ARLINGTON, Va. — A Virginia Baptist congregation has closed its doors after 80 years, but the result will be about $1 million available over time to Christian ministries in Washington’s Northern Virginia suburbs.
Trinity Baptist Church in Arlington held its last service Aug. 29, bringing to an end a congregation established in 1930. Taking its place is a new Episcopal church, which bought the property for $1 million. The funds, to be received over a 10-year period, will be distributed by a foundation whose trustees are elected by NorthStar Church Network, a Baptist association of about 170 churches in Northern Virginia.
Trinity Baptist Church's sanctuary is now filled by the congregation of Restoration Anglican Church. (Photo courtesy of Restoration Anglican Church)
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“The big story is that a church which had to disband found a way to finish well,” said Stephen Welch, NorthStar’s mission team leader. “And its influence will continue in ministry for generations.”
Trinity was established just before the post-World War II burgeoning of Washington’s Virginia suburbs. Its sanctuary, built in 1941 to seat about 75 people, attracted a growing number of families and the church became a neighborhood fixture.
Charles Sinclair, who has retired as the church’s last pastor, said the congregation was marked by its friendliness.
“I always advertised it as a country church in the city,” said Sinclair, who became pastor in 1975. “It reminded me of the country churches I served in earlier days.”
But demographic changes took a toll on Trinity. Arlington — less than five miles from the White House — morphed from suburban to urban and many of its families migrated to more distant suburbs. Today the neighborhood attracts a lively mix of young professionals, drawn by its proximity to the Ballston and Clarendon stops on the region’s subway line — both the sites of multimillion-dollar housing and commercial developments.
“Like many churches in our area, we haven’t gotten a lot of new blood,” said Sinclair. “The youth didn’t come. And we were down to about 12 people in worship.”
To help with finances and to be good stewards of the property, Trinity over the years offered its facilities to other Christian congregations to use. One of those was Restoration Anglican Church, a new congregation funded in part by the Falls Church, a large Episcopal parish in nearby Falls Church, Va.
About two years ago, an agreement was worked out to rent the sanctuary to Restoration, while Trinity’s members gathered in a basement fellowship hall for worship.
“They [Restoration] started in there and the first Sunday they filled the place,” said Sinclair. “And soon they had to go to two services.”
Trinity welcomed the signs of life the new congregation brought—especially the sounds of children, which brought smiles to the faces of the older Trinity members, said Sinclair.
Eventually, Restoration approached Trinity about purchasing the property. Sinclair said that offered the Baptist church an opportunity to disband while ensuring Christian ministry on the site.
Restoration made a down payment of $250,000 and asked if the church would carry the note for the remaining $750,000, to be paid over 10 years. Trinity was open to the request, but as the church was disbanding, there wouldn’t be an entity to receive payments.
After discussions with Welch at NorthStar, Trinity elected to give the $250,000 to the church network and asked the Duke Street Baptist Memorial Foundation to hold the note for the balance. The foundation — which will now be called the Duke Street/Trinity Baptist Memorial Foundation — was created some years ago when Duke Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va., disbanded. Its board of trustees is elected by NorthStar and it funds a variety of Baptist and other Christian ministries in the region.
Welch said NorthStar’s board of directors will determine the best use of the $250,000, which is an unrestricted gift to the church network.
On its last Sunday, Trinity welcomed back about 50 former members and held a joint worship service with Restoration, followed by a barbecue lunch and family activities.
“We’re honored to get to join them in a special joint service,” wrote Restoration leaders on its web site. “We’ll look back on and celebrate all that God has done in and through them over the last 80 years. And we’ll look forward to and celebrate what God will do in and through Restoration in the years to come.”
In an Aug. 29 comment on the web site, Sinclair’s son, Ed, an elder at McLean (Va.) Presbyterian Church, said he’d “been blessed to be witness to several church plants over the past few years. It was pure joy to visit Restoration this morning. You exhibit all the ingredients of a church with a bright future. Your love of our Lord is palatable, and grace abounds. Bless you for providing the ‘sweet’ in what I’m sure was a bittersweet day for my dad.”
The convergence of events is inspiring, said Welch.
“A church that has come to its end as an operating body of Christ is providing its property to a new church that is going to impact the Kingdom of God,” he said. “And it’s converging with another church that had to disband to continue its legacy.”
“Churches don’t last forever; they don’t have infinite life spans,” said Welch. “But this one will continue its ministry for generations.”
“I’m optimistic about it,” said Sinclair. “Yes, the church is closing, but, like the phoenix, another one is growing out of it. It’s not a Baptist church but they’re doing the Lord’s work.”
Robert Dilday is managing editor of the Religious Herald.