By Jeffrey Walton, Juicy Ecumenism
A historic Episcopal parish that counts U.S. President George Washington among its past vestry members has hosted its first blessing of a same-sex union.
The Falls Church News Press reports that two men were joined in a “Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant” in the historic sanctuary of the Falls Church Episcopal in Falls Church, Virginia on Friday, August 22. The church property was won from departing Anglicans in a lawsuit by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia.
The service, officiated under the direction of Rector John Ohmer, marks the first such celebration at the historic property. A court ruling awarded control of the property in 2012 to the Episcopal Diocese.
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This has been perceived in some circles as a slap in the fact to the Anglican congregation who had to leave the church after the legal decision to give the property to the Episcopal Church.
Based on some reports the Episcopal congregation does not collect enough in donations to keep the heat on, and relies on assistance from the Diocese as well as the national church. You can see in the graph located here: http://pr.dfms.org/study/exports/6542-6942_20140826_02233875.pdf , that when the majority of the church decided to leave TEC, average worship attendance and giving dropped from a high of 1,800 or so, and $4.5 million a year, to about 180 and $300,000 or less as of 2012.
More recent numbers are being held secret, evidently to keep the debacle that TEC created from being totally evident.