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Mr. Pence and the Anglicans: Evangelical VP Attends Falls Church (VA) Anglican
VirtueOnline ^ | March 2, 2017 | Harry M. Covert

Posted on 03/05/2017 6:38:47 PM PST by tellw

It's a mighty difficult thing to be incognito as a well-known personage attending Sunday church services.

This is most especially true if you are the 48th Vice President of the United States, accompanied by wife Karen.

It is well known the Pences are deeply devout Evangelical Christians. Mike Pence calls himself an "Evangelical Catholic". He was raised a Roman Catholic, but later underwent an evangelical conversion experience. Despite their heavy schedules, they are regular churchgoers.

Last Sunday, February 26, and the two previous Lord's Days, the Vice President and Second Lady have attended services at The Falls Church Anglican in Arlington, Virginia.

Their ten-car motorcade left their vice presidential home at Number One Observatory Circle on the northeast grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., and took a ten-minute ride to the temporary home of The Falls Church Anglican at 6565 Arlington Boulevard, Falls Church, Virginia.

A ten-member Secret Service detail was discreet and dignified, providing security for the Vice President.

Parishioners were enthusiastic and welcoming. The Pences participated in the worship service conducted by Rev. Samuel Ferguson and listened intently to a homily on the subject of holiness.

Ferguson's sermon title was "Call to be Holy" from First Peter 13:25.

"The protocol is extremely important," said Ferguson. "We want him to have anonymity."

Many members of the church have known the Pences since the Vice President served in Congress, from 2001 to 2012. The Pences resided in Arlington during that time.

There was no time for the Vice President and Mrs. Pence to socialize with members. They departed the service about ten minutes before the benediction for security reasons, which is normal practice.

The Rev. Ferguson did not meet or speak with the Vice President or his wife. Nor did the church staff know that he would attend until ten minutes prior to their arrival.

The Falls Church Anglican Church has a membership of 2,000, with regular attendance of approximately 1,300. The church is active in traditional worship. The church originally was The Falls Church and part of the Episcopal Church of the United States.

Falls Church Anglicandivided over severe doctrinal disagreements with TECUSA. The differences culminated in court suits over property. Courts ruled The Falls Church remained to its Episcopal members and trustees.

The Falls Church Anglican dates its history before the American Revolution. The church is an active parish "where we respect but don't politicize politics," said Reverend Ferguson.

"We pray regularly for the President, the Vice President, the governor of the Commonwealth and we do so by name. We also pray for our men and women."

The Falls Church parish voted unanimously in 2006 to leave The Episcopal Church. In 2012, a Fairfax County, Virginia Circuit Court ruled the church forfeit its property and assets to the original body.

In 2015, the Anglican body bought property where a new church will be built in Falls Church.


TOPICS: General Discusssion; Mainline Protestant; Worship
KEYWORDS: anglican; episcopal; evangelical; pence

1 posted on 03/05/2017 6:38:47 PM PST by tellw
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To: tellw

I attended Falls Church years ago. They broke apart over doctrinal disagreements.


2 posted on 03/05/2017 6:43:31 PM PST by Not A Snowbird (SandyInPeoria just doesn't sound right... yet here I am.)
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To: tellw

Reporters do not need to be following politicians to church and watching them through the entire service to see if they are “listening intently.” That is just creepy.


3 posted on 03/05/2017 6:47:14 PM PST by iowamark (I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy)
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To: SandyInSeattle

This congregation dates to 1732. President George Washington, and George “Bill of Rights” Mason were both vestryman.


4 posted on 03/05/2017 6:56:41 PM PST by Governor Dinwiddie
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To: tellw

God Bless Our Vice President


5 posted on 03/05/2017 7:04:39 PM PST by Fiddlstix (Warning! This Is A Subliminal Tagline! Read it at your own risk!(Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: tellw
>> Mike Pence calls himself an "Evangelical Catholic". He was raised a Roman Catholic, but later underwent an evangelical conversion experience. Despite their heavy schedules, they are regular churchgoers. <<

Earth to op-ed author: "Evangelical Catholic" does not mean Evangelical Protestant.

After his "conversion" to Evangelicalism, Mike Pence still attends Catholic Mass, worked as a youth pastor at a Catholic parish, met his wife at a Catholic Mass and applied to graduate school with the intention of becoming a Catholic priest.

Visiting an Anglican service wouldn't be alien to him at all, its basically Catholicism lite.

6 posted on 03/05/2017 7:09:20 PM PST by BillyBoy (Impeach Obama? Yes We Can!)
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To: tellw

>It is well known the Pences are deeply devout Evangelical Christians.

As long as he follows our Constitution, it’s all that matters for him as his role in our government. If he followed islam or any other BS “religion” that puts itself before our Constitution, we’d have a problem.


7 posted on 03/05/2017 7:23:47 PM PST by soycd
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To: tellw
The mainline denominations could use a few lessons from the Evangelicals on how to fill their pews. Less PC pablum, more Gospel.

If parishioners want PC pablum, they can stay home and watch the Sunday news/talk shows from the comfort of their living rooms.

Why is that so hard to understand?

8 posted on 03/05/2017 7:29:05 PM PST by Vigilanteman (ObaMao: Fake America, Fake Messiah, Fake Black man. How many fakes can you fit into one Zer0?)
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To: Vigilanteman

Because that makes way too much sense.


9 posted on 03/05/2017 7:30:39 PM PST by ReformationFan
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To: SandyInSeattle
They broke apart over doctrinal disagreements.

The congregation didn't break apart. Only 27 members (or about 1% of the membership) voted to stay with the apostate Episcopal church. The low life bishop reneged on the deal and took the property from the Christians who voted to leave.

10 posted on 03/05/2017 7:38:32 PM PST by PAR35
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To: soycd

Were the Founders and Framers following a ‘BS’ religion when they wrote the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights? Just askin’


11 posted on 03/05/2017 7:39:00 PM PST by nickedknack (Sump'n ain't rat cheer)
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To: BillyBoy
At it's heart, to be evangelical is to bring the Good News of Jesus's death and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins, "For God so loved the world … ".
12 posted on 03/05/2017 8:19:32 PM PST by Governor Dinwiddie
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To: tellw

Pretty sure he was at our EPC church today and a few weeks ago. For those not in the DC area, Falls Church Anglican is a rock-solid church. As moonbatty as the DC area is, we are blessed with a number of churches that are built on the Rock and preach the Word.


13 posted on 03/05/2017 8:28:03 PM PST by PlateOfShrimp
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To: nickedknack

No, they were not following a BS religion. They we for the good of humankind. They had good spiritual guidance, not pious reactions.


14 posted on 03/05/2017 8:46:56 PM PST by soycd
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To: PlateOfShrimp

He was there, yes.

(We now both know we go to the same church, and we have no idea of the other’s identity. Ain’t FR fun? But freepmail me and I’ll tell you if you want.)


15 posted on 03/05/2017 9:55:48 PM PST by Our man in washington
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To: soycd

Understand and agree.


16 posted on 03/06/2017 1:35:16 AM PST by nickedknack (Sump'n ain't rat cheer)
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To: PAR35

Thanks for the clarification, it happened after I left. I was sad that they lost that beautiful, historic building, but as the pastor pointed it out it’s just a building.


17 posted on 03/06/2017 6:28:59 AM PST by Not A Snowbird (SandyInPeoria just doesn't sound right... yet here I am.)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie; nickedknack
>> At it's heart, to be evangelical is to bring the Good News of Jesus's death and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins, "For God so loved the world … " <<

Technically, ALL Christians are "evangelical", in the sense that Christians are called to evangelize and spread the good news. But like libertarian and Libertarian, evangelical and Evangelical are not the same thing.

>> Were the Founders and Framers following a ‘BS’ religion when they wrote the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights

According to some FReepers, by their definition of "Christian" the founders and framers "never became Christian" and "never got saved" since the vast majority of them were Anglican/Episcopalian and practiced "unbiblical" infant baptism instead of joining some tent revival meeting where they "accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior" and then went around telling everyone "the exact moment they got saved".

Fortunately most of us reject such a narrow definition of "Christian"

18 posted on 03/06/2017 1:21:11 PM PST by BillyBoy (Impeach Obama? Yes We Can!)
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To: SandyInSeattle

Here’s a story I posted in 2008. I generally tagged relevant stories with the keyword churchproperty.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2023798/posts


19 posted on 03/06/2017 2:54:54 PM PST by PAR35
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