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A Community
Rooted in Christ

The Falls Church Anglican is an evangelical, intergenerational church near our nation’s capital growing together through worship, discipleship, community, and mission.

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Our Story

Faithfulness to Christ

The Falls Church Anglican (TFCA) traces its spiritual roots to one of the oldest congregations in America, The Falls Church (TFC), which was established in 1732 in what is now Falls Church, Virginia.

TFC's early history is intertwined with the founding of the nation. In 1763, George Washington, who once served on the church’s vestry, inspected the original wooden structure and deemed it “rotten and unfit for repair.” This led to the construction of a sturdy brick colonial church, which stood as a witness to pivotal moments in American history, including the Revolutionary War and the early republic. For centuries, it served as a spiritual anchor in the community, embodying traditional Anglican worship and values.

By 1979, however, attendance at the church was dwindling when a young pastor, the Rev. John Yates, arrived with a renewed focus on Jesus Christ and biblical teaching. Under his leadership, the church experienced a spiritual awakening, growing rapidly from a small group to thousands of members. A new sanctuary was built on the historic property to accommodate this expansion, transforming TFC into a vibrant center of faith, outreach, and community engagement.

At the same time, there were increasing theological differences with the parent denomination, the Episcopal Church, particularly regarding scriptural authority and human sexuality. In 2006, a vast majority of TFC members voted to leave the Episcopal Church. Following the vote, the Episcopal Church brought litigation against TFC, which resulted in TFC losing nearly everything, including its historic buildings and land.

Those that voted to leave the Episcopal church established a new church, The Falls Church Anglican (TFCA), and joined what would become the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA). The congregation was forced to relocate, holding services in temporary spaces like schools and other churches. (The remainder of TFC that did not leave the Episcopal Church were renamed The Falls Church Episcopal (TFCE).)

This period of “tabernacling” deepened TFCA's reliance on God, leading to profound blessings such as church planting and strengthened community bonds. Far from defeat, the church lost everything temporal but gained what mattered most.

Today, TFCA thrives in a beautiful new sanctuary in Falls Church, continuing its mission as a welcoming Anglican community within ACNA, with global outreach and a focus on discipleship. For newcomers, TFCA offers a blend of ancient Anglican liturgy, contemporary worship, and Gospel-centered teaching, inviting all to join in this ongoing story of awakening and faithfulness.

Vision for 2050

His work, our joy

Where will we be as a Church in 2050—what will we do with all we’ve been entrusted? What would faithfulness look like in the years and decades ahead?

Praying over this question has been a stabilizing discipline for me—especially as our church walks through demanding times.

I’ve even started a letter to myself, TFCA@2050, where I dream about our future as a way to stay focused in our present. God’s purposes—not our reactions to the moment—must be our compass.

That letter has grown to seven themes. With God’s help, I long for us to be:

1. A PEOPLE FOUND FAITHFUL

May we be hard runners, good stewards, fruitful disciples, who guard the Gospel entrusted to us. (Lk 18:8)

2. A PEOPLE MATURE IN CHRIST

May we be sturdy disciples, not tossed to and fro by every wind of opinion or wave of pain; holy and whole; skilled in prayer, discipleship, and evangelism; tough yet tender. (Eph 4:15)

3. A PEOPLE WHO PASS ON THE FAITH

We are called to evangelize, disciple and equip the next generation for devotion to Christ. (Deut 6:6-7)

4. A MISSIONAL PEOPLE

May we be passionate to see others come to know Jesus, that He would be non-ignorable in our everyday lives. (Matt 20:19)

5. A SERVING PEOPLE

May we meet the real needs of our real neighbors, so that years from now our neighbors be thankful that this church is here. (Matt 5:13; 14)

6. A CHURCH PLANTING, LEADER-FORMING PEOPLE

May we continue to raise healthy pastors who establish healthy Gospel-centered churches. (2 Tim 2:2)

7. AN INFLUENCING PEOPLE

May we enrich global Christianity with theological and spiritual health. (1 Cor 5:6-7)

By God’s grace, these will all be true of the Falls Church Anglican in 2050.

Sam Ferguson

Rector

What We Believe 

We are a church centered on the Good News of Jesus Christ. Our core beliefs are rooted in Scripture and expressed in the historic creeds and the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Anglican Church.

Together we affirm:

  • The Holy Trinity

    We believe there is one God, eternally existing in three divine Persons: The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit; and has so revealed himself to us in Holy Scripture.

    Deut 6:4-7; Ps 86:8-10; Matt 3:16-17; Lk 3:21-22; 2 Cor 13:14

  • The Lord Jesus Christ

    We believe in the full deity and full humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, God incarnate, who by reason of His birth of the Virgin Mary, sinless life, atoning death, bodily resurrection, glorious ascension and triumphant reign and coming again, is the only Mediator between God and man.

    Jn 1:1-14; 10:30; Phil 2:5-11; 1 Cor 8:6; Col 2:9

  • The Word of God, or Holy Scripture

    We believe in the infallibility and trustworthiness of the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments as “God’s Word written,” which contain all things necessary for salvation, reveal God’s will for His world and His people, have supreme authority for faith, life and the continuous renewal and reform of the Church, and should be translated, read, taught, and obeyed according to their own intended meaning.

    Psalm 19:7-10; Prov 30:5-6; 2 Tim 3:15-17; 2 Pet 1:19-21

  • Humanity

    We believe God created human beings in His image, male and female, embodied beings constituted of physical and spiritual elements, body and soul, with the purpose to love and glorify Him and exercise dominion and care over His creation; Humans have all sinned against God, failing to worship, obey, and glorify Him, and, outside of God’s saving action, now live apart from His presence, subject to sin, death and judgement.

    Gen 1:26-28; 2:7-15; 3:14-24; Eccl 7:29; Ps 8:4-6; Isa 43:7; Ps 96:9; Matt 4:10; Rom 3:23; Eph 2:1-2

  • The Gospel

    We believe the Good News (Gospel) that we have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit; this was the initiative of God, who loved us while we were yet sinners, and acted through His Son Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, to atone for our sins, offer us forgiveness, deliver us from sin, death, and judgement, and grant us life eternal.

    Jn 3:1-8, 16; Rom 2:16-17; 5:1; 8:1; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pet 1:3-4; Isa 53:4-12

  • Santification & Christian Living

    We believe the Holy Spirit, having awakened the heart during conversion, graciously continues to work in the life of a believer, perfecting their repentance, nurturing the new life implanted, urging them to holiness in living, transforming them by faith, hope and love into Christ’s image and enabling good works in the world.

    Rom 8:13–17; 26-30; 1 Thess 4:3; 5:23; John 3:5; Gal 3:3; 5:22-23; 1 Pet 1:15-16

  • The Christian Church

    We believe the Church is the Body of Christ, whose members belong to the new humanity, and who are called to gather regularly to worship God, confess His truth, proclaim His Son, and support one another in love and giving themselves in sacrificial service to those in need and who are sent to preach the Gospel to all peoples.

    1 Cor 1:1-3; 12:12-13, 26; Eph 3:10; 4:11-16; Jn 13:24-25; Acts 4:42; Matt:28-19-20

  • Spiritual Gifts & Ministry

    We believe all Christians are called to exercise their God-given gifts in ministry and to work, witness and suffer for Christ; together with the particular calling of ordained ministers, who, by preaching, teaching and pastoral care, are to equip God’s people for His service and to present them mature in Christ; and of the continuing presence of the Holy Spirit in gifting and empowering for ministry and work.

    1 Cor 12:4-11; 1 Cor 12:24-25; Rom 12:6; 1 Pet 4:10; Eph 4:11, 16; 1 Tim 3:1, 8; 2 Tim 2:2, 15; Tit 2:1

  • The Sacraments

    We believe the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion are “visible words” which proclaim the Gospel and are means of grace by which faith is quickened, strengthened and assured.

    In particular, the significance of Holy Baptism as union with Christ in His death and resurrection by repentance and faith and the Lord’s Supper as a communion in the Body and Blood of Christ, who offers himself to us in the action of this sacrament, so that by faith we may feed on him in our hearts and offer ourselves to him in gratitude for our salvation through His cross;

    Also, the openness of the Lord’s Table as the place to which all baptized believers, being one in Christ, are freely invited to come in repentance, faith and love, to celebrate their common salvation in the Lord and to express their common devotion to His person and His service.

    Matt 26:26-29; 1 Cor 10:16; 11:20; Matt 3:16; 28:19; Mk 16:16; Acts 2:38; 41; 1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:27

  • The Return of Christ

    We believe the Lord Jesus Christ will return, in person and in glory, at the end of this age for the resurrection of the dead, some to life, some to condemnation, for the glorification of God and His Church and for the renewal of the whole creation.

    Jn 14:3; 1 Thess 5:23; James 5:7; Acts 1:9-11; Phil 4:5; Rev 21:1; 22:12; Matt 16:27; 24:42; 1 Cor 1:7

Our Pillars

Worship

At the center of our life together is worship—gathering weekly to glorify God through song, Word, prayer, and sacrament.

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Community

We believe the Christian life is meant to be lived together. From small groups to shared meals, we build meaningful relationships where people can truly know and be known.

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Discipleship 

We are committed to growing as followers of Jesus—deepening our faith through Scripture, prayer, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Mission

Jesus sends us to love our neighbors and share the Gospel. We serve locally and globally so others may experience the hope we have in Christ.

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The Wider Anglican Communion

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Whether you’re new to the area, exploring faith, or looking for a church home, we’d love to meet you. Discover how you can worship with us, connect in community, and grow in Christ.

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