THE GOSPEL OF PC
Church tossing plaques of Washington, Lee
Leaders of a historic Episcopal church in Alexandria, Va., have decided to remove a pair of plaques from its sanctuary that memorialize two of their most prominent parishioners: George Washington and Robert E. Lee.
In a letter sent Thursday to members of the Christ Church congregation, church leaders explained that the decision came after much deliberation.
“This was not a discussion we entered into lightly, but rather a sincere attempt to have a family conversation about our worship space, our larger history and our future,” they wrote.
The fate of the two plaques, which have hung on either side of the altar at the historic church since 1870, had been talked about for years, ac- cording to the Rev. Noelle York-Simmons, the church's rector. But the matter took on added urgency following events in Charlottesville.
One person was killed and several injured during protests Aug. 12 after a rally by white nationalists protesting the planned removal of a statue of Lee.
While recognizing the important roles both Washington and Lee played in the nation’s history, church leaders wrote that the decision was made that it would be best to remove them because they “create a distraction in our worship space and may create an obstacle to our identity as a welcoming church and an impediment to our growth and to full community with our neighbors.”
News of the church’s decision was first reported by the Republican Standard Web site.
York-Simmons and other church leaders spent much of September discussing the matter with members of the 1,800-person congregation.
York-Simmons characterized the meetings and listening sessions as “heartening.”
“People responded beautifully and faithfully, listening in a lot of ways that showed our church at its best,” she said.
York-Simmons would not discuss whether there were parishioners who advocated for keeping the plaques.
“I’m not going to speak for my parishioners. We have been through an intense process of listening to our community’s thoughts on all sides of the complicated issue,” she said.