About Us

St. John’s is a new church family dedicated to the faith and worship of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church within the classical Anglican tradition. Our faith is revealed in the Bible, summarized in the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds, and taught by the early Church Fathers and Councils of the undivided Church. We worship using the traditional Anglican Book of Common Prayer (1928 American edition) with music and hymns from the Church's rich treasury of hymnody.

St. John’s is a parish of the Anglican Catholic Church, which was established in 1978 to continue the orthodox Anglican and Episcopal tradition in doctrine, worship, and discipline. This includes adherence to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the always-relevant, divinely inspired revelation of God; use of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer as our standard for worship and practice; maintenance of the historical three-fold apostolic ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons; and the upholding of traditional Christian and Biblical standards of ethics, morality, and family life.

At St. John’s we seek to develop and nurture Christ-centered lives, and to bring new people to faith in Jesus Christ, through worship, prayer, the sacraments, Bible study, compassionate outreach, friendship with other Christians, and good stewardship of our time, resources, and talents.

Our priest is available for pastoral care and services including baptisms, weddings, funerals, sick calls, Christian education, private confession and absolution, and spiritual direction. Our goal is to be a vibrant and transformational Anglican church in South Hampton Roads. We cordially invite you to join us!

The Mission of Our Church

A Return to the Faith

Our Catholic and Reformed faith has a prophetic message for Christians today. For more than a generation now, churches have purposely abandoned tradition with the idea that this was necessary to attract believers in the modern world. In a replay of ancient iconoclasm, crosses and pictures were torn down and religious symbols were discouraged. Talk of sin was muted. The focus came to be on whatever might attract a larger crowd. Religion became another consumer product.

The inordinate desire for what is new, coupled with the abandonment of the received faith, has had negative consequences. Much that is called Christianity today is not very Christian in any biblical or historic sense. As one commentator said, "She who marries the spirit of the age becomes a widow in the next generation." This is why St. Paul told the Thessalonians, "Stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught" (2 Thessalonians 2:15). We call for a return to "the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3).

A Return to the Bible

As a Reformed church, we also realize that many people who think of themselves as Christians need to be introduced to the Jesus of the Bible. Many of the problems in the Church in the modern world result from ignorance of the Bible. Church leaders were able to promote non-biblical teachings and practices because the people did not know the Bible. Consequently, we emphasize Bible reading and study.

The tradition of the Church provides a fruitful environment for Bible study. We follow the church calendar that leads us to worship through the life of Jesus, from birth to Ascension, each year. We follow a plan for daily Bible reading that takes us through the Bible each year. Our services are composed of biblical prayers and expressions. Our church members are exposed to a great deal more Bible than is typical for those who attend what are known as "Bible churches."

A Return to Prayer

We believe that prayer is essential to the Christian life. The Church's life of prayer is centered in the Lord's Supper, or Holy Communion, which we celebrate each Sunday. The life of prayer is continued in daily hours of prayer, which incorporated the praying of the Psalms, Bible reading, and prayers. These daily hours of prayer are perpetuated in the Anglican Tradition in the services of Morning and Evening Prayer. Many Christians do not have a daily sense of communion with God in Christ because they do not pray. We encourage people to begin to live a life of prayer.

Tradition: Past and Future

Traditional Christians are often accused of being stuck in the past. However, the greater danger for Christians today is an uncritical acceptance of new teachings and practices. Because "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever" (Hebrews 13:8), the faith of the past is the wave of the future. As God said through the prophet Jeremiah, "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls" (Jeremiah 6:16).

Our History

St. John's is a parish of the worldwide Anglican Catholic Church, which was established in 1978 to continue the traditional doctrine, worship, and discipline of the Anglican (or Episcopal) Church. Our jurisdiction was established following a meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1977, in which some 2,000 faithful Anglicans and Episcopalians gathered to decide how they might best continue the faith, order, worship, and witness of the traditional Anglican/Episcopal Church.

The participants at St. Louis Congress sought to preserve their classical Anglican/Episcopal heritage by returning to the fullness of the faith of the undivided Church. Guided by the principles of the early Church Fathers and Ecumenical Councils, they adopted a statement of principles later called "The Affirmation of St. Louis."

The Affirmation of St. Louis called for the establishment of a new ecclesiastical structure so that "the Church of our fathers" in its Anglican expression could be continued. It affirmed the need for principles and a constitution, the desire for continued relations of communion with all faithful parts of the Anglican Communion, and the duty to proclaim "Christ's saving Truth to all peoples, nations and tongues."

The Affirmation of St. Louis also acknowledged certain foundational principles of doctrine, morality, and worship. These included the continuing authority of Holy Scripture, of the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, and of the Seven Ecumenical Councils of the undivided Church.

The participants at St. Louis initially adopted the name “Anglican Church in North America.” They requested episcopal oversight and assistance from faithful bishops in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, but only one, the Rt. Rev. Albert Chambers, retired Episcopal bishop of Springfield, Illinois, was willing to step forward and give apostolic succession to the new body.

In January 1978 Bishop Chambers consecrated four bishops for the newly formed Anglican Church in North America. In October 1978 the Church met in synod to adopt a formal constitution, which included the change of name to the "Anglican Catholic Church."

Today the Anglican Catholic Church is a worldwide body with dioceses in the Americas, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Haiti, and India.

We thus trace our origins back through the Episcopal Church to the Church of England and the ancient British (or Celtic) Church. This Church has produced such well-known Christians as C.S. Lewis, Shakespeare, and St. Patrick, as well as the King James Bible and the majestic Book of Common Prayer.

The Anglican tradition came to America with the first English settlers, who landed at Cape Henry (now part of Virginia Beach) in 1607 along with their chaplain, the Rev. Robert Hunt.

Our Faith

We believe in God the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and the orthodox Christian Faith of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Our Faith is rooted in the Bible, summarized in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, taught by the Fathers and Doctors of the Undivided Church, defended and defined by the Seven Ecumenical Councils, and demonstrated in the lives of the Saints.

We believe that God sent His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to save mankind from sin and eternal death and to make it possible for human beings to be reunited with God the Father. While remaining fully God as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ became a man and was born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus called His Apostles and taught them before His crucifixion and death; after which He physically rose from the dead and, 40 days later, ascended back into heaven.

On the Day of Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus' resurrection, the Holy Spirit came down on the Apostles and others gathered in prayer in an upper room in Jerusalem; and it was at this time that the Christian Church, the "New Israel," came into existence. The Apostles passed on the Faith they had learned from Jesus Christ to the early Church.

Our Worship

We worship God using the beautiful and time-honored traditional liturgy of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. In addition to being a masterpiece of English prose, the Book of Common Prayer provides an ancient Catholic pattern for public worship, pastoral services, and regular reading of the Scriptures.

We also sing hymns from the Church's rich historical treasury of hymnody. These hymns are typically accompanied by an organist.

This style of worship is quiet and meditative, as well as joyful, and reflects the same pattern of worship that was used in the early Church.

The Holy Bible

We believe the Bible to be the divinely inspired word of God containing all things necessary for salvation. The Bible, or Holy Scriptures of both the Old and the New Testaments, is the authentic record of God's revelation to man and is valid for all people and all time. In the Bible we have God's revelation of Himself, His saving activity, and moral demands.

To understand and interpret the Bible, we look to the writings of the early Church Fathers as well as the decrees of the Seven Ecumenical Councils of the undivided Church. We are also guided by the Canon of St. Vincent of Lerins (A.D. 434): "In the Catholic Church we take the greatest care to hold that which has been believed everywhere, always, and by all. For that is truly and properly 'Catholic.'"

Morality

We believe in the sanctity and dignity of all human life and in traditional Biblical standards of morality. We believe that life begins at the moment of conception and that the willful taking of life by abortion is a grave sin. We also believe in the family, in the God-given sacramental bond in marriage between one man and one woman. We profess that sexual activity is to be practiced only within the bonds of Holy Matrimony.

Evangelism and Outreach

We gratefully acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and as the only sure hope of salvation and eternal life. For this reason, we desire to share the wonderful Good News of God's love for us in Christ with our family, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances through prayer, outreach, friendship, and service

Our Patron Saint

We are dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, the Beloved Disciple of Jesus who tradition says wrote the Gospel of John, three New Testament Epistles, and the Book of Revelation. In St. John's Gospel, Jesus tells his Apostles, "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends" (John 15:15). That's how we want St. John's to be, a group of friends of the Lord Jesus and of one another.

Our Goal

Our goal is to be a vibrant and transformational church in the South Hampton Roads area. We want to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, grow in our relationship with God and with other people, and share the rich treasure of classical Anglicanism with the people of our area.

Opportunities for Service and Ministry

At St. John's we believe that every Christian has an important role to play within the life of the Church and in outreach to our neighbors and community. We therefore seek to discern the Lord's will and divine calling for each member through prayer and their own unique spiritual gifts, talents, interests, time, and resources. Ministry opportunities include hospitality, Christian teaching, church leadership, music, community outreach, altar guild, layreaders, acolytes, and intercession. In addition, as a small, young church, the opportunities for service and ministry are great.