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), which is in turn part of the Church of Nigeria, the largest province in the Anglican Communion and a branch of the Communion by any definition. Just as the Diocese of Virginia currently enjoys communion with Canterbury indirectly through The Episcopal Church, so do we, the members of ADV, enjoy communion with Canterbury indirectly through CANA and the Church of Nigeria. You may wish to read both of the relevant statements here.

I don’t believe there is any present “danger” of diocesan attempts to “take over” our buildings or property here. I worry more about the smaller rural churches that are apparently being singled out as targets by the Diocese. I do expect the Diocese to attempt to organize another “vestry” at our church, since they do not accept the legality of our vestry here. I pray that none of our church family will be taken in by such efforts. There is only one vestry of The Falls Church and it is the one you elected.

The vestry meets again this Monday night and I will endeavor to keep you updated. We do not like to devote much time to these matters on Sunday mornings when we gather for worship, so please be alert to the news and watch for future updates from me.

–The Rev. John Yates is rector of The Falls Church, Falls Church, Virginia

This article comes from Stand Firm
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