A handful of Northern Virginia churches are expected to soon resolve whether to officially split from the Episcopal Church, part of a growing ideological rift within the Protestant religion.
Truro Church in Fairfax and The Falls Church in Falls Church are among nine congregations within the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia to consider leaving the national church and are slated to announce the results Sunday after a week of voting. On Dec. 10, All Saints’ Church in Prince William County announced its members had voted overwhelmingly to leave the national church, becoming the first of the congregations to do so.
The rift stems from a long-standing argument with a national Episcopal body that some say has strayed from traditional doctrines — an argument “brought to a head” by the ordination of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire three years ago, said Jim Pierobon, a spokesman for Truro and The Falls Church.
“It’s simply sad that we have to do this,” Pierobon said. “Those in orthodox congregations such as ours take the Bible literally, and we want to stay in communion … with those who take the Bible literally.”
Truro and The Falls Church each have more than 1,000 eligible voting members, Pierobon said. If the measure is passed, he said, the churches would affiliate with a division of the Anglican church in Nigeria.
Bishop Peter Lee, of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, issued a statement on Sunday, writing that he remains “concerned for all involved in this most delicate matter.”
“In the spirit of openness and inclusion that are the hallmarks of the Episcopal Church, my fervent prayers this day embrace all who will bear the weight and consequences of these decisions,” he wrote.
