Message from our Leadership
Letter from the Rector
“Be steadfast,” St. Paul writes in his letter to the church at Corinth, but he could just as easily be writing that to The Falls Church as we look toward our future. For nearly 300 years, this parish has stood the test of time, surviving everything from wars to schism. Through it all, The Falls Church has remained steadfast, a resurrection parish rising out of the dust to proclaim the good news of the gospel of Jesus.
St. Paul’s encouragement is not only to persevere but to flourish and live true to faith in Christ. Just so, our call is to live out a radically inclusive, world-changing faith. We are the custodians and stewards of a landmark campus. We must repair an aging roof and replace failing and inefficient climate control systems. We must also balance our budget so that we become sustainable and positioned to minister to the world for another three centuries. There is no other path forward.
To minister in a world changing at a dizzying pace, The Falls Church must open its doors even wider and engage beyond this campus, steadfast in our commitment to equity and justice, taking the radically inclusive love of Jesus beyond our walls and into the world. As a Center for Lived Faith, the profile and impact of The Falls Church must be larger, greater, deeper, and farther reaching. We have a unique ability to model what it means to follow Jesus in the public—even national—realm, to minister to others and be a beacon for leadership.
In these, sisters, brothers, and siblings in Christ, we are called to be steadfast, to commit ourselves to another three centuries of ministry as responsible stewards of our buildings, operating within a sustainable budget and building the Kingdom of God in this city and beyond. I invite you to use this handbook as a resource as you join me in this campaign to be steadfast, unwavering and committed to make The Falls Church the beacon God calls us to be.
In Peace,
The Rev’d Burl Salmon Rector
Letter from the Vestry
In 2023, The Falls Church launched its strategic plan to serve as a statement of our priorities and focus our direction forward as a parish. Together we have made great strides in inviting the community to our events, welcoming new parishioners to worship, and connecting them within this community. Attendance at worship has increased, our children and youth ministries boast a devoted cast of volunteers, our music ministry has strengthened, and our outreach to the community has grown. The Racial Justice Ministry has received awards for its efforts and is increasingly recognized as a model for other parishes beginning this work. Our Queer Faithful ministry hosted the Washington Gay Men’s Chorus spring concert when its performance was cancelled at The Kennedy Center.
While we have made exciting progress as a parish, The Falls Church has not yet achieved financial sustainability. Instead, we have relied on our investment accounts—the Dayspring Fund—to help meet our operating expenses. To help raise awareness of our financial situation, our Stewardship Committee conducted the “Walk in Love” initiative in 2024 to remind us that, just as Christ walked in love by giving himself for us, we are invited to share our gifts, support our community, and deepen our commitment to the work of God’s kingdom.
Now, in 2025, The Falls Church is ready to take the next step forward with the STEADFAST campaign. Not only will we make needed repairs to our historic campus and balance our budget, we will establish a firm foundation on which we can continue building God’s kingdom for years to come. We always intended our strategic plan to be a living document, allowing us to adapt and adjust to the needs of our parish, just like those who came before us and those who will follow. STEADFAST is the next step of our journey together, and we are excited to see what God has in store for us here at The Falls Church as we open ourselves to Jesus’ love.
Yours in Christ,
The Falls Church Vestry