"'You are my witnesses,' declares the Lord, 'and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.'" - Isaiah 43:10

WHAT WE BELIEVE

Come and experience our community of imperfect people who gather together around God’s perfect love. Grace makes possible our life together, as we celebrate forgiveness, restoration, and hope through a relationship with Jesus Christ. With grateful hearts, we are a church dedicated to worshiping our Lord and sharing the Good News about Jesus with others, and committed to serving each other and our neighbors.

Our core beliefs are those of basic Christianity, as revealed in the Bible and summarized historically in the three creeds (the Apostles’, the Nicene, and the Athanasian) and the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Anglican Church. As a worshiping community, we affirm the following beliefs:

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

SANCTIFICATION AND 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 AND 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

OTHER DOCUMENTS WE AFFIRM:
The Book of Common Prayer 
The Apostles’ Creed
The Nicene Creed
The Thirty-Nine Articles
The Jerusalem Declaration

The Anglican Church in North America

The Anglican Church in North America unites 112,000 Anglicans in nearly 1,000 congregations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico into a single Church. On April 16, 2009 it was recognized as a province of the global Anglican Communion, by the Primates of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. The Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach is the Archbishop of the Church. Click here to visit the website

The Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic

The Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic is regional diocese of the Anglican Church in North America dedicated to reaching North America with the transforming love of Jesus Christ. The Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic consists of 40 Congregations and Missions, and Mission Fellowships in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Delaware, and northeastern North Carolina. Several more are in formation. Click here to visit the website

Daughter Churches

Christ Church Vienna
Christ the King Alexandria
Incarnation Church
Redeemer Anglican Church
Restoration Arlington
St. Brendan's In The City
Grace Anglican

Our Extended History

Thank you to J.B. Simmons and his book, The Awakening of Washington's Church. Please consider purchasing a copy. All royalties will be donated to The Falls Church Anglican