WELCOME
to
ST. JAMES
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
A Guide to St.
James
Nourished by
Word and Sacrament, we are sent out to do the work God has given us to do, to
love and serve God as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.
St. James
Mission
St.
James Episcopal Church is a dynamic and vibrant community that has
experienced great growth in the last few years and continues to welcome new
people each week. We invite you to
explore St. James and to join us as "faithful witnesses" to the work
of Christ in our lives and in the lives of others.
Getting
started always begins with that first step.
This brochure describes some examples of all our parish has to offer and
how you can participate.
We
are...St. James Episcopal Church,
A community of 1,430 baptized members.
We
belong...to the Diocese of Virginia,
A community of 90,000 baptized members
and 450 clergy in 38 counties of central, northern and northwestern Virginia,
serving the world through 194 congregations, six schools, two diocesan retreat
centers, and six diocesan homes, and home to the largest Anglican seminary in
the worldVirginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria.
Which belongs to...The Episcopal Church,
USA,
A community of
2.5 million members in 113 dioceses in the Americas and abroad. The Episcopal Church, USA was organized in
1789.
Which belongs to...the Anglican
Communion,
A global
community of 73 million Anglicans in 38 member provinces.
General Contact Information
14
Cornwall Street NW,Leesburg,
Virginia 20176
Phone:
703-777-1124
Fax:
703-777-1129
email: info@stjamesleesburg.org
www.stjamesleesburg.org
For
pastoral emergencies, call the Church Office and select option 3 to leave
a message to be immediately forwarded to the clergy on call.
No matter who
you are, or where you are in your spiritual journey, you are welcome at St.
James.
Please know that
all baptized persons regardless of age or denomination are welcomed and
encouraged to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
We conduct a Wednesday
Noon Holy Eucharist service (12:00-12:30), Morning Prayer on Fridays at
8:30 a.m., and three services each Sunday, each with its own identity:
7:45 a.m. Holy
Eucharist, Rite I
Our early
morning service uses the more traditional language of our Book of Common Prayer
and usually does not have music.
9:00 a.m. Holy
Eucharist, Rite II
While children
are welcome at all services, this service is particularly suited to children
and their parents. It offers a lively service incorporating blended music of
traditional hymns with more contemporary music and songs, as well as Childrens
Chapel during the adult sermon, so that children may worship with
age-appropriate messages, songs, and prayers.
11:15 a.m. Holy
Eucharist, Rite I or II
With Childrens
Chapel and Healing Service
A traditional
liturgy is enhanced with classical hymns and music led by an adult parish choir
and musicians from the Shenandoah University Music program. The service varies
between Rite I and Rite II, depending on season, and also offers Childrens
Chapel during the adult sermon, as well as prayers for healing during Holy
Eucharist.
Professionally-staffed
child care is available at all services. Christian Education for all ages
(pre-K, 1-5th grade Sunday School, middle school forum, high school forum, and
two adult forums) takes place each Sunday from 10:10 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the
School Board Administrative Building, next door at the corner of Wirt and North
Streets, NW. Plenty of parking is also
available at the School Board Administration Building.
The Reverend John. R. Ohmer
The
Rev. John Ohmer is in his twelfth year of ordained ministry, having been called
to St. James as Rector in February of 1999. He graduated from Wabash College,
earning an A.B. in Philosophy (minor in English) in 1984. He moved to Capitol
Hill in 1985 where he worked for a United States Senator for four years and one
year as a lobbyist on immigration issues for an affiliate of the American Bar
Association, before moving back to his home state of Indiana to work as a press
secretary and speech writer for the Indiana Secretary of State while going
through the exploration process for ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church.
He
entered Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, and was awarded
a Masters of Divinity degree in 1993. Upon graduation from seminary, John
served for 4 years as the Assistant to the Rector at St. Marys Episcopal
Church in Arlington, Virginia. He has served on the Board of Directors of
Samaritan Ministry for the Homeless in Washington D.C., on the Diocesan
Commission on Ministry, and most recently was appointed by the Bishop of
Virginia to serve as an issues writer for the Dioceses publication Center
Aisle, a publication dedicated to balanced coverage of controversial issues
facing the church.
He
and his wife Mary have three children: Graham, William, and Elizabeth. John is
a runner who has completed five marathons, and still
goes back home again to Indiana nearly every year to complete the
Indianapolis half marathon.
Father Johns email is
john@stjamesleesburg.org
Our Assistant to the Rector For Adult Ministires
The Reverend Kate Bryant
The
Rev. Kate Bryant is the newest member of the St. James staff, having received
her Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School in May 2006 where she
also received her Diploma in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School at
Yale. Kate was recognized for her
outstanding contributions to worship life at Berkeley with the St. Lukes
Award. She also served on the Berkeley
Board of Trustees, elected as Student Representative for her class. Kate is a Priest Associate of the Society of
St. Margaret, an Episcopal religious community of women.
Kate
did her undergraduate work at The Johns Hopkins University where her
concentration was Humanistic Area Studies.
After graduating, she studied Slavic Linguistics at New York University,
from which she received her Master of Arts degree. Kate then embarked upon a twenty-year
business career in international and corporate banking (including two years in
So Paulo, Brazil), advertising and marketing, and corporate communications. She speaks reads, and writes Portuguese,
French and Russian and, to a limited extent, Spanish.
After
she chose to leave the corporate sector and before she entered seminary, Kate
served as a hospital chaplain in the emergency room and burn unit at a regional
trauma center in Westchester County, New York.
She also served as a homework coach and day camp counselor to children
aged 6 to 12 at Iglesia Memorial de San Andres, an
Episcopal mission church in the Diocese of New York.
A
cradle Episcopalian, Kate is a native of Washington, DC. Both of her brothers Jim and Mac live in
Washingtons Maryland suburbs.
Kate
enjoys long bicycle rides, well-written films, and the music of Brazil.
Rev.
Kates email is kate@stjamesleesburg.org.
Our Assistant to the Rector for Children & Youth
Ministries
Mary Fisher Davila
The Rev. Mary Davila is in her second
year of serving at St. James, having
completed her Master of Divinity in May 2005. Mary is a graduate of the
Virginia Theological Seminary, and did her undergraduate work at the University
of Richmond, majoring in English and Religion. After graduating from college in
1998, Mary began working at St. Stephens Episcopal
Church in Richmond. She served as the Director of Childrens
Ministries for three years and as a youth group leader for seven. In addition,
she was active member of the young adult group at St. Stephens.
Mary is married to Chris Davila, an
elementary school teacher and tennis coach. They are the parents of two dogs
and two cats. Mary is an avid horsewoman, breeding and showing Morgan horses
nationally. Her horses live in North Carolina, Kansas City, and San Diego, and
she meets them for various shows around the country.
Mary
is also an ardent UNC basketball fan and enjoys playing tennis and running.
Pastor
Marys email address is mary@stjamesleesburg.org.
The Reverend Donald Goodness
The Rev. Donald R. Goodness was born in
Rochester, New York, in 1932. He attended public school there and then Union
Springs Academy, a Seventh-day Adventist prep school, from which he graduated.
He attended a Seventh-day Adventist College in Massachusetts where he also
received his ministerial training. In 1950, he was married to Lorraine Reynolds
of Hartford, Connecticut, a fellow college student.
Fr. Goodness served in the Seventh-day
Adventist ministry during the years 19531958, with parishes in Hartford, CT,
Worcester, Springfield and Lynn, MA. In the year 1958, he left the Adventist
ministry. Bishop Anson Phelps Stokes Jr. confirmed the Goodnesses
in Boston in 1959. He then attended The Episcopal Theological School,
Cambridge, 1959-1962.
After graduating Seminary in 1962, he
became Curate at Christ Church, Fitchburg, MA, the
largest parish in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts. In 1965, his rector
retired, and he was elected by the Parish and approved by the Bishop to be the
next Rector. The Goodnesses lived there from
1962-1972. Christ Church was then a parish of over 1,200 members, with over 400
children in church school, basketball teams, EYC groups, adult service &
social organizations, community involvement in many drug and rehabilitation
programs, and it served as a leader on multiple levels in an area that had a
population of 100,000. There were three other Episcopal parishes in the area,
two of which had originally been missions of Christ Church.
In 1972, Fr. Goodness became rector of
New York Citys historic Church of the Ascension at 5th Avenue and 10th Street.
He spent 25 years serving Ascension and during those years the parish was noted
for its exquisite liturgy, preaching, choir, and teaching ministry; for its
leadership in the community in establishing a Food Pantry and a Homeless
Shelter; for importing boat people from Vietnam and helping them establish a new
life in the U.S.; for its chaplaincy to New York University; for its ministry
of welcome to the gay community that was a large portion of Ascensions
Greenwich Village population. The Goodnesses retired
in 1997 and moved to Potomac Falls, VA, to be near their daughter, Kathleen,
and her two children.
About St. James Episcopal Church
St. James Episcopal Church and
Shelburne Parish trace their history in Loudoun County back to the 1700s. The first church in Loudoun County, called
the Chapel of Ease for the comfort of the people above the Goose Creek, was
built in 1733. Shelburne Parish was
created out of the western portion of the Parish of Cameron in 1770. Before the establishment of Shelburne Parish,
the Chapel of Ease was served by visiting ministers. Its first rector was the Rev. Dr. David
Griffith, a distinguished churchman, who served from 1771 to 1776. A leader in the early church in Virginia, he
was, in 1786, the first man elected bishop in America. Unfortunately he died before funds were found
to send him to England for his consecration.
In 1895, the cornerstone was laid for
the present building. The first service
was held in 1897, and it was consecrated in 1905. The building was damaged extensively by a
fire in 1929. Fortunately, because of
the thick stone walls, the basic structure withstood the flames and the nave
was restored to its present form.
In the following years, St. James has
been expanded several times. The
addition of the Parish Hall occurred in 1931, and was extended in the
1950s. In 1972, the house beside the
church was remodeled and connected to the church by the construction of a stone
and glass arcade. It is here that we
find the church offices, the parlor, the Preschool office and some of the
Preschool classrooms. In 2005, St James
acquired properties along King Street for future generation needs.
While St. James is a church with a rich
history, we are a church of the present, active in ministry in our parish and
community. We gather weekly to share in
the worship of God, hearing and receiving the word of God through preaching and
sacraments. Through various educational
opportunities we strive for a deeper understanding of Christ, ourselves and
others. Through our various ministries,
we seek to make the presence of Jesus Christ known to those in our community.
We welcome you to our service today and
to our community of faith. Please know that this church extends an invitation
to you for on-going fellowship and worship.
If you would like to learn more about our activities, please identify
yourself to the clergy or one of our greeters.
Please know that in the Episcopal
Church, ALL baptized Christians, regardless of age or denominational
affiliation, are invited and most warmly welcomed to receive the Sacrament of
Holy Communion.
St.
James Episcopal Church
14
Cornwall Street NW, Leesburg, VA 20176
(703)777-1124 info@stjamesleesburg.org
www.stjamesleesburg.org
We would love for you to be part of our
community of faith. If you are currently
considering membership, you may begin by contacting Kay Gregg, Registrar at
(703) 777-1124 ext. 105.
We encourage
each person new to the congregation to take our membership class. This class prepares one for membership in the
Episcopal church.
The current class schedule is listed in the brochure titled The
Episcopal Church Welcomes You, Joining the Church: Membership.
Please INTRODUCE YOURSELF to the
person next to you or to one of our greeters or clergywell point you in the
right direction.
The
sacrament of Holy Baptism is the first formal step in each persons life as a
church member and follower of Christ.
Whether one is being baptized as an adult or presenting an infant or
child to be baptized, it is important to understand the fundamentals of the
Christian Faith.
If you are
currently considering baptism, you may begin by contacting Kris Kennedy, Administrative Assistant, at (703) 777-1124 ext. 100. Please also be sure to pick up our The
Episcopal Church Welcomes You, Joining the Church: Baptism brochure which
details the steps to follow when preparing for Holy Baptism:
Baptism
Preparation Class
Baptism
Rehearsal
Banner
Making Sessions
Because
St. James has been blessed with a beautiful physical church building that is
located in the heart of historic Leesburg, our parish office receives about
five to ten phone calls each week about the availability of the church building
to hold a wedding. However, the people of St. James believe that marriage is
a Sacrament which must be entered into, and lived out, within a community of
faith.
Therefore,
while questions about the availability of the church building are important,
they are rightly asked only after other questions have been asked and answered.
For example:
Why Christian marriage?
Why this particular community of faith?
What is my commitment to God and the church?
Couples
interested in being married at St. James should begin by reading our wedding
brochure titled: The
Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage. This is an
introduction to the Sacrament of Christian Marriage as it is celebrated in the
life of St. James Episcopal Church. It is also intended to answer some of the
more frequently asked questions about holding weddings here.
Once
you have read the brochure, give Kay Gregg, Wedding Coordinator, a call at
(703)777-1124 ext. 105.
14 Cornwall
Street NW, Leesburg, Virginia 20176-2801
Phone:
703-777-1124
Fax:
703-777-1129
email:
info@stjamesleesburg.org
www.stjamesleesburg.org
For pastoral
emergencies, dial (703)263-3019 for the on-call clergy pager.
We believe God
is calling St. James to live out this mission:
Nourished by
Word and Sacrament, we are sent out to do the work God has given us to do, to
love and serve God as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.
Properly prepared
and motivated, the Episcopal Church in general, and St. James in particular,
is uniquely poised to accomplish this mission. In 2005, we surveyed the St.
James congregation about our existing strengths and areas for improvement. We
then considered where God is calling us in the future and, in January 2006, we
identified the goals and objectives that will move us to the future that we
believe God envisions for us. In Our Vision for the Future, issued in January
2006, we identified three things which we believe God is calling us to do:
1)
inspire, equip, and engage all
parishioners as active disciples of Christ;
2)
increase parishioners participation in intergenerational, hands-on service
opportunities by reaching out to others in a common goal in Christs name;
3)
undertake a mission-driven renovation and
expansion of our facilities.
We are
accomplishing the inspire, equip, and engage goal through our worship,
discipleship, and pastoral care ministries, and by making this goal a major
responsibility of the Rev. Kate Bryant working alongside Mary Pellicano and the Adult Christian Formation Committee.
We are
accomplishing the reach out to others in a common goal through our outreach
ministries. We have gone out into the community to study the major needs of the
poor and/or marginalized in Leesburg and Loudoun County. We have interviewed
those on the front lines of poverty and need, and asked them What needs exist?
Who is meeting those needs? What gaps exist? Through additional study and
prayer, we are asking the Holy Spirits guidance in answering this question:
What are the unmet needs that we should we focus our energies on for the
near-term future? Our response to that question is our common goal in Christs
name.
We have hired cox, graae + spack, a Washington,
DC-based architectural firm who is helping us to decide how we can best
renovate and expand our facilities to accomplish that common goal while at the
same time addressing our own internal needs.
The remainder
of this booklet lists a brief description of each of the ministries St. James
has in order to help us accomplish our goals.
Ministry Head
Adult Choir: Dr. Steven Cooksey
Corner Chorale: Dr. Stephan Knobloch
Childrens Choir: Dr. Pat Avery
Who we are
Adult Choir: The Adult Choir serves as worship leaders for
the 11:15 worship service, which is a traditional Episcopal service. They rehearse on Sunday mornings from 9:45 to
10:45 a.m., and on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. In addition to regular worship services, the
Adult Choir sings at special services throughout the year and with other choirs
in the area for ecumenical outreach.
Corner Chorale: The Corner Chorale serves as worship leaders
for the 9:00 worship service. They
rehearse on Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., and on the first Saturday of
each month from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. They
sing a variety of music for this blended worship service. Several times during the year, they join
their voices with the Adult and Childrens Choirs for special seasonal music.
Childrens Choir: The Childrens Choir serves as worship
leaders for the 9:00 worship service during the months of September through
May. Children in grades kindergarten
through seven are invited to be a part of this group. The children learn about Episcopal liturgy
and the church seasons as they learn to sing and lead in worship. Grades K-3 rehearse
from 5:30-6:10 p.m., and grades 4-7 rehearse from 6:15-6:55 p.m. each
Wednesday.
How you can be involved...
Do you play an
instrument?
Do you sing?
Are you
interested in working with children?
There are many opportunities for you to
share you talent within our worship services. Feel free to talk to Dr. Cooksey or Dr. Avery
if you are willing to share your talent in some way here at St. James!
Ministry Head
Dottie Brannock
Who we are