Departure Bittersweet for Member of The Falls Church Anglican

Bill Deiss and one of his sons both married inside the church and now the Anglican parishioners must be out of the church by May 15.
By Andre L. Taylor
posted May 13, 2012

The departure of the Anglican congregation by close of business May 15 from The Falls Church leaves Bill Deiss with mixed feelings.

In 1985 Deiss, parish administrator for the last 16 years, wed his second wife in the church. His son also married there. He watched the baptism of his grandchildren inside the church.

Now the Anglican congregation has been asked to leave the premises.

"It was always a possibility but we didn't think it would actually happen," Deiss said Friday. "It's sad but exciting as well."

The Anglican congregation of more than 4,000 worshipers will hold their last service at The Falls Church on Mother's Day at 11 a.m.

Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Randy Bellows told The Falls Church and six other congregations in the Northern Virginia area in December to give their church property to the diocese they divorced years ago. The 113-page ruling came after almost five years of litigation and hundreds of thousands of dollars in congregation-donated defense funds. the rest