We welcome you to The Community of St. John the Baptist, a Traditional church worshipping in the historical Anglican Way. We uphold the Divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures and believe the Bible contains all things necessary for Salvation. We seek to follow Christ in word and deed by adhering to Scripture, Tradition, & Reason. We welcome families and their children and are dedicated to teaching them the Christian Faith in all its fullness.

Come and worship with us, and experience true orthodox Anglican Christianity!

GREETINGS IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST!

Welcome to a History of Christianity offered by St John the Baptist Anglican Church.  The course is provided, free of charge, to adults in the Greenbrier County area.  Mature teenagers may also wish to attend. 

We plan to begin the course at 6pm on Thursday evenings later in March or early April. Following a summer recess, we will commence the course again in September.  Seating is limited, so we recommend entering your registration information in this form as soon as possible. 

The class will examine Jewish and Classical Christian origins, the first-century Church, the Early and Medieval Church, Catholic and Protestant Reformation, Modern European and American Christian History.  While this is an ungraded course, participants will be asked to read assigned materials and attend on a regular basis.

“It is because baptism is a real insertion of human beings into the ascended manhood of Christ that the Church is Christ's own body, flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones.”

— E.L. Mascall

About Our Mission

  • The Community of St. John the Baptist is unique because it’s not just another church trying to get as many people as possible into our fold. We are a mission dedicated to three unwavering principles. The first is that we are committed to the authority of the Bible. This means that although culture and society will change, the Bible does not change. Our commitment is to the doctrine and practice of the faith throughout the ages. We believe that Scripture is the standard above all others for our beliefs and how we live our lives before God.

    The second principle is that we are a church that does not seek to be innovative. There will be no fog machines or light shows at St. John’s. Our community strives to be connected and accountable to a greater family called the communion of saints. In other words, the Bible has been believed and interpreted a certain way for thousands of years. Personal interpretation or opinions are irrelevant as it relates to the authority of Scripture. We seek to submit ourselves to how Scripture has been understood and applied throughout the ages. This is the appropriate and positive view of tradition.

    Our faith and worship reflect this principle as we utilize the traditional Book of Common Prayer. This worship of the Church transcends nationality and ethnicity, which has been handed down to us in our English-speaking context. An excellent summary of this principle comes from St. Vincent of Lerins, who lived in the mid 400’s. St. Vincent said: “we hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, by all.”

    The final principle is in applying this “once and for all faith that has been delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). The reason and rationality of the Church are to transmit this faith to the questions of our day. We do not change the Christian faith but seek to apply it in our thinking, actions, and ethical decisions.

  • We are not angels! Anglicanism means the belief and practice of the Church throughout the ages that was adopted and applied in the Anglo-Saxon context of our forefathers. The first English Settlement in Jamestown, Virginia (1607) was by Anglicans. The Church of England came to the Colonies and then spread abroad. This faith, however, is not simply English or American. Anglicanism is merely part of the universal Christian faith, and it has its roots in Jerusalem, Judea, and the farthest parts of the world. An example is that the Church of Nigeria (i.e., Anglican) has some 33 million members in Africa! Anglican is not founded upon one man’s theology or a particular movement; it is the outgrowth of the coherent and universal Christian faith.

    When we speak of the “universal,” or sometimes called the “undivided church,” this simply refers to the Christian faith expressed by St. Vincent of Lerins. It is the faith believed “everywhere, always, by all.” The unity of belief attests to this faith codified in the Seven Ecumenical Councils. The Church was One until the Great Schism of A.D. 1054. The Church is “conciliar,” meaning bishops unify it throughout the world as they speak with one voice on matters of faith and morals. The Anglican Church does not accept local dogmas or the mere opinion of one bishop or church body. All bishops who are true apostle successors preserve and protect this universal faith from any innovation or addition. Anglicanism rejects any triumphal claims of supremacy, for Christ alone is the head and ruler over all things, and He governs through Bishops who humbly commit themselves to this unity.

  • We believe that the saints do not have magical powers, but they are examples and guides in how to live out our faith in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is appropriate to utilize the name St. John the Baptist for a few reasons. First, he was the forerunner of our Lord. John the Baptist said: “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). Our goal is to exalt Christ as the Savior and Redeemer for all human beings because we are wayward and lost sheep. We repeat these words of John in our worship before receiving Holy Communion.

    This leads to another comment by St. John the Baptist, who said, “He [Jesus] must increase, and I must decrease” (John 3:30). Our life is hidden in Christ where our identity as baptized and believing Christians is to live and speak with His voice. This is what it means to be a Christian and a member of the body of Christ. This is why worship is not about entertainment. It is about disciplining our hearts and minds before our God, who desires to fill us up with His Spirit so that we can live quiet and humble lives. Our life in Christ is to work for His kingdom's good, not merely live for our selfish desires.

    The third reason is that John called people away from the chaos and commotion of life to meet the Savior in the wilderness. The Greenbriar Valley is a wonderful place to live, work, and enjoy God’s beautiful creation. Although we are blessed with the beauty of God’s good creation all around us, we call people into a more profound love for God and one another. This begins in baptism, where God washes us and gives us a new purpose – a life of greater communion and love with our Creator. We believe this is needed in such a time as this.

    The final reason is that John gave up his life for the Gospel (the Good News found in Christ). He was beheaded for speaking and standing up for the truth. We are called to speak the truth in love with great compassion, but we dare not compromise the faith of our brothers and sisters like St. John the Baptist, the martyrs, and all the saints who have put their trust in Christ. We do not live for ourselves or our accomplishments. St. John the Baptist, therefore, is a fitting example and friend to all who seek to be faithful Christians.

  • Acts 2:42 provides us with the template for our mission. We are committed to the apostles’ doctrine and do not add or subtract from this foundation. We do not add dogmas or seek compromise with the world. We are Catholic in the true sense of that word meaning universal. We are not Roman Catholic, nor are we simply making things up while proof-texting the Bible. We believe what the apostles taught and have handed down to the Church throughout the ages by the continuation of the apostolic ministry.

    Not only is the Church founded upon the apostle’s teaching, but it is also founded upon the common fellowship (the Greek word koinonia). This does not simply mean potlucks and dinners, although that is important. The fellowship or koinonia is the church past, present, and future. Our customs, practices, and application of the apostles’ doctrine are guided by our family – the Church! Christians were never meant to be lone mavericks. We are called to meet regularly and devote ourselves to one another (Hebrews 10:25).

    The principal or pinnacle of our worship is in Holy Communion, which the early Church called the sacred mysteries or the paschal feast. Jesus instituted this as an ongoing practice for the Church. Like the Israelites who believed Passover was an actual participation in their deliverance from slavery, we believe that Holy Communion is our deliverance in Christ. Jesus said, “do this all of you for the forgiveness of sins” (see: Matthew 26:20-29; Mark 14:17-25; Luke 22:14-20; I Corinthians 11:23-25). He told us to remember, but the obvious problem was that we couldn’t because we were not there. The good news, however, is that by the work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ comes to us under the forms of bread and wine every time we gather for the Eucharist. He is present in the breaking of the bread (see: Luke 24:35) for eternal life (John 6:26ff.).

    Being guided by the apostles’ doctrine, the Church family throughout the ages, and the participation in Holy Communion, we are to be people of prayer. Acts 2:42 doesn’t merely say prayers; it says The Prayers! God’s people are invited to pray in all situations, but the Church has always had designated times for prayer. These prayers were often the Psalms (Daniel 6:10; Acts 10: etc.). The Book of Common Prayer has the principal service being Holy Communion, but in addition to this, there are various prayers. Morning and Evening Prayer is a staple diet and discipline as we seek to begin and end the day with God. Prayer is an exercise and discipline that we strive to do to grow holiness with our God. Emotions are good and necessary, but daily discipline and structure are the goals so that we are rooted in the unshakeable truth of our God rather than the constant flux of our emotions.

    This is what sets St. John’s apart from various churches today. As the late Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, God desires us to pray from the riches of His Word rather than the poverty of our hearts (see: Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible). We invite you to come and learn more!