Anglican District of Virginia
Encyclopedia
The Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic is a diocese
within the Anglican Church in North America encompassing Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and northeastern North Carolina. The diocese was originally organized in 2006 as the Anglican District of Virginia when a group of Virginian congregations withdrew from the Episcopal Church. It achieved diocesan status on June 21, 2011.
. The founding congregations were:
A tenth congregation that had broken from the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia
in October 2006, Church of the Messiah in Chesapeake
, also joined the district.
These congregations voted overwhelmingly to leave the Episcopal Church and formed the Anglican District of Virginia as part of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America
(CANA), a ministry to Nigerian Anglicans living in North America which had also become an agent of Anglican realignment
. The district was led by the Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns
, the Missionary Bishop of CANA.
With the creation of the Anglican Church in North America in 2009, the Anglican District became a part of the new province
while it continued to maintain its relationship with CANA. In May 2011, the district held a constitutional convention in Herndon, Virginia, where it voted to apply for formal diocesan status within ACNA and elected John Guernsey as its first bishop. The Anglican Church's provincial council approved its admission as a diocese on June 21. Guernsey took office on September 10, 2011.
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
within the Anglican Church in North America encompassing Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and northeastern North Carolina. The diocese was originally organized in 2006 as the Anglican District of Virginia when a group of Virginian congregations withdrew from the Episcopal Church. It achieved diocesan status on June 21, 2011.
History
The Anglican District of Virginia was organized on December 17, 2006, by nine congregations which broke away from the Episcopal Diocese of VirginiaEpiscopal Diocese of Virginia
The Diocese of Virginia is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America encompassing 38 counties in the northern and central parts of the state of Virginia. The diocese was organized in 1785 and is one of the Episcopal Church's nine original dioceses. However, the diocese has...
. The founding congregations were:
- Church of the Epiphany, Herndon, Virginia
- Truro ChurchTruro ParishTruro Church is an Anglican church in Fairfax, Virginia, US.-History of Truro Church:The original Truro Parish was created by the General Assembly of Virginia on November 1, 1732 when Hamilton Parish was divided along the Occoquan River and Bull Run...
, FairfaxFairfax, VirginiaThe City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat.... - The Falls ChurchThe Falls ChurchThe Falls Church historically refers to the church from which the City of Falls Church, Virginia, near Washington, D. C., takes its name. The parish it originally served was established in 1732 and the brick meeting house preserved on site dates to 1769....
, Falls ChurchFalls Church, VirginiaThe City of Falls Church is an independent city in Virginia, United States, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The city population was 12,332 in 2010, up from 10,377 in 2000. Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Anglican parish, Falls Church gained township status within... - St Margaret’s Church, Woodbridge
- Church of the Apostles, Fairfax
- Church of the Word, Gainesville
- St Stephens, Heathsville
- Potomac Falls Episcopal, Sterling
- Christ the Redeemer, Centreville
A tenth congregation that had broken from the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia
Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia
-General information:Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America located in the southeast area of Virginia. It is in Province III...
in October 2006, Church of the Messiah in Chesapeake
Chesapeake, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 199,184 people, 69,900 households, and 54,172 families residing in the city. The population density was 584.6 people per square mile . There were 72,672 housing units at an average density of 213.3 per square mile...
, also joined the district.
These congregations voted overwhelmingly to leave the Episcopal Church and formed the Anglican District of Virginia as part of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America
Convocation of Anglicans in North America
The Convocation of Anglicans in North America is an Anglican body in the United States primarily comprising Anglican and Episcopal churches that have disaffiliated from the Episcopal Church in the United States of America . CANA was initially a missionary initiative of the Anglican Church of Nigeria...
(CANA), a ministry to Nigerian Anglicans living in North America which had also become an agent of Anglican realignment
Anglican realignment
The term Anglican realignment refers to a movement among some Anglicans to align themselves under new or alternative oversight within or outside the Anglican Communion. This movement is primarily active in parts of the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada...
. The district was led by the Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns
Martyn Minns
The Right Reverend Martyn Minns is the Missionary Bishop of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America . Prior to becoming bishop, he served as rector of Truro Church in Fairfax, Virginia, in the United States.-Background:...
, the Missionary Bishop of CANA.
With the creation of the Anglican Church in North America in 2009, the Anglican District became a part of the new province
Ecclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
while it continued to maintain its relationship with CANA. In May 2011, the district held a constitutional convention in Herndon, Virginia, where it voted to apply for formal diocesan status within ACNA and elected John Guernsey as its first bishop. The Anglican Church's provincial council approved its admission as a diocese on June 21. Guernsey took office on September 10, 2011.