Country United States Phone +1 571-282-0100 | Rector John W. Yates II | |
Denomination Anglican Church in North America Address 6565 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church, VA 22042, USA Diocese Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic Similar The Falls Church, Cherry Hill, Truro Church, TownePlace Suites Falls Church, Diocese of Virginia | ||
The Falls Church (Anglican) is an Anglican parish in the city of Falls Church, Virginia near Washington, D.C.. In 2006, the congregation of The Falls Church divided over the question of whether or not to leave the Episcopal Church, effectively creating two congregations: The Falls Church (Anglican) and The Falls Church (Episcopal).
Following years of conflict within the Episcopal Church over issues surrounding Biblical authority and interpretation (including issues such as human sexuality, the role of men and women in ordained ministry, and liturgical reform) several congregations within the Episcopal Church concluded that the only way for them to remain faithful to their views was to "walk apart" from the Episcopal Church, yet remain in communion with other Anglican Churches. The Falls Church was one of these congregations. In December 2006, a substantial majority of the congregation of the Falls Church voted to disaffiliate from the Episcopal Church in the United States of America and join the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, a missionary effort headed by Martyn Minns, former Rector of Truro Church, and sponsored by the Church of Nigeria, a member of Anglican Church in North America. In 2013, the Falls Church (Anglican) affiliated directly with the Anglican Church in North America.
Separation from the Episcopal Church
The decision by the Falls Church (Anglican) to break away from the Episcopal Church stemmed from increasing dissatisfaction within the majority of the congregation over the direction being taken by the Episcopal Church. Several episodes contributed to the widening split, including the failure of the 2006 Episcopal convention to "confirm Christ as Lord" and the consecration of Gene Robinson, a partnered gay man, as Bishop of New Hampshire. In the view of many congregants, the Episcopal Church by these actions had violated its own constitution. These congregants concluded that to stay true to their traditional beliefs, they must separate. A vote was taken and 90% of the parishioners decided to leave the Episcopal Church to join the breakaway Convocation of Anglicans in North America, and 96% voted to hold on the property currently used.
Following a lengthy court dispute around the property, ended in 2012, the Episcopal congregation was awarded ownership of the church property, and the Anglican congregation parish of 4000 people had to move to nearby rented locations. In June 2015 the Falls Church Anglican purchased land near the original church, with the intention of building a new church in the next years. The purchase will cost the parishioners $54 million ($31M for the acquisition and an additional $23M for new construction).
Since the 2006 split from the Episcopalian church, the Falls Church Anglican has been able to expand, by being able to fund and staff three more independent “daughter” Anglican churches: the Christ Church in Vienna, the Restoration Anglican, Arlington in Alexandria, and Winchester Anglican in Winchester.