New challenges, a pandemic, a major flood, a “Where’s Waldo” Vicar...
by Doug Cochran
New challenges, a pandemic, a major flood, a “Where’s Waldo” Vicar, and outreach challenges…2020 has been an interesting year for the Anglican Church of the Valley in Staunton.
Back in February 2020, when the acronym COVID meant little, the ACOTV embarked on a major project to open a church office and Christian bookstore in the popular and historic Wharf District in Staunton. The store/office would provide visibility for a church that meets in a Jewish Temple on a downtown side street. The new facility developed beautifully with volunteer renovation, donations and purchase of inventory. COVID slowed everything, but the place opened in May but, just a few months later, was slammed with a major flood. A torrential rain flooded the entire district, damaging or destroying homes and businesses. Several feet of muddy water filled the new office and bookstore. Although some inventory was saved and hard volunteer work salvaged some furnishings, much was also lost. And the space had to be vacated for major reconstruction because of the damage. The surviving inventory and furnishings have been stored until reconstruction of the flooded area and COVID impacts become clearer.
When regular services were cancelled in Mach under COVID restrictions, the church Vicar, the Rev. Alan Lipscomb, and his wife Colleen undertook production of a quality video each Sunday that contained some appropriate prayers from the ACNA BCP, scriptural readings and a homily. To make the homily more instructive, Rev. Lipscomb began to use varied locations for the videos that echoed a theme in the homily or readings. A graveyard, a vineyard, an old mill, his garden, a city overlook, the back of a pickup on a country road, even up in a tree. The locations were widely varied and led to parishioners and others watching each week to see where the “Waldo” vicar would pop up next. Even when the church began to meet physically again in June, the Lipscombs continued to produce the videos and viewership has remained constant. Some of the church members who are not yet comfortable in attending services have expressed real gratitude for the videos and how they helped keep a sense of a church family worshiping together. All the videos remain available on the church website.
The church restarted in-person services in the Temple House of Israel in June. Services are held in the Temple community room – a spacious and well-ventilated area with multiple doors and room for distancing. Prayer meetings have also restarted and outreach efforts to bring food to those in need have also resumed, a growing and critical need as the COVID impact grows.
The social media memes about 2020 are legend. And the Anglican Church of the Valley has had its share of 2020 challenges. But with a committed church family, a lot of love and a generous shot of humor - and with the clear assistance of the Holy Spirit – the ACOTV is back: welcoming visitors and potential members, and looking ever forward.
Doug Cochran is at Anglican Church of the Valley in Staunton, VA.
