Virginia Episcopalian Magazine Fall 2012 Issue | Page 13

A Busy Little Church Focuses on Ministry
Emily Cherry
St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in
Woodbridge has been busy. During the
summer, members of the continuing
congregation not only said goodbye to
the priest who has led them since the
painful split in 2006 that led to property
litigation, but also decided to move to a
new building.

Amid all that transition, the

congregation has managed to keep
its focus on ministry. Nowhere has
that been more apparent than in
the church’s relationship to a nearby
trailer park.

One of the few affordable housing
areas left in Woodbridge, the park
suffered flood damage in 2011 and
was subsequently condemned and

Parishioners bid goodbye to the Rev. Kate Chipps, who retired as priest-in-charge in July,
at a special Eucharist and farewell reception, where they presented her with a slideshow
of memories and a gift from the entire congregation.

left without electricity. The residents
turned to generators for power, and
proceeded to make repairs to their
damaged homes.

But on July 3, the residents were
notified by local government officials
that, due to unsafe conditions, they
would have to leave their trailers that
night. The directive left eight families,
totaling 25 people, with no home.

When St. Margaret’s heard
the news, the congregation took
action. The Rev. Kate Chipps, then
priest-in-charge, helped arrange
accommodations for two families at
a local hotel. Senior warden Eleana
Boyer then facilitated a meeting with
community partners and property
owners to develop a plan to support
the families.

“People reach out to us,” said
Boyer. “We just do whatever it takes.”

That mentality also has
produced a Stop the Hunger Now
campaign, funded by the proceeds
of a community yard sale, as well as a
school backpack drive.

Meanwhile, St. Margaret’s also
is preparing for its move from a
temporary worship space on Omisol
Road, which it shares with three other
congregations, to the former All Saints’
building in Dale City on Saratoga Lane.
Church members are keeping busy
with repairs and renovations to the
new space. They’re producing signs
and a postcard campaign to make
their presence known in the new
neighborhood. The Rev. Charlie Spigner
is helping to lead the way as a part-time
interim, while the group conducts a
formal search for a rector.

As senior warden Boyer put it,
“We’re a busy little church.” t

Fall 2012 / Virginia Episcopalian

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