First freestanding church could be reality in next
several years
In January delegates to
the 204th Annual Council of the Diocese of
Virginia responded to the explosive growth of the Hispanic
population throughout Virginia by passing resolution
R-9 to make the planting of Hispanic cultured churches a
high priority. Clergy and laity alike are eager to
strengthen the Episcopal Church’s ministry by taking
advantage of the momentum generated by the changing
demographics throughout the Diocese. Other dioceses, notably
those in Texas, have recently seized similar opportunities
and have grown very rapidly as a result.
On July 7 the Rt. Rev.
David Jones, suffragan bishop of Virginia, granted official
status to the task force charged with realizing this goal.
Led by the Rev. Robert
Prichard, professor of church history at Virginia
Theological Seminary, and the Rev. Roberto
Morales, vicar of Iglesia de San José, Arlington, the
committee is undergoing a process of discernment with broad
participation from Spanish speaking people.
The task force is
currently developing an official proposal and is scheduled
to present a preliminary report to diocesan Council in
February 2000 and a final vision statement that August. The
first freestanding Hispanic church in the Diocese could be
operating in Northern Virginia within several years.
The effort to plant the
congregation will begin by inviting members of the four
existing congregations with worship in Spanish—Iglesia
de San José, Cristo Rey, San Marcos, and Gracia, all
located in the Northern Virginia area—to participate in
the initial core group. A subcommittee of the task force
currently is setting up a series of retreats for those who
may be involved in this endeavor. Jesus Reyes, a member of
the task force, is excited about what he considers a
possibility to simultaneously pursue growth and stability.
“We can reach out to Latinos who have been forgotten,”
he says.
At the retreats members
of the task force plan to present their vision, answer
questions about the proposed plant, and explore additional
possibilities. They also hope to convey the significance of
a freestanding Hispanic church and gather support from the
community, though it is not yet known exactly where the
church will be situated.
In addition, surveys
will be distributed to areas in the diocese of dense
Hispanic population in order to determine both the spiritual
and practical needs of potential parishioners. Possible
outreach ministries at the new church could include, for
example, immigration advice, translation services, and child
care.
Rather than following a
previously established model, the committee is attempting to
determine what the prospective parishioners might want. This
fall, they expect to be prepared to present the concept to
individual churches and recruit individuals eager to further
the project. “The task force is generating a bold vision
for Hispanic ministry in the Diocese of Virginia. I
appreciate the desire to have a permanent worship center and
can see how it would be a marvelous center of ministry,”
says Bishop Jones.
This enterprise can be
traced to February 1998, when funds available for Hispanic
ministries were reduced substantially. Shortly thereafter,
the Rev. John Weatherly,
rector of St.
Mark’s, Alexandria, convened a group of about a dozen
rectors, other clergy, and vicars of local churches and
Hispanic missions. After almost a year of deliberation, they
presented a resolution to the Diocesan Council that did not
focus on regaining the funds. Instead, they recommended
starting a new church.
The task force is also
developing strategies to raise the several million dollars
that would be required for land acquisition and
construction. Funds will be sought from both local
English-speaking and Spanish-speaking congregations; church
and diocesan committees; and other available donors and
foundations. “It would be a dream come true for the
Hispanic population to have its own facilities for worship
and service,” says Morales.
However, there are
challenges to this vision. Prime among them is the historic
difficulty of establishing a self-sufficient church within
an immigrant community. Because members of these
congregations tend to earn lower wages and send much of
their income back to their native countries, such churches
rarely achieve financial independence before the three to
five year period of diocesan support comes to a close.
Once
established, this church could be instrumental in launching
a core group for another Hispanic church, this one outside
the Beltway, in the next several years. The task force is
already looking for land for this future endeavor. “If we
don’t buy the land in the next two to five years, we
won’t be able to afford it when we need it,” says the
Rev. Victoria Heard,
missioner for church planting. Heard emphasizes, “I hope
this is the beginning of several different ways to reach the
Hispanic community. We want to do it right this time.”
© The Virginia
Episcopalian; used with permission.
