Virginia Anglican Congregation Stands in Faith Despite Leaving Property

Church of the Apostles, Fairfax, and Episcopal Diocese End Property Dispute
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(via email)
May 4, 2012

Church of the Apostles, an Anglican congregation located in Fairfax, Va., today announced that it has reached a final settlement of its lawsuit with the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia and The Episcopal Church. Under the settlement, Apostles will transfer its buildings and land, $230,000, and some personal property to the Episcopal Diocese. There is a mutual release of all claims. Despite the high cost of its 2006 decision to disaffiliate from the Episcopal Church, Apostles looks forward with great excitement and confidence to continuing its robust and spirit-filled ministry at another location. Apostles is grateful to be walking this new path with other area congregations, as part of the Anglican Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic, formed to reflect our common understanding of Anglican traditions and the historic Christian faith.

David Harper, Apostles Rector, said: “Although the settlement involves the loss of our church home, which has been our base for spreading the Gospel for almost 40 years, we realize that this is the appropriate time to leave it behind. God is in control of our past, our present, and our future, and we trust that in time He will help us obtain a new church home of our own. We are seeking His guidance as we move forward, continuing our focus on exuberant worship and local and worldwide ministries of hope and healing through the power of the Holy Spirit. We also continue to embrace our unique synthesis of the Evangelical, Pentecostal, and Catholic traditions: “Three Steams, One River.” At Apostles, we have always believed that our church is its people and programs, not its buildings. This experience has only served to reinforce that reality.”

“We are deeply grateful to be able to hold our regular Sunday worship services at Whole Word Fellowship in Oakton, Va. at 3:30 PM, and to use facilities that other area churches have generously made available for our various ministry needs. We also appreciate the grace extended by the Episcopal Diocese over the period in which the settlement was negotiated, and we agreed to go our separate ways,” concluded Harper.

Church of the Apostles is a member congregation of the newly established Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic, a regional and growing diocese of the Anglican Church in North America, dedicated to reaching North America with the transforming love of Jesus Christ. The Diocese consists of 35 member congregations.