“Being a Christian is not essentially about joining a church or being a nice person, but about following in the footsteps of Jesus, taking his teachings seriously, letting his Spirit take the lead in our lives, and in so doing helping to change the world from our nightmare into God’s dream.”
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry
Grace Church is one community in the large Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement, also known as The Episcopal Church. We support, and are supported by, Christians gathering in regional and national structures to help spread the Loving, Liberating and Life-Giving Good News of Jesus Christ.
We are part of the Diocese of Virginia, which has 179 congregations in 16 regions, determined by geography. The Diocese reaches north including Fairfax, Alexandria and Arlington, south including Richmond, east including the Northern Neck, and west including Harrisonburg and the Shenandoah Valley. Click here to browse an enlarged version of this map of our Diocese.
The Diocese of Virginia currently has three Bishops: a Bishop Suffragan, who is the Ecclesiastical Authority for the Diocese, and two Assistant Bishops. There is also an elected 12-member Standing Committee, consisting of laity and clergy, who serve as a council of advice to the Bishop.
Each region of the Diocese of Virginia has a Regional Council, composed of members elected by the churches in each region. Grace Church has two members on this Council, who are elected by the Vestry. The Regional Council meets regularly to collaborate in shared ministry and to enhance communication between the Diocese and the parish.
Each Region has an elected President, who is a lay person, and an appointed Dean, who is a clergy person. All the Regional Councils, and other lay and clerical delegates from across the Diocese, typically meet annually at the Diocese of Virginia’s Annual Convention every November. Sometimes there are Special Conventions as well, such as the Special Convention that will be held in June 2022 to elect a new Bishop of Virginia. To read more about the Special Convention and Bishop Selection process, go here.
Grace is part of the Alexandria Region of the Diocese of Virginia, which consists of the eight parish churches in Alexandria:
All these structures help us to follow and seek Jesus, to deepen our community. We are people who are seeking a nurturing relationship with God, with each other, and with all of creation. May these relationships help us heal and live with God, with each other and with the earth, towards one Beloved Community.