Emmanuel Episcopal Church is an
Episcopal Church in
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...
in the city's
North Ridge neighborhood. Emmanuel Church is a parish in the
Episcopal Diocese of Virginia.
History
In 1908, G.P. Christian and J. H. Gibbony, two students at the
Virginia Theological Seminary, organized a Sunday School for children in what was known as the Braddock Heights area of Alexandria.
In 1910, a chapel was built as the Braddock Heights Episcopal Mission. During the 1911 Christmas holidays, the two seminarians serving at the mission decided to name the church "Emmanuel" after the Virginia Theological Seminary Chapel. In 1922, Emmanuel Episcopal Church acquired independent status with the Rev. Samuel A. Wallis.
In 1944, the then Rector of Emmanuel, the Rev. Edward Tate, founded the Episcopal School, St. Stephen’s School for Boys. Tate resigned from Emmanuel in 1945 to become headmaster. Throughout its history, Emmanuel has maintained a close relationship with both the Virginia Theological Seminary, as well as St. Stephen's (now known as
St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes).
In 1968, Emmanuel established the Emmanuel Episcopal Preschool. Emmanuel's Preschool is located within Emmanuel and serves children aged two through five years ol
In 2002, under the leadership of the Rev. Daniel W. Eckman, Jr., Emmanuel underwent an extensive $2 million building renovation of the entire complex including the sacristy, the memorial room, the parish hall and Emmanuel Preschool.
Current practice
Today, the parish proclaims itself to be committed to worship and preaching, ministry to children, and outreach to the community and the world. Emmanuel Church has an active service ministry with many local outreach activities focused on feeding, education, housing, and welcoming refugee families. The church also maintains a strong connection to its partner parish, Sainte Croix in the
Episcopal Diocese of Haiti
The Episcopal Diocese of Haiti ( ht, Legliz Episkopal Ayiti or ''Dyosèz Ayiti'' french: Eglise Episcopale d'Haïti or ''Diocèse d'Haïti'') is the Anglican Communion diocese consisting of the entire territory of Haiti. It is part of Province 2 ...
located in
Léogâne, Haiti.
Worship
Worship services are at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sundays. Emmanuel Church uses
Rite II Rite may refer to:
* Ritual, an established ceremonious act
* Rite of passage, a ceremonious act associated with social transition
Religion
* Rite (Christianity), a sacred ritual or liturgical tradition in various Christian denominations
* Catho ...
from the
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...
for worship services.
Architecture
The current church building was constructed in 1910 in
Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
style. The most significant element inside the sanctuary is the cross-beam, or
scissor truss
A timber roof truss is a structural framework of timbers designed to bridge the space above a room and to provide support for a roof. Trusses usually occur at regular intervals, linked by longitudinal timbers such as purlins. The space between each ...
, timber ceiling.
References
{{Coord, 38, 49, 13.5, N, 77, 4, 0.5, W, region:US-VA, display=title
Episcopal churches in Virginia
Episcopal schools in Virginia
Churches in Alexandria, Virginia