Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ! For nearly 300 years, St. George’s has been extending a message of welcome and hospitality in Fredericksburg and beyond. I became the rector (head minister) of this congregation in early 2015. One of the reasons I came here is because this is an old place doing new things. It is a traditional place that loves innovation and creativity. It is a place where variety and diversity are treasured within a context of unity and communion. In other words, we are many different people, but we strive to be one body.
People enter the church doors for all kinds of reasons. Whatever your reason for being here (or if you are not sure why you are here), we would like to be in conversation. We try to invite without being pushy and share our story without assuming that it is your story. Wherever you are in your faith or lack thereof, we try to listen and respect where you are. Questions are most welcome, and we try not to have all the answers.
St. George’s is an Episcopal Church, meaning that we are part of a larger network of Christian communities whose history goes back to the church in England and before that to the earliest followers of Jesus. We love our traditions and are committed to our faith in Christ, but we welcome people from any tradition to be with us. We hope tradition, race, gender identity, nationality, and sexual orientation are not barriers here. We try to see our differences as signs of God’s diverse and wonderful creation. Visitors bless us with their presence, and we believe they have something to teach us. We try to provide enough orientation to figure out where to go and what to do, but if you need something and do not see it, please ask!
There are lots of ways to connect with this community. You have found our website. We also post on Twitter and Facebook and have a weekly email newsletter that you can receive. If you want to help support us financially, we gratefully accept donations! I invite you to be with us as we attempt to find a sense of peace and purpose with one another and God.
~Joe+
The Rev. Joseph H. Hensley Jr.
Rector, St. George’s Episcopal Church