Network Parish-in-Focus: Eternity Anglican Church, Richmond, VA
“Many Nations, One Communion.” That is part of the vision of Eternity Anglican Church, a new church plant and partner of the Network, that just held its first official worship service on Sunday, November 5. More than 75 people, representing over 25 nations, were in attendance for the launch on the north side of Richmond, Virginia. Eternity Anglican is part of the Network’s International Conference under the Anglican Diocese of Luweero in the Province of Uganda.
Eternity Anglican Church shares its name and facility with its parent church, Eternity Church. Eternity Church was formed three years ago with a vision to bring together several different congregations into one church family. The result today is that three churches – Victory Life Fellowship, a 20–year-old African-American congregation; Eternity Church; and now Eternity Anglican Church – all consider themselves part of the same family.
The Rev. David Singh is senior pastor of Eternity Church and its daughter Anglican church. After years at Princeton studying the concept of church union, Singh decided to see if it could work in reality. “The more we worship together, the more we will realize we are one in Christ. If we do mission together, we will realize our common calling to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all people,” said Singh.
Singh was ordained in the Diocese of Madras, Church of South India, and has pastoral experience that spans nearly 30 years. He served in India for 12 years, Australia for four years and in the U.S. for 14 years. Although he has never seen a model quite like Eternity’s in all of his worldwide travels, Singh felt called to “just do it” by starting small and allowing the congregation to grow slowly by word-of-mouth advertising.
The three churches share a 45,000–square-foot warehouse facility, conduct monthly joint prayer and healing services, and coordinate outreach and missions efforts locally and abroad. Only 15,000 square feet have been built out, but plans have already been drawn up for the remaining 30,000 square feet to accommodate a childcare center; a medical clinic; a youth center; and office, worship and meeting space.
When the warehouse came up for auction, it was valued at $2 million. Singh and a friend put in a bid of $360,000 and won the auction for the property. At first they were ecstatic, but then were unable to secure the financing for a loan. Then, a gentleman in the community heard about their vision for this church and their financial situation, paid for the property, and donated the facility to the church.
The warehouse facility is located in a light industrial area surrounded by low-income housing on one side and middle-class sub-divisions on another side, and is in close proximity to the college community of Virginia Commonwealth University. Eternity Church’s three-congregations-in-one is challenged by racial, cultural, class and denominational divides. “It is not easy, but we are learning how to get along as we go along together,” said Singh, “I believe we will be an authentic witness to the community of the power of Jesus Christ to transform us as individuals and as an international body of believers.”
As part of its DNA, Eternity Anglican Church has a commitment to missions and church planting. “As we begin, the parish has committed 35% for mission with a goal of learning to live on 50% of our collected tithes and offerings so that we can give half of our money away. We have to preserve our souls from worshipping the almighty dollar,” said Singh. “With some of these outreach monies, we want to plant a new church every three years and we plan to be one of the church planting ‘hubs’ that the Network is organizing in geographic regions across the country.”
“Eternity Anglican is a great example of the kind of churches the Network is committed to planting,” said the Rev. Tom Herrick, Director of the Network’s Church Planting Initiative. “Its leaders are visionary and entrepreneurial; its people are prayerful and compassionate; and together they are missional and dedicated to multiplying their fruitfulness through church planting. We are thrilled by our partnership with Eternity Anglican and anticipate great things as we move into our future together with them.”