We received the Judgment today from Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Randy I. Bellows specifying that our three acre property in Gainesville, Virginia, falls under the reach of the Commonwealth of Virginia Code § 57-9(A) Division statute.
This law was originally enacted to provide a fair and neutral principled way for the State to decide Church property disputes brought before it. It is clear from this judgment that the congregation owns the property which it purchased 15 years ago and has subsequently invested over one million dollars into its purchase and maintenance. Church of the Word was part of a group of 20 or more congregations, some with property and some without property, who were given permission by the Diocese of Virginia to enter into a discernment process in the fall of 2006, culminating in a congregational vote in December 2006.
It is important to remember that the Diocese of Virginia set up the parameters for the discernment process in its ‘ Protocol for departing congregations’. The protocol was agreed to by the Standing committee and Executive board of the Diocese, published on the Diocesan website, and recommended to congregations. The Diocese provided study material for the discernment process, met with the vestry, and sent a delegation to speak to the congregation before the vote to separate. They promised in the protocol to work with the congregations to resolve all differences amicably and so avoid the disgrace of Christians taking other Christians to court.
It is our desire to live at peace with our friends and former colleagues in the Diocese of Virginia, and so we encourage their leadership to accept the judge’s ruling today and return to the spirit of the protocol by building working relationships with the CANA congregations and other Anglican bodies in Virginia.
Church of the Word is a congregation within the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) and through CANA is a part of the emerging province of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). ACNA has already been accepted as a legitimate Anglican body by primates representing a majority of Anglicans around the world.
We look forward to building the kingdom of God in our community and eventually expanding our facilities on this site or some other nearby property. Today’s ruling clarifies some issues for us and allows us to move forward with much needed development.
We are thankful to all of our friends near and far who have supported us prayerfully and financially. In this we have felt much as David must have felt when facing Goliath; in a worldly sense seeming overwhelmed but walking in faith, believing that God was on our side.
Ephesians 1:13 ‘You also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel’.
Grace and Peace to you all, in Jesus Name,
The Rev. Robin T. Adams
Rector, Church of the Word
Letter to Members and Friends of Church of the Word
http://www.pwcweb.com/ecw
December 19, 2008
We received the Judgment today from Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Randy I. Bellows specifying that our three acre property in Gainesville, Virginia, falls under the reach of the Commonwealth of Virginia Code § 57-9(A) Division statute.
This law was originally enacted to provide a fair and neutral principled way for the State to decide Church property disputes brought before it. It is clear from this judgment that the congregation owns the property which it purchased 15 years ago and has subsequently invested over one million dollars into its purchase and maintenance. Church of the Word was part of a group of 20 or more congregations, some with property and some without property, who were given permission by the Diocese of Virginia to enter into a discernment process in the fall of 2006, culminating in a congregational vote in December 2006.
It is important to remember that the Diocese of Virginia set up the parameters for the discernment process in its ‘ Protocol for departing congregations’. The protocol was agreed to by the Standing committee and Executive board of the Diocese, published on the Diocesan website, and recommended to congregations. The Diocese provided study material for the discernment process, met with the vestry, and sent a delegation to speak to the congregation before the vote to separate. They promised in the protocol to work with the congregations to resolve all differences amicably and so avoid the disgrace of Christians taking other Christians to court.
It is our desire to live at peace with our friends and former colleagues in the Diocese of Virginia, and so we encourage their leadership to accept the judge’s ruling today and return to the spirit of the protocol by building working relationships with the CANA congregations and other Anglican bodies in Virginia.
Church of the Word is a congregation within the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) and through CANA is a part of the emerging province of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). ACNA has already been accepted as a legitimate Anglican body by primates representing a majority of Anglicans around the world.
We look forward to building the kingdom of God in our community and eventually expanding our facilities on this site or some other nearby property. Today’s ruling clarifies some issues for us and allows us to move forward with much needed development.
We are thankful to all of our friends near and far who have supported us prayerfully and financially. In this we have felt much as David must have felt when facing Goliath; in a worldly sense seeming overwhelmed but walking in faith, believing that God was on our side.
Ephesians 1:13 ‘You also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel’.
Grace and Peace to you all, in Jesus Name,
The Rev. Robin T. Adams
Rector, Church of the Word
http://www.pwcweb.com/ecw