VIRGINIA: Episcopal parish reorganizes, elects new vestry
Episcopal News Service. January 5, 2007 [010507-01]
Mary Frances Schjonberg
The more than 40 people who remain on the rolls of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Heathsville, Virginia, and who opposed a recent vote by the majority of the congregation and the rector to join the Anglican Church of Nigeria, said recently that they have reorganized.
The group held a congregational meeting December 29 and elected a new vestry according to the canons of the Diocese of Virginia and the Episcopal Church.
"We are so thankful that we are able to continue to be the congregation of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church," said Sandra Kirkpatrick, who was elected to the vestry and subsequently elected senior warden, in a news release emailed to ENS. "And we are determined to continue to be a strong presence in the county seat of Northumberland County as we have been for the past 125 years."
St. Stephen's is one of eight Virginia congregations in which a majority of members announced December 17 that they were severing ties with the Episcopal Church and aligning themselves with Anglicans in either Nigeria or Uganda. More information about the Virginia votes is available here.
"The faithfulness of the Episcopal members of St. Stephen's, Heathsville, and their love for their church is very encouraging at this time in our common life," said Virginia Bishop Peter James Lee in the news release.
While the congregation that is now calling itself St. Stephen's Church, Anglican, has said it is not part of The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia, the members of that congregation have not vacated the church building.
In a meeting with the Episcopal members of St. Stephen's following the December 17 vote, the release said, Lee urged the group to be patient on the matter of property, reminding them that, under the law, title to the buildings at St. Stephen's is held in trust for the diocese. He encouraged them to discuss with their friends in the new Nigerian Anglican congregation ways in which both congregations might share the use of the property until the legal issues of ownership are resolved, the release said.
While discussions between the two vestries over shared use of the space are expected in the coming weeks, the Episcopal congregation has continued to attend the prayer breakfast and other events in the St. Stephen's Church parish house and recently held their second vestry meeting in the St. Stephen's library, according to the release.
"The bishop is patient," said Kirkpatrick.
"But we hope to be fully back in our church soon," she added. "Organizing worship off-site, lining up clergy and getting everything in order is a full-time job."
On December 31, thanks to the generosity of their neighbors at the Heathsville United Methodist Church, the members of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church worshiped together once again, with the Rev. Ted Tulis, interim rector of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Fleeton, Virginia, officiating. Afterwards they had coffee in the meeting room of the Northumberland Library next door. On January 4, the Rev. Kaki Swann from Cople Parish held a healing service for them also at the Methodist church.
And for at least the next two Sundays, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church will hold Sunday services and celebrate Holy Communion at 8 a.m. at the United Methodist Church, Heathsville.