St. James in the news
JESUIT PRIEST WORKING IN NICARAGUA TO SPEAK IN LOVETTSVILLE
August 2, 2010
Press Release
LOVETTSVILLE, VA Father Rob Currie, a Philadelphia-born Jesuit priest who has lived and worked in the village of Arenal in Nicaragua since 1987, will speak at St. James United Church of Christ in Lovettsville on Sunday morning, August 15.
Father Currie, 67, will bring stories from a rich background of experiences that began in India in 1976 where he lived and worked with a team of young Indian Jesuits in the indigenous Ho community in what is now the tribal state of Jharkhand.
In 1987 he began a ministry in Arenal, a rural community in the northern province of Matagalpa, known as the coffee capital of Nicaragua.
Father Currie is seeing the fruits of his hard work with his people in Arenal. In countless ways he has built community — developing youth groups, organizing services, establishing labor cooperatives and training leaders in the Nicaraguan community.
A reception with light refreshments will follow the 11:00 a.m. worship service where there will be an opportunity to engage Father Currie in conversation.
For more information on Father Curries visit to St. James, contact Rev. R. Don Prange at 540-869-6517 (H) or 540-539-0908 (C), e-mail him at coramej@aol.com, or visit www.stjamesucc-love.org
ST. JAMES UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST RECIPIENT OF 2009 PIEDMONT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GRANT
August 16, 2009
Press Release
St. James United Church of Christ is honored to have been awarded the 2009 Peter M. Howard Memorial Fund Grant by the Piedmont Community Foundation, to be applied to restoration of our 107 year old church building in Lovettsville. The $600 grant will be used to repair a damaged pillar at the front entrance of the church.
St. James UCC is the oldest active congregation in the German Reformed tradition in Virginia, having been established by Lovettsville settlers in 1733. The church was recognized by the Virginia Historic Landmark Commission in 1983, and a marker placed at the building. St. James is the only United Church of Christ congregation in Loudoun County.
The members of St. James are proud of the place of our church in the history of Lovettsville, as well as of the role of the church in the community today. The Piedmont Community Foundation sets a high standard for its grant recipients, stating that “the future strength of this community rests firmly on its commitment to value, respect and fully embrace the richness of a diverse citizenry,” and requiring agreement with the Foundation’s values and principles of non-discrimination. We are pleased that the Directors of the PCF judged the mission of St. James to meet that standard: “As an open and affirming community of faith that transcends any distinctions based on gender, sexual orientation, nationality, race or religion, we are committed to the spirit of progressive Christianity that witnesses to God’s intent and vision for justice and peace on earth.” Our historic building stands as an invitation to all, especially those who have historically been excluded, to enter into our community of caring and faith.
“Our building may be old, but our thinking is not,” quipped Pastor Don Prange, paraphrasing a United Church of Christ poster reading “Our faith is 2000 years old; our thinking is not.”
Lovettsville’s St. James Celebrates Long History
November 27, 2008
By Margaret Morton, Leesburg Today
There long have been settlements in many western Loudoun areas, but Lovettsville boasts the oldest recorded date as a community-1722-and St. James United Church of Christ has been there for most of those years.
The congregation and Pastor Don Prange celebrated Sunday the 275th anniversary of the church on East Broad Way.
The oldest active congregation of the German Reformed tradition in Loudoun, the church’s history has been entwined with that of Lovettsville itself-from its beginning in 1733 during the colonial era to the Civil War through the great social issues of the mid 20th century and to the dawn of the 21st century. The church itself has seen a number of changes, first as German Reformed Church, then Evangelical, then Reformed, and another merger with a congregational Christian church before its latest incarnation as a United Church of Christ congregation since 1957. St. James has an active congregation dedicated to progressive Christian witness and an open community of faith, according to Prange…
“The fact that St. James continues to manifest itself as a witness to progressive Christianity and survives – that’s an amazing thing in and of itself,” Prange said. It is a tribute to “an amazing collection of people, with tremendous gifts,” Prange said, citing the mix of graphic artists, social studies and computer science teachers, those in the social services field and peace movement supporters. “It’s a small number of people, but a lot of high-caliber talent.”
Read more in the Leesburg Today.
Citizen of the Year: Judith Hines, a quiet crusader
January 10, 2008
By Eileen M. Carlton, Loudoun Times-Mirror
The most surprised person reading this article is probably its subject, Judith D. Hines, of Leesburg.
Hines is extremely publicity shy even though she has worked for years on national, state and local levels to improve the lives of those with mental illness.
She manages to stay out of the spotlight while touching many lives at St. James United Church of Christ in Lovettsville and serving as president of the Friends of Loudoun Mental Health.
Hines even avoids publicity despite being one of the founders of the Newseum in Washington, D.C.
Despite her aversion for the spotlight, “Everybody knows Judy Hines,” said Tom Maynard, executive director of the Loudoun County Community Services Board. “People in Loudoun [know her]. People throughout Northern Virginia. The other CSBs. Those in state government.
“She is everywhere, and her tireless advocacy is evident to everybody. … Because of her articulate, upbeat constructive advocacy, people listen. She makes sense. She’s trusted.”
Read more in the Loudoun Times-Mirror.
Appalachian minister to speak at St. James
December 19, 2007
By Jana Wagoner, Loudoun Times-Mirror
On Dec. 23, Father John Rausch will lead worship service at St. James United Church of Christ in Lovettsville.
Rausch, of Stanton, Ky., is a Glenmary priest who was given the 2007 Teacher of Peace Award by Pax Christi U.S.A. for his social justice activism.
According to a news release from St. James, Rausch “has worked in rural ministry to the marginalized people of Appalachia for 30 years, working with community organizations that empower workers and encourage sustainable economic development, and teaching others about the economic and social justice issues of the Appalachian region.”
Rausch conducts five tours of Appalachia a year to introduce others to not only the beauty of the region but also the economic struggles.
St. James United Church of Christ is at 10 E. Broad Way, and the service will be at 11 a.m.
Different Version Of Sex Ed Coming To Loudoun
March 1, 2007
By Charlie Jackson, Leesburg Today
Much was made in some Loudoun communities over the sex education message the Loudoun County Public Schools system pushed when it brought abstinence-only speaker Keith Deltano into a handful of the areas schools.
Not once, but twice, Deltano’s visits raised eyebrows from groups like Mainstream Loudoun, who didn’t quibble with the effectiveness of abstinence but wondered why the school system wasn’t promoting a comprehensive sex education policy.
Now, Mainstream Loudoun, the Unitarian Universalist Church and the St. James United Church of Christ are bringing another version of sex education to the county. Shelby Knox, who is now a senior in college, is a devout Christian and had pledged abstinence until marriage. But while a high school student in Lubbock, TX, Knox became an “unlikely advocate for comprehensive education,” a release promoting the event stated.
Her story will be on display in the form of an award-winning documentary, which won an award for Best Cinematography at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005 and which aired in part on PBS’ Point of View series.
Read more in the Leesburg Today.
Learn about the Our Whole Lives human sexuality curriculum offered by United Church of Christ here.
What’s real marriage? Church takes on hot-button issue
January 31, 2006
By Eileen M. Carlton, Loudoun Times-Mirror
The pastor of the Clarendon Presbyterian congregation, the Rev. David Ensign, made headlines last November by renouncing his state authority to marry couples, heterosexual or same sex, as a protest against Virginia laws banning same-sex marriage.
The pastor of St. James UCC, the Rev. Don Prange, supported his congregation’s suggestion to bring Ensign to Loudoun to be the keynote speaker at a forum discussing his decision and marriage in general.
Prange explained that the United Church of Christ is a relatively young denomination and has from its inception been a very progressive congregation.
“One of the things that is important to know is that a progressive spirit is there at St. James. When I was being interviewed and when they spoke of expectations, they said they wanted someone who would think outrageously, and I said, ‘I am going to hold you to that.’” Prange said.
Read more in the Loudoun Times-Mirror.
‘Offsides’ author takes her work to church
May 3, 2005
By Shannon Sollinger, Loudoun Times-Mirror
Her 15 minutes of fame started in February when her drama club play launched a heated discussion of what teenagers are, or should be, allowed to talk about in the public schools.
“Offsides,” which Sabrina Jess wrote, casted and directed for a theater festival at her school, dramatizes a young man’s coming to grips with his homosexuality.
One camp, spearheaded by Loudoun’s Del. Dick Black (R-eastern Loudoun) puts homosexuality off-limits. A School Board committee is trying to rewrite the school system’s policy on sexuality without running afoul of the first Amendment.
The performance led to accusations from Black and others that adults aren’t doing their jobs in the schools, and that any mention of homosexuality in a public school is tantamount to “promoting a homosexual agenda.”
The furor has been “interesting,” Jess told the congregation at St. James United Church of Christ in Lovettsville Sunday morning. She hasn’t personally received any hate mail, she said, but more people recognize her.
The congregation of the Lovettsville church asked her to come to services, show a tape of her play and talk to them.
“I have read a lot of things about ‘promoting a homosexual agenda,’ and there’s been a lot of commotion over something I don’t think is the scandal they make it out to be,” she said.
Read more in the Loudoun Times-Mirror.