Oak Hill Episcopalians regroup
By Gregg MacDonald
The 11 Virginia churches that broke away from the Episcopal Church in 2006-07 to join a more conservative Anglican Church are still fighting in court to retain their properties, collectively estimated to be worth up to $40 million.The fallout from the 2003 consecration of openly homosexual bishop Eugene Robinson and the ensuing Virginia court case continue to make national headlines and deepen the divide between Episcopals and Anglicans across the country, and perhaps the world.
Outside the courtroom and the headlines, however, there are those who have been very personally affected on the local level.
As congregations have been split in two, some parishioners have left the churches they had dedicated so much of their lives to, and have had to start over with little or no direction.
The Church of the Epiphany- Episcopal, in Oak Hill, was formed by some of these estranged parishioners after months of searching – both geographically and within their own souls -- for a new place to worship.
"I gained 20 pounds sitting on the couch crying and eating cookies for two months," said founding member Gail Paul, of her and her husband's decision to leave the now Anglican Church of the Epiphany in Franklin Farm on Jan. 21, 2007.
According to Paul, that was the day the church voted to leave the Episcopal faith and become Anglican. "It was like losing family," she said.
Instead, Gail and her husband Gabe, who had been members of the church since 1998, reluctantly set off in search of a new spiritual home.
"We kept in contact with some other former members through e-mail and we would loosely coordinate trips to other churches," said Gabe Paul, who was a vestry member at the former church.
"We wanted not only to keep in contact with other former members but also to provide an outlet for people from other churches who were in the same predicament," Gail said.
The group of about 15-20 people began meeting twice a month, once in the Pauls' home and once at St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in Herndon.
The Pauls say they really appreciated St. Timothy's generosity but still wanted to establish a greater presence in their community.
After talking with Sully District Supervisor Michael Frey, they learned that there are over 100 churches that meet every week in Fairfax County schools.
In October 2007, The Church of the Epiphany-Episcopal, began services at Oak Hill Elementary school with about 25-30 active members, more than half of whom are former members of the former church of the same name, which is now Anglican.
The church rents the use of the school's cafeteria and pays for its own custodial services.
Father David Kendrick, the priest in charge, said he was thrilled to be asked to lead services at the burgeoning church.
"I just graduated from the Virginia Theological Seminary last May, was ordained a deacon in June and ordained a priest in December," he said. "We are a great match for each other."
Kendrick says that offering services in a school is not without its peculiarities. "Well, for one thing, you have to schlep everything in and then out again each week," he joked. "For another, the use of lighted candles and alcohol is forbidden, so we have to use electric candles and non-alcoholic wine for our masses."
Kendrick says that because the cafeteria is also used for a variety of other uses, the decorations are always different and can lead to a few surprises. "Last week I had to lead a mass while staring at posters of sports teams on the walls," he said.
Still, the school location provides a place for area Episcopalians to worship and share ideals as the group pursues funding for a home of its own.
"We want to raise the Episcopal Church again in this part of Fairfax County," Gabe Paul said. "The Episcopal Church is an open church. It is a church that doesn't say 'my way or the highway' or 'on this corner what we believe is the only way.' We are fairly conservative and most of us would not have voted to consecrate Bishop Robinson because we didn't feel the world was ready for it yet, but we are open to all types of people and that's what is now needed here in our community."