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Celebrating 250 Years
Christ Church 1773–2023
From Advent 2022-Advent 2023, we will have many opportunities to engage in the work of celebrating 250 years of continuous worship in our beautiful church. This year, we are blessed with a monthly preaching series of renown preachers that will inspire us into our next chapter. We will visit with our mission partners across the globe, who altogether represent nearly one hundred years of Christian friendship. We will have fun together at events where we can raise our glasses and voices in joy for the richness this wonderful community has brought into our lives, our community, and our nation.
Talking about “history” has become more complicated in recent years than it was in days past. We used to highlight just the nice shiny bits: the things we accomplished, the ways we won. More recently, we have become more aware that it is not enough to only celebrate the things we have done well, but it is necessary for us to explore the ways we have fallen short. We will dig deep into our past to learn who we have been and we will look ahead into our future to see where we might go. It is a marvelous privilege for us to be in the midst of this exploration, especially as we celebrate.
Christ before us, Christ behind us, Christ among us. These words are our theme for this celebratory year, reminding us that Christ is central to every single thing we do, say, and believe in our church community and has been for a quarter of a millennium. Christ has been with us in our most difficult days and Christ will be with us as we enter faithfully and with excitement into the next chapter of our life together.
--Noelle
Guest Preacher Series 2023
January 29 Guest Preacher: The Rev. Frank Wade
The Rev. Francis Wade, D.Min. is a graduate of The Citadel and the Virginia Theological Seminary and has served as an Episcopal priest since 1966. After serving congregations in his native West Virginia for 17 years, he was called as rector of Washington, DC’s St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in 1983. His sermons have been published in a variety of anthologies.
February 26 Guest Preacher: The Rt. Rev. Michael Curry
Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.
The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry is the presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church. He was elected in 2015 to a nine-year term in this role, and the animating vision and message of his ministry is Jesus of Nazareth and his model of radical, sacrificial love, and he regularly reminds Episcopalians they are “the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement.” Throughout his ministry, Bishop Curry has been a prophetic leader, particularly in the areas of racial reconciliation, climate change, evangelism, immigration policy, and marriage equality.
April 23 Guest Preacher: Dr. Catherine Meeks
Dr. Meeks is Executive Director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing in Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to the center’s opening she chaired its precursor, Beloved Community: Commission for Dismantling Racism. She is the author of six books and one inspirational CD and is the editor of the bestselling book, Living Into God’s Dream: Dismantling Racism in America and co-author of Passionate for Justice: Ida B. Wells as Prophet for Our Times.
April 30 Guest Preacher: The Rt. Rev. E. Mark Stevenson
We will welcome the Diocese of Virginia’s newest diocesan bishop for confirmations and a joyful reception. Prior to his election as bishop of the diocese of Virginia, Bishop Stevenson was the canon to the presiding bishop for ministry within The Episcopal Church. Stevenson was the director of Episcopal Migration Ministries, leading a dedicated team in executing a national program of refugee resettlement. Previously, he served as domestic poverty missioner for The Episcopal Church.
May 21 Guest Preacher: The Rev. Mark Anschutz
Following his tenure as the 26th rector of Christ Church, Mark served as rector at St James, Madison Avenue, and St Michael and All Angels, Dallas. He has served as a trustee and visitor to a number of church related schools and seminaries, and has been deeply involved in several initiatives to aid the Episcopal Church in raising-up young and gifted persons for ordained ministry and in ministry to those suffering from addiction.
June 25 Guest Preacher: The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson
Bishop Robinson is a former bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire. Robinson was elected bishop coadjutor in 2003 and succeeded as bishop diocesan in March 2004. Before becoming bishop, he served as Canon to the Ordinary for the Diocese of New Hampshire
August 27 Guest Preacher: The Rev. Erika Takacs
The Rev. Erika L. Takacs served as a ministry resident at Christ Church from 2007-2009 and as an associate rector from 2009-2011. Since leaving Virginia, she has served parishes in Philadelphia and Chicago. The Rev. Takacs has been happily married to her husband, Daniel Shapiro, since 2015. Outside of her work and her family, her three great loves are the music of J.S. Bach, reading of all kinds, and baseball. She is currently living in North Carolina and pursuing a degree in pastoral counseling.
September 24 Guest Preacher: The Rev. Dr. Andrew McGowan
Andrew McGowan was appointed Dean and President of the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University in 2014. An Anglican priest and historian, his scholarly work focuses on the life of early Christian communities, and on aspects of contemporary Anglicanism. Before coming to Yale, Professor McGowan was Warden of Trinity College at the University of Melbourne. He is author or editor of six books and a native of Australia.
October Guest Preacher: The Rev. Dr. A Katherine Grieb
The Rev. A. Katherine Grieb, Ph.D., is an affiliated faculty member and director of the Center for Anglican Communion Studies. She joined the VTS faculty in 1994. Her expertise includes Greek language, New Testament Interpretation, Romans, Hebrews, social justice, Biblical storytelling, and theatre. Before coming to VTS, she taught at Bangor Theological Seminary.
November 19 Guest Preacher: The Rt. Rev. Eugene Sutton
The Right Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton is Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland. Bishop Sutton is a frequent leader of retreats and conferences on spirituality, nonviolence, the environment and reconciliation. He co-founded Contemplative Outreach of Maryland and Washington (COMW), an ecumenical network of individuals and faith communities committed to the daily practice of Centering Prayer. In addition to publishing several articles on prayer, spirituality and justice, he’s a contributor to the books, The Diversity of Centering Prayer, and Reclaiming the Gospel of Peace: Challenging the Epidemic of Gun Violence.
Read more about our partnership with Justice & Sustainability Associates for parish-wide conversations about the full depth and breadth of our 250 year history.