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On July 7, 1999, the Rt. Rev. David Jones, suffragan bishop of Virginia, granted official status to a task force charged
with implementing resolution R-9 of the 204th
Annual Council of the Diocese of Virginia to make the planting of Hispanic
cultured churches a high priority.
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. Members currently are:
 | Lila Arzúa (St.
George’s, Arlington), Jo Belser
(Grace Church, Alexandria), Bianca
Cruz, Fidel Daza (San José, Arlington),
Peter
Feather, Barbara
Gurr, Victoria
Heard (Diocesan Missioner for Church Planting),
Linda
Huntington (La Gracia, Alexandria), Humberto
Mendizabal (San José, Arlington), Padre Jesús Reyes (San José, Arlington), Bob
Prichard (Virginia Theological Seminary), Lucy-Lee
Reed (Grace Church, Alexandria), Antoineta Jaspers (San José, Arlington), and John
Weatherly (St. Mark’s, Alexandria). |
The Task Force has five working groups:
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A Church Needs/ Programs
group is sponsoring the convivios with the members of the existing
congregations, asking them who was interested in working toward the creation
of a freestanding congregation and asking them what kind of church programs
would be useful for them. |
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An advocacy/finance group
with two subgroups. One would present the plan for a freestanding
congregation and seek funds from English-speaking congregations. The other
would do the same with Spanish-speaking congregations. |
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A Financial Planning Group is
seeking available funds from church sources and from foundations.
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A Publicity Group prepares press releases.
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A research group is looking
for land both inside and outside of the Beltway and has done demographic research. |
The task force
has found an existing church for sale in the
target area and—through the Diocese of Virginia—is currently negotiating for
sale of the property. |
