Founded in 1985, the Family Foundation moved headquarters from Northern Virginia to Richmond in 1997. Affiliated with Dr. James Dobson’s Focus on the Family, but funded entirely by donations, the Family Foundation is most well-known for its stance against abortion and same-sex marriage.

While those working for the Family Foundation are white from a middle class background, the organization is in the process of extending its outreach to the African-American community. The Family Foundation’s main work is lobbying the General Assembly, gathering public opinion on the main issues on which they advocate, and identifying legislators who support their causes. In addition to opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage, the Family Foundation supports state funding of internet filters in public libraries to limit the accessibility of pornography, the elimination of state funding for embryonic stem-cell research, the preservation of a definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman, more stringent requirements for divorce, and the protection of religious freedom.

The Family Foundation operates on the premise that the welfare of society is dependent upon family values. From their perspective this means that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman, parents rather than the state should make decisions for children, and there must be freedom of expression of religious beliefs that support these values. The Family Foundation asserts that pornography, which it terms obscene, is not protected under the constitution as free speech and that same-sex marriage and abortion threaten the health of society.

The Family Foundation
One Capitol Square
830 East Main Street
Suite 1201
Richmond , VA
(804) 343-0010

Source:
www.familyfoundation.org

Profile prepared by
Alexis Liverman
February, 2007

The Family History Center

Family is a central focus of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. An important part of Latter-day Saint doctrine is the belief that one’s family from prior generations is just as important, and is in turn woven into, one’s present-day family. One practice related to this belief is that of making a covenant, or “special promise,” on behalf of the dead. Family members use genealogical records to first find their ancestors and deceased relatives and then recite these covenants in temples. Members offer a spiritual blessing to those relatives who have passed on, which may then be accepted by relatives in their afterlife. Eternal family presence is the driving force behind the church’s genealogical mission.

The first, and largest, Family History Library of Salt Lake City was founded in 1864 to keep track of genealogical records and offer services and assistance in tracing their own family histories to members of The Church of Latter-day Saints. The library records include, but are not limited to, over 2.4 million rolls of microfilm, 742,000 microfiche, 4,500 periodicals, and 700 electronic resources. These may be extracted from their original database in Salt Lake and sent to other Family History Centers for a small fee. There are over 200 patron computers, over 500 microfilm readers, and over 30 microfiche readers available for public use at no charge. Family History Centers are located in a number of countries, and each is a branch of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Family History Center of Richmond is located on Monument Avenue, adjacent to The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-day Saints. While The Family History Center of Richmond does not quite boast such large numbers, since it was first installed over 30 years ago it has been acquiring materials and using current technology to assist those in search of genealogical information. Among the books and resources available are books on general genealogy, state and family history books, censuses, microfilm, microfiche, and web and computer access. For those seeking a quicker and less tedious route than microfilms or microfiche, http://www.familysearch.org and http://www.ancestry.com is available. These resources are available to churchgoers and to those simply interested in tracing back family heritage. Materials may be printed, copied, and even borrowed. Among the 23 volunteer librarians on staff, several are not Latter-day Saint Church members. While not nearly as heavily patronized as the Salt Lake City Library, which serves almost 2,000 visitors a day, the Family History Center of Richmond is a busy center that serves the Richmond community’s needs. The center is open several days each week and one evening.

The Family History Center
5600 Monument Avenue
Richmond, VA
(804)-288-8134

Sources;
Family History Center Director
http://www.familysearch.org/
http://www.mormon.org

Profile prepared by Cat McCarthy
February, 2008

Video of c28 Philosophy

1822 Ministries

On May 16 th, 2008 youth leaders of the West End Assembly of God met together to discuss what they believed to be a desperate need for a college ministry in Richmond. They recognized that many young adults had stopped attending previous ministries and were losing connection with their faith. Shortly thereafter, 1822 Ministries was created to provide a place of worship existing unaffiliated with West End Assembly of God. 1822 Ministries is a fellowship of college students that describes it mission as strengthening, rebuilding, and refreshing their faith in Jesus Christ. It is an avenue of worship for young adults, those who are between the ages of 18 and 22, which inspired the name. The group was initially meant to meet in a neutral setting but the West End Assembly offered some space for the ministry. The vision of ministry is to promote social awareness and rethink the constructs of the church. When the group was established, the leader sought to build an atmosphere infused with Christian ideals, while drawing implications to culturally relevant aspects of life. He seeks to encourage living life justly, truthfully, and honestly without giving up contemporary culture. At the same time, the leader used terms such as organic, relational, and artistic, to describe what he wants this group to be. The congregation is membership numbers roughly forty.

The leader of 1822 Ministries is a topical preacher, who teaches lessons in a colloquial style that is intended to be comfortable for non-believers. He approaches generational topics during worship, speaking from experience in a way that makes it easy for others to find a connection. These connections are crucial to the purpose of this ministry, which is to create a group atmosphere that is comfortable so that those attending the worship service can build substantial relationships with one another. The leader uses artistic expression as an inspiration for the ministry, using paintings by Chagall, for example, to draw parallels between expressing oneself artistically and religiously. The incorporation of art into the worship allows some participants to express their spirituality in other ways besides the oral tradition.

The service at 1822 Ministries takes place for two to three hours on a weekday evening. An early evening dinner in the downstairs Fellowship Hall at West End Assembly of God is followed by a service in the upstairs Fellowship Hall. The ministry leader delivers a sermon lasting roughly 45 minutes. Following the sermon, the worship band performs contemporary Christian songs, incorporating a new set list every week. During this part of the worship there are different ways to participate in the ministry. In one part of the room there is a table with pastels for the members to paint or draw. There is also a journal placed on the table for those who wish to write about their experiences in their faith by writing of spiritual moments, memories, or even poems. The group also participates in the local community by feeding the homeless in Monroe Park, sponsoring missionaries abroad, and hosting auctions and cookouts.

1822 Ministries
401 North Parham Road
Richmond, VA 23229
(804)-740-7042

Profiled prepared by Christopher Hyner
May, 2009

Aletheia

Aletheia is a Christian student organization that meets at Virginia Commonwealth University . The organization originated in Harrisonburg, Virginia by Aaron Proffitt, a 24 year-old graduate student from California. Proffit moved across the country to Harrisonburg to start the Aletheia campus ministry at James Madison University in October, 2001. After the James Madison University group was established, Proffitt reports that he felt called by God to start another branch of the same ministry at Virginia Commonwealth University . Proffitt moved to Richmond in 2006 to establish that branch. The Aletheia group at James Madison University is considered to be the mother church of Aletheia at Virginia Commonwealth University

The Greek word “aletheia” translates into English as “Truth.” The creed of Aletheia is that the Bible is the only truth and is the sovereign word of God and that Jesus Christ is the savior of the world who was born, crucified, and rose from the dead to restore the broken relationship between God and mankind. The organization describes its mission as “ to love God, to love others, to make disciples/evangelize, to baptize, to systematically teach Biblical insights, and to develop world Christians.” Aletheia regards the campus groups at James Madison and Virginia Commonwealth universities as the first steps in accomplishing that mission.

Aletheia meets weekly on Sunday evenings for a large group worship gathering at which the organization spends time in worship, prayer, scripture reading, and scripture learning. There are also unisex small group meetings, known as community groups, that meet weekly for a dinner prepared by students, Bible study, and a time of prayer. As part of their desire to reach out and serve the community, Aletheia organizes a weekly dinner inviting people from the Richmond community, including international students from different religions and cultures as well as homeless people, for a home cooked meal.

The average attendance at the Sunday night service is about 75-80 students. Participants are ethnically diverse and include Asians, African-Americans, Hispanics, Middle-Easterners, Philippinos. There are also attendants from different religious traditions, including Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism, that enrich the multi-cultural orientation of the organization.

Alethia
P.O. Box 842032
Richmond , VA 23284-2032
Phone: (804) 828-1981

Sources:
Virginia Commonwealth University Aletheia website
James Madison University Aletheia website

Profile prepared by Harvey Youssef
December, 2007

The Austin Organ at All Saints Episcopal Church

All Saints Episcopal Church is located on River Road in Richmond.  The organ that is currently in this church was built by the Austin Organ Company in Hartford, Connecticut. John Austin was born in England in 1869. During his childhood, he enjoyed choral singing and amateur organ building with his father. Austin emigrated to America in 1889 to try his hand at organ building. In 1893, Austin developed the innovative Universal Air Chest with its valve mechanism on the ceiling, allowing ready access for maintenance and adjustment. In 1889, he established his own company in Hartford, eventually partnering with his brother. The company quickly became one of the most prominent twentieth century organ builders. Austin Organ Company is one of the oldest continuously operating organ manufacturers in the United States.

The Austin Organ at All Saints Episcopal church has been in place since 1967; it is in its original condition with the exception that the console was rebuilt in 2002. The organ at All Saints had a set of pipes located in the rear of the church, the Antiphonal Division, installed by the Austin Organ Company. The organ has six ranks with a total of 366 pipes. When combined with the pipes in the front of the church, there are 3,328 pipes in total. When the console was rebuilt in 2002, it was replaced with a solid state system, which includes 99 memory levels, four adjustable crescendo (climax) levels, a transposer (pitch), and MIDI (a language that allows multiple instruments to be connected and controlled by a single keyboard) . The organ consists of three manuals and pedals and 51 ranks. This addition created versatility and more reliability for the organist.

The organ requires substantial upkeep as it needs to be tuned at least twice a year. Regular tuning is necessary since the pipes shrink during the winter months and expand during the summer months. The organ at All Saints is tuned four times a year. Tuning is usually an all-day project that requires two people. One person stands by the organ to strike every key while the other person adjusts the pipes, pushing or pulling slightly the top metal part of the pipes.

All Saints Episcopal Church has guest organists once or twice a year. Tours of the organ are generally by appointment, and the organ may be heard at regularly scheduled church services.

All Saints Episcopal Church
8787 River Road
Richmond, VA 23229
(804)-288-7811

Profile prepared by Sarah Chumney
May, 2008

Allen Stewart, Life Coach

Allen Stewart is a Life Coach practicing in Richmond. In the mid to late 1990s, he was on his way to becoming an Episcopalian priest. After Graduating from Guilford College in 1998 with a B.A. in Religions Studies, Stewart found himself questioning his beliefs and commitments and seeking new ways of thinking and working with his life that would allow him to help others more directly. While working as a school teacher, and continuing to practice the martial arts he learned in college, Stewart also became involved with Zen Buddhism. During this period he engaged in the study of Asian religions and lived for three years at the Great Mountain Zen Center where he began to form the basis for ideas that would later be expressed in his work as a life coach. His work was further refined and influenced by completing a master’s degree in contemplative education at Naropa University, a Buddhist university in Colorado.

Stewart also went through a life changing experience as the result of a chronic illness, ulcerative colitis, that led him to become involved with guided imagery and music. Through his own process of self-discovery and healing, the lessons learned from his Zen teacher began to take shape. Based on all of these experiences, he realized that he possessed a unique skill set that would allow him to help others. He then opened his life coaching practice.

Stewart describes his goal as allowing his clients to perform better, realize their goals, and achieve greater overall happiness. Stewart’s practice is based on the basic assumption that what causes most of our suffering in life is the inability to accept what is. He believes that the mind is unable to achieve satisfaction, thus relegating individuals to a life of “torture,” since one is constantly striving rather than being at peace. As a Life Coach, Stewart helps clients to alleviate these pressures by creating space for clients to accept themselves and their lives as they are. This includes working with feelings and helping clients to feel their feelings. Stemming from Buddhist principles, he believes that people already possess the internal means necessary to heal their lives.

In his practice, Stewart employs a mixture of techniques that include guided imagery, music, and meditation. There are twenty to twenty-five programs of a thirty minute duration that are tailored to specific issues that are used in the Guided Imagery and Music, which originally stemmed form a three-hour long classical music programs used in the 1960s. During a Guided Imagery and Music Session, Stewart asks open-ended questions so that the insights that come to the clients come from their own inner wisdom. He also offers guided relaxation and meditation.

Allen Stewart
6907 Patterson Avenue , Suite B
Richmond , VA 23226
(804)-405-6767

Sources:
Allen Stewart’s webpage
Interview with Allen Stewart

Profile prepared by Cat McCarthy
April, 2008

Aquarian Bookshop

The Aquarian Bookshop, though in a constant state of evolution, has been a Richmond tradition for over twenty years. Owned by a larger national organization, Aquarian Media, the shop is as diverse as the city it serves. Local ownership has changed hands multiple times, but the current location in the Willow Lawn shopping center is an ecumenical, all-faiths center providing numerous services.

The bookshop has a broad array of volumes, ranging from Christian Bibles to guides to Sufi Mysticism and Feng Shui. There are several soft chairs throughout the room where one might relax while perusing the veritable treasure trove of literature. There is also a bulletin board where members of the community may post any spiritual activities or promote their organizations. Often this is a place where new residents can go to find a faith organization that is right for them.

In addition to literature, the Aquarian offers a multitude of goods and services for a spiritual lifestyle including palmistry, candles, prayer flags, yoga gear, and stones. One may also enroll in belly dancing classes, Reki, or Qi Gong through the bookshop. Classes are usually held at their second location on Ellwood Avenue where seminars on topics such as holistic health, herbal medicines and crystal stones are offered. This location primarily serves as an education center and is open by appointment only.

Finally, the Aquarian Bookshop promotes and participates in a myriad of social justice organizations. They offer many fair trade goods and support charities like Free the Children, an organization that educates young people to promote peace and to combat destitution and exploitation of children in third-world nations. The bookshop is also a founding member of the Baby Girl Project. The goal of this project is to bring education and empowerment to young girls in third-world nations, who make up two-thirds of the world’s uneducated. They are currently working to build schools in Kenya.

The Aquarian Bookshop
1601 Willow Lawn Drive
Suite 312
Richmond, VA 23230
(804)-285-6264

The Aquarian Education Center
3519 Ellwood Ave.
Richmond, VA 23221
804-353-5575

Sources:
Interview with member of staff

Profile prepared by Chrissie L. Griffith
September, 2007

Armenian Food Festival

In the mid 1950’s the Armenian community of Richmond founded the St. James Armenian Church. Not long after the church was founded, the church members began the Annual Armenian Food

Festival. It’s the oldest food festival in the Richmond area, and last year the church celebrated its fiftieth annual Armenian Food Festival. The festival open to the public, and the Armenian community welcomes everyone to sample their culture and tradition. During the past two years about 7,000 people attended the festival annually. The event usually occurs during the third week in September and is held adjacent to the church.

The festival features a variety of Armenian food, such as the famous Rice Pilaf (Armenian style), Fasoulia (green beans made with onion and tomato), the popular appetizer Yalanchi (rice stuffed grape

leaves), Lahmajoun ( Armenia meat pies), and beef and chicken shiskabob. The festival is also known for its tasty pastries, bourma (rolled filo with nut filling), khourabia (sugar cookies), choreg (sweet pastry), and simit (circular bread with sesame seeds). The famous beverages that are served at the festival are Armenian coffee, Armenia beer, wine and other soft drinks. The wine and beer are imported from Armenia. They have both grape wine (red, white) and pomegranate wines. According to the church pastor, “Both fruits and the wines are very tasteful because of the land in Armenia. Armenia is a mountainous country and the fruits and vegetables that grow there are very tasty,

especially compare to the ones over here.” These delicious foods are prepared by the women’s group in the church and with some help from the men. The purpose of the festival is to raise money for the church while spreading knowledge about the history and culture of Armenian. Everyone is invited to “Come dance your way while enjoying the fantastic food and pastries of Armenians!”

St. James Armenian Church
834 Pepper Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23226
(804)-282-3818

Sources:
St. James Armenian Church pastor

Profile prepared by Tegest Mesfin
February, 2009

Ave Maria Sacred Art, Gifts and Books

Ave Maria Sacred Art, Gifts and Books was opened by John and Kim Bourret in 1996 in response to what they describe as a spiritual awakening experience. For the first six years of its history the store was located in the basement of a Benedictine Monastery. It is currently located in the original Stony Point Shopping Center that preceded the Stony Point Fashion Park.

The store features a wide variety of religiously affiliated products. Ave Maria sells items from Bibles to icon paintings, religious hymns to liturgical vestments and linens, ornaments to large outdoor statues, chalices to jewelry, seasonal items to religious Russian treasures. The store’s musical selection, with its emphasis on hymns and chants, will appeal to customers in the Christian tradition while other articles and statues are inclusive of a broader range of religious traditions. In addition to in-store products, the Ave Maria website promotes and popularizes their quest to promote general well-being through Christian practices and virtues. There is a prayer-request page through which individuals can request a payer for someone they know who has been stricken by adversity, and all those who view the website are invited to pray for their relief and/or amelioration. Prayer requests are also sent directly to the store where they are received by different prayer groups, or “intercessory prayer warriors,” who pray on behalf of prayer petitioners. The website also enables patrons to discover the origins behind some specific items, revealing information about their histories. Everything sold in the Richmond based Ave Maria Sacred Art, Gifts and Books store is available internationally as well as domestically through international shipping options.

Ave Maria Sacred Art, Gifts and Books
3022 Stony Point Road
Richmond , VA 23235
(804)-320-8036

Sources:
Ave Maria website
Ave Maria staff

Profile prepared by John Feole
March, 2008