An Announcement from the Wardens
In this season of giving when The Falls Church is celebrating all we have to be thankful for, the Vestry is very grateful to share news of the call of  The Rev. Dr. Elenor Lucius “Andy” Anderson III as the Interim Rector of The Falls Church Episcopal. Father Anderson will begin his tenure December 1 and remain until our next rector arrives.
Father Anderson retired earlier this year from St. Mary’s Sewanee: The Ayres Center for Spiritual Development, in Sewanee, Tennessee, where he had served as Executive Director since 2017 and been involved in leadership for 2 decades. Prior to that, he spent over 14 years as Rector of the Church of the Nativity in Huntsville, Alabama. Prior to serving there, he was Rector of Grace Church in Anderson, South Carolina.  After ordination in 1994, he served as Canon Educator for Children, Youth, and Families at the Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta. 

Clergy life was a calling Andy (how he hopes you will address him!) received after 13 years in the financial services industry, primarily with SunTrust in Georgia, after a lifetime of connection with the church.

In addition to the extensive pastoral leadership and sacramental experience he brings to this interim role, he brings strong financial, fundraising, and administrative management skills.

He and his wife of 38 years, Tippy, are in the process of relocating to Falls Church and will live in the rectory during his interim tenure. They have a son and a daughter-in-law who live and work in the Washington, DC area, and they recently welcomed their first grandchild into the family.  They also have a daughter who lives in Nashville, TN.  

Andy writes, “God is at work in the world! For me, the parish is a primary place where the fire of the Holy Spirit and God’s love in Christ transforms lives and indeed, all creation.  Your story is a remarkable witness to Resurrection. God’s incarnate and enduring presence and desire to be at work through a vibrant Episcopal community in Falls Church is so evident through your history. Tippy and I are thrilled to get to know you and look forward to warm associations.  I am excited to join you in ministry as we engage the work of keeping the ‘ship steadily sailing forward’ and in preparing for your next Rector.  This is an exciting, fertile time for God’s mission as we prayerfully move ahead in faith by stewarding the present’s resources and the past’s legacy, working together with God in ushering in a dynamic and faithful future.”   
Unlike the process for selecting a permanent Rector, which will necessarily be an iterative, contemplative, and prayerful process to unfold over the next 15 to 18 months, the selection of an interim rector was conducted under the leadership and guidance of the Diocese of Virginia and the Church’s transition process. Our Diocese is well-equipped to manage the placement of interim rectors, and set to work soon after The Rev. John Ohmer announced his impending departure to vet and present a candidate to the Vestry for our consideration.

After a series of interviews, internal discussions, and prayer, the Vestry voted to request that Bishop Susan Goff commission Father Anderson to become our interim rector. The final agreement was signed earlier this week.

The Congregation will have the opportunity to meet Andy on Sunday, December 1 , as he sits in the pews with the congregation at that day’s services. He will also lead the adult forum that day so that we may all get better acquainted.

On Sunday, December 8 , we will welcome The Rev. Sarah Brockenbrough of the Diocese of Virginia as preacher and at the adult forum.  She is our clergy transition liaison, guiding the Vestry (and eventually the rector search committee) through the process of finding the next permanent rector.

And finally, on Sunday, December 15 , coinciding with the dinner to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the historic church , Andy will preach that morning.

We would like to thank all of our fellow Vestry members for the extra time, energy, and prayer they put into this expedited selection process. We are thrilled for the congregation to meet Father Andy and Tippy Anderson as they join us in ministry.

Paul Allvin                                           Maury Wray
Senior Warden                                    Junior Warden
Giving Back to God in Gratitude
Our 2020 Annual Giving Campaign will conclude on Sunday, November 24th with our Celebration of Giving. This year, we will be packing 8,500 lbs of fresh produce for our friends at Arlington Food Assistance Center. Please join us that day to show our gratitude to God by serving those in need. You can pledge online or you can make your pledge on Realm.