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Early 1980's
A number of Episcopalians leave their local churches
because of barriers set up in the older, more traditional church's, to the freer form of
worship that was becoming the hallmark of the Charismatic Renewal. Small groups began
meeting monthly to sing and praise the Lord. About the same time, a Sunday night teaching,
prayer, and praise meeting began at Galilee Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach with the
lessons being taught by Bob Slosser.
Shirley Moore meets with the Rt. Rev. C. Charles Vache, Bishop of the Diocese of
Southern Virginia, to discuss the possibility of starting a "charismatic"
Episcopal Church. As a result of the Bishop's enthusiastic support a small group of people
begin to meet in order to pray and seek the Lord's will in this matter.
Thirty-nine people, including many present-day members of Messiah, met with Bishop
Vache to discuss the formation of a mission station for the Diocese of Southern Virginia.
An advisory committee was appointed (they would become the first vestry) and begins to
meet weekly to pray for guidance and direction for the new church. The committee
prayerfully decided on a name (Messiah Episcopal Church was suggested by Susan Tipton and
was changed slightly by Bishop Vache to The Episcopal Church of the Messiah), sought and
found a place to worship and drew up a profile of what they believed were the goals and
desires of the new body, such as having communion every Sunday.
Thirty-five people meet in the home of Tom-Dick and Shirley Moore for a morning worship
service. The Lord is worshipped through music, prayer, and Morning Prayer, Rite II.
Twenty-three people submit a petition to Bishop Vache requesting permission to form a
congregation under Diocesan Canon XIV.
Morning Prayer is held again at Tom-Dick and Shirley's house. Twenty-eight people
attend.
A letter arrives from Bishop Vache giving his consent to form a congregation, to be
known as the Episcopal Church of the Messiah. The Bishop designates Pentecost, May 22,
1983, as the date for the first official service.
The advisory committee meets with Bishop Vache, Rev. Phil Porche, and Rev. George Estes
to discuss the calling of a priest.
Pentecost Sunday. Sixty-two people meet in the Indian Lakes Day Care Center to
participate in the first "official" service of the Episcopal Church of the
Messiah. The Rev. Edmund Berkeley, a retired priest, celebrates Holy Eucharist.
Church continues to meet at the Indian Lakes Day Care Center. Saturday mornings,
members of the congregation gather for a teaching time led by Bob Slosser and to set up
the day care center for Sunday Service. This would include carefully diagramming every
picture, mobile, and wall hanging that were made by the students so that they could be
removed for the Sunday Service and then, after church was over, be put back in the exact
same spot so that no child would ever think that his or her project was missing.
George Stockhowe, rector of St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Monroeville, Pennsylvania
is asked to become the first priest for Messiah. George leaves behind a parish with 700
members and a young assistant named Marty O'Rourke. At the same time that George is
preparing to come to Virginia Beach, a member of his parish, David Weidner, is preparing
to enter seminary.
George Stockhowe celebrates his first service with Messiah.
Having outgrown the day care center, the church begins to meet in College Park
Elementary School in Virginia Beach. The Diocese owns four acres of land on Kempsville
Road in the Greenbriar section of Chesapeake. They offer to give this land to the church
but it is deemed by many to be "too far out in the sticks."
The church finds a somewhat "permanent" home in the old Virginia Employment
Commission building on Virginia Beach Boulevard, just east of Loehman's Plaza. An
inter-denominational church had been using the same building and the Church of the Messiah
was able to inherit an audio system, nursery equipment, seats and an organ. The building
had room for offices, classrooms, and a sanctuary. It was an instant church. We moved in
on a Saturday and held services the next morning.
The Church of the Messiah moves from "Mission Station" status to
"Mission".
The church becomes a full-fledged "Parish". We are now completely dependent
on the Lord for all of our needs, and not the Diocese.
The population growth in Tidewater seems to be shifting towards Chesapeake, and
especially the Greenbrier area. The Church begins to inquire of the diocese if the land on
Kempsville road is still available.
The Reverend David Weidner is hired as our first assistant rector. David was fresh out
of seminary and had formerly been a member of George Stockhowe's church in Monroeville,
PA.
Believing that the Lord is calling the church to establish our permanent home on
Kempsville Road in Chesapeake, Mike Barnes, an architect with the firm of Warner and
Barnes is hired to begin the task of taking the dreams and ideas of the people of Messiah
and transforming them into a building. a kick-off dinner is held at Eastern Shore Chapel
to unveil the final drawings and accept the first pledges for the Church of the Messiah
Building Fund.
The Episcopal Church of the Messiah splits in two! But it's not as bad as it sounds. In
an effort to begin an outreach to the people of Chesapeake thirty members of Messiah begin
holding Sunday morning services at the YMCA on Greenbrier Parkway. Services are held
simultaneously with those at the Virginia Beach location. Through this dual effort, many
new members are added to Messiah.
With construction at Kempsville Road getting ready to start, the church loses it's
lease at the Boulevard location. we move to the auditorium of Indian River Junior High
School in Chesapeake, and both "congregations" are reunited. While trying to
find a bank to finance our construction, God again shows His hand of provision. George
Stockhowe calls upon the congregation to pray that god would lead us to the right loan
provider. In the congregation that day is first time visitor Cassell Basnight, a member of
the Board of Directors of Chesapeake Bank and Trust (now Jefferson National Bank). He is
able to help us secure a loan and construction is about to begin.
Ground is broken at 816 Kempsville Road in Chesapeake, Virginia. Construction on a
permanent home for the Episcopal Church of the Messiah begins. In an attempt to be the
best possible steward of God's finances, the church acts as the general contractor for the
project and a construction manager is hired to supervise the building.
Construction continues throughout the spring and summer. After the framing is up the
first service is held in the shell of what is now the sanctuary. It had been hot all week
long but God sent a cooling breeze and with the sound of lawn mowers and barking dogs in
the background we worshipped the Lord for the first time in our new home.
As construction nears completion the people of Messiah lend a hand by painting
classrooms and cleaning the building.
Messiah holds it's first official service in it's new building. approximately 275
people are in attendance. George Stockhowe proclaims that "I want this church to be
known for the presence and power of the Lord Jesus Christ". The body at Messiah has
certainly witnessed God's power. It has been a little over five years since 39 people met
with Bishop Vache to discuss the "possibility" of a charismatic Episcopal church
in the Diocese of Southern Virginia. Now, with close to 300 people attending regularly,
Messiah is ready to see what else God has in store.
The building is dedicated in a service led by Bishop Charles Vache.
Messiah is building again. Each Sunday George Stockhowe ends the service with a prayer
for "all those who wish to increase their families". Well that is happening and
Messiah's classrooms are overflowing with children. Construction begins on additional
classroom space and a fellowship hall. Trying not to go any further into debt, the new
wing is build with cash!
David Weidner leaves Messiah to become Rector of Church of our Savior, Midlothian, VA.
David is missed by all, but is sent knowing that he is in God's will.
The Reverend Kelly Irish is hired to become the new associate rector at Messiah. Kelly,
and his wife Marie, come from Akron, Ohio where he has been involved in inner-city
ministry.
George Stockhowe announces he is leaving Messiah to become the rector of a mission
church, Calvary Episcopal, in Jacksonville, FL. Ephesians 4:11 says "it was he who
gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be
pastors and teachers." George Stockhowe is an apostle, one who builds on a foundation
that no other man has laid. He did this at St. Martin's in Monroeville, he did this here
at Messiah, and now he is doing it at Calvary in Jacksonville. George showed us what it
really means to be a man of prayer, the need to have a humble and teachable heart, and to
love others more than yourself.
With George gone, Kelly Irish becomes our Priest-in-Charge. Under his leadership, and
the leadership of Rob Wolff, Senior Warden; Messiah continues to grow and seek the Lord's
will. A search committee is formed and the process of looking for a new rector begins.
Through focus groups and a survey a Parish Profile is put together. The first goal of our
parish is develop a discipleship program where by the body of believers at Messiah move
from being infants, who live on milk, to becoming mature Christians, being fed by the
solid Word of God.
Messiah hires it's first, full-time youth minister; Keith Lowry.
The search continues. Starting with a list of over fifty names the search committee
spends hundreds of hours in meetings, phone calls, and interviews.
A decision is reached. By unanimous vote the search committee and vestry call the
Reverend Marty O'Rourke, from Church of the Resurrection in Wadsworth, Ohio, to be the
next rector of Messiah. Ironically, Marty had been George Stockhowe's assistant at St.
Martin's in Monroeville.
The entire body of Messiah begins a parish-wide Bible study called "Experiencing
God". Close to 95% of the adult congregation is involved in this study, including
many of our teen members as well. This becomes the first step in fulfilling the first goal
in our parish profile, to develop a discipleship program.
Kelly Irish leaves Messiah to become Vicar of Saint Anne's in the Fields Episcopal
Church in the Diocese of Ohio. St Anne's is a mission church and had extended an offer to
Kelly in 1991 to become their vicar. At that time Kelly believed God was calling him to
serve under and learn from George Stockhowe here at Messiah. St. Anne's however, did not
forget Kelly, and when he was ready to step out "on his own", they were ready to
receive him.
The search begins for a new associate rector.
The Rev. Ward Thornton becomes Youth Pastor.
The Rev. George Stockhowe retires and returns to Messiah as Associate
Rector.
The
Rev. Jim Brown becomes Associate Pastor
The
Parish decides to sponsor five Sudanese boys.
Members provide an
apartment, teach them, provide transportation and locate jobs.
One young
man leaves to live with an uncle in a western state.
After
many detours, Kempsville Road becomes a six lane highway.
Houses
begin to appear in the soy bean fields next to the
Church.
The Parish loses 1/4 acre to the state for road work.
Messiah is
then given one acre by Mr. Williams, our neighbor.
Pentecost, Messiah celebrates 20 years of Praise and Worship to our Lord.
Messiah calls Tyler Barnes to be
Messiah's new youth pastor.
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