Saint George's Episcopal Church sits one block west of the Virginia Square Metro station on the Orange Line, at 915 N. Oakland Street in Arlington. The parish bridges urban and suburban, with high-rise offices and condominiums on one side and neighborhoods of single-family houses two blocks away on the other. Founded in 1908, Saint George's has spent more than a century answering a simple question with deep practice: how does a neighborhood congregation worship well, feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, and sing with joy, all at the same time?
The parish describes itself as a community committed to embodying Christ, creating community, and doing justice. Visitors find a church whose music program draws professional organists from across the country, whose food pantry is the longest-running in Arlington County, and whose refugee ministry has grown into an interfaith coalition of more than 1,500 people and 250 faith communities.
A Parish That Welcomes Everyone at God's Table
Saint George's describes its core values plainly. Inclusive worship, the parish teaches, means empowering everyone at God's table with no exceptions and engaging all ages in the life of the community, with liturgy and music at the center. Growing in faith means coming together to deepen an understanding of God and discerning how Jesus calls people to live in the world. Loving others means creating authentic community that is relational rather than transactional, following Jesus' commandment to love neighbors through service and advocacy.
The congregation reflects the diversity of the Washington region. Members include lifelong Virginians and people in town for short professional assignments. The parish includes people of varied ages, genders, ethnic and racial backgrounds, nationalities, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, economic situations, family structures, abilities, and religious backgrounds. Singles, married couples, partners, the divorced, widowed, remarried, and the "it's complicated" all worship together. Clergy sit alongside community activists, bankers, photographers, artists, lawyers, architects, and students.
The Rev. Dr. Karin J. Ekholm was called as the new Priest-in-Charge and celebrated a festive service of institution in June 2026. A thoughtful preacher and writer, Mother Karin (as she is known in the parish) leads a parish that takes seriously both tradition and contemporary engagement with the world. The Rev. Dr. Bob Prichard continues to contribute to adult formation, and the staff includes Dr. Ben Keseley as Minister of Music and Elena Keydel as Coordinator for Children and Youth.
Worship at the Heart of Saint George's
Worship is at the center of who Saint George's is and all it does. The parish offers two principal Sunday Eucharists, a monthly Choral Evensong, and a weekly Wednesday midday service.
At 8:00 am, a traditional service of Holy Eucharist Rite I takes place in the nave. Music accompanies the offertory, communion, and postlude, with a closing hymn. At 10:30 am, the principal Sunday service gathers the parish for Holy Eucharist Rite II with the Saint George's Choir and the organ music of Dr. Ben Keseley. This is the service where the congregation sings hymns and service music alongside the choir's anthems, and where the whole assembly is shaped by the rhythms of the Book of Common Prayer.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, an additional 9:15 am Holy Eucharist Rite II is offered outdoors in the garden, weather permitting. An announcement is sent by 8:00 pm Saturday if the service must be canceled.
Choral Evensong is sung on the first Sunday of each month at 4:00 pm from October through June. The extended prelude begins at 3:45 pm and a festive reception follows in the Parish Hall. Evensong marks the close of the day with prayers, scripture, and choral music that draw on the Anglican choral tradition at its richest.
On Wednesdays at noon, the parish gathers in the nave for a brief Holy Eucharist Rite II with homily. The Wednesday service often commemorates a saint or notable figure in the Church's calendar and offers a quieter weekday rhythm of prayer.
All are welcome at the altar. Saint George's encourages laypeople to serve as Eucharistic Ministers, lectors, acolytes, intercessors, and ushers. Children are welcome in worship, and Sunday School classes join the 10:30 service partway through so that even the youngest members participate in the Eucharistic assembly. Visitors are invited to come as they are; worshipers range from dresses and suit coats with ties to blue jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers.
Two of the principal services are livestreamed, and past livestreams are available on the parish's YouTube channel. Giving may be made online, by texting STGEORGES to 73256, through the Realm Connect app, or by placing a gift in the offering plate at any service.
A Building Filled with Light and Story
The recently renovated sanctuary at Saint George's houses one of the parish's greatest treasures: a cycle of stained glass windows commissioned from the Henry Lee Willett Studios of Philadelphia in the early 1950s, shortly after construction of the current church building.
The Rose Window above the altar tells the story of Christ's suffering and resurrection in five symbols arranged like the face of a clock. At the center, the Lamb of God rests upon a book from which hang seven seals, holding the banner of victory, surrounded by a three-rayed nimbus of divinity.
Around the nave, Old and New Testament scenes unfold in sequence: the Creation and Noah's Ark on the Fairfax Drive side; Moses and the Ten Commandments alongside Daniel in the lions' den; the prophet Isaiah and John the Baptist, the last of the prophets and the bridge to the New Testament. On the opposite side of the nave, the life of Christ begins with the Annunciation and the Birth, continues through the Epiphany, the Baptism, the Temptation in the wilderness, and the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The Last Supper and the Crucifixion give way to the Resurrection, the Ascension, and the Last Judgment, with the great Transfiguration window above the main door on the Nelson Street side. Flanking the chancel are the archangels Michael and Gabriel; the chancel windows honor figures from the Anglican tradition, from St. Augustine of Canterbury to Bishop Seabury, the first bishop of the American Episcopal Church.
The building also houses a magnificent instrument: the Martin Pasi pipe organ, whose fifth anniversary is being marked in the 2026-27 season. The organ was inaugurated by an acclaimed recitalist, and the parish now hosts a Third Friday Organ Recital series in its honor, bringing visiting organists from across the East Coast to play on the instrument. Nathan Laube, an internationally celebrated concert organist and Associate Professor of Organ at the Eastman School of Music, gave the anniversary recital in September 2026.
The parish hall, room 114, and the nave host a wide range of community life. The building is available for rental for groups whose work aligns with the parish's ministry, particularly those that share in feeding God's people. Saint George's also hosts weddings, funerals, and baptisms, and the clergy welcome inquiries about each.
The Longest-Running Food Pantry in Arlington County
Saint George's Food Pantry is the oldest continuously operating food pantry in Arlington County, having begun in 1989 when parishioners recognized that clergy were handing out food many times a day to hungry neighbors at the church door. A committee formed, and the pantry was born. By 2024, the pantry was celebrating 35 years of service and was on track to serve more than 11,000 people in a single year.
The pantry is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from noon to 1:00 pm. Volunteers serve food, hot and cold drinks, smiles, and conversation with no questions asked. Volunteer shifts run from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm each operating day, and additional volunteers are needed to shop for food, stock shelves, and lend support in other ways.
The need is real. Slightly more than four in ten Arlington residents in households earning $60,000 or less experience food insecurity, a category that includes an estimated 75,000 people in one of the wealthiest counties in the country. The pantry welcomes staple donations: cases of bottled water, shelf-stable canned food, baby diapers, socks, travel-size shampoo, conditioner, bath soap, lotion, deodorant, ChapStick, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. Monetary gifts can be made online or mailed to the church office with a note designating the Food Pantry.
Welcoming the Stranger: NOVA Friends of Refugees
The Saint George's Refugee Ministry began in the summer of 2016 as a coalition of like-minded individuals committed to supporting refugees. From this small beginning grew NOVA Friends of Refugees, an award-winning interfaith network now including more than 1,500 members from over 250 faith communities, NGOs, and government agencies across the country.
Co-founded by two longtime Saint Georgians, Norma Kacen and Wendy Chan, along with Kenn Speicher of Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church of Arlington, NOVA Friends of Refugees works through three pillars:
- Community building and advocacy, including awareness training, community events, and partnerships with international NGOs to support displaced people abroad.
- Daily essentials and transportation assistance, including used-bike donations, clothing, and other support for newly arrived families in the DC metro area who do not qualify for other assistance.
- Pathways for integration, connecting refugees to English classes, career development, and medical resources. The network continues to support medical students focused on refugee health at Georgetown University and co-founded a coalition to help refugee physicians in Virginia return to medicine.
The parish frames this work in the words of Matthew 25: "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." Volunteering opportunities of all kinds are available.
Walking the Road of Racial Reconciliation
Saint George's has committed itself to living out the Baptismal Covenant through the work of racial justice and healing. The work is both internal, examining hearts and minds through dialogue-based curriculum, and external, challenging racist structures in the wider community.
The cornerstone of this work is Sacred Ground, a film- and readings-based dialogue series on race developed as part of Becoming Beloved Community, the Episcopal Church's long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice. Sacred Ground walks small groups through ten sessions on Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific American histories as they intersect with European American histories. The series is open to all and is especially designed to help white people talk with other white people.
The parish has also hosted forum series such as "From 'Other' to Beloved: A Covenant," exploring the concept of Othering and micro- and macro-aggressions, and has welcomed guest speakers like John M. Johnson, author of "A Death Mob Gathered," which recounts the 1926 lynching of Raymond Byrd. A 2020 Juneteenth forum brought five African American members of Saint George's into conversation about encounters with law enforcement.
Children, Youth, and Family Life
Children are valued members of the Saint George's community. The Sunday School program runs September through May, meeting at 9:30 am in age-appropriate classes for toddlers, PreK/Kindergarten, and first through third grade, and in a separate class for fourth through seventh graders that focuses on prayer, scripture study, conversation, and fellowship. Children join the 10:30 am Holy Eucharist partway through the service.
Episcopal Youth in Community (EYC) gathers middle and high school students periodically through the school year for fellowship, fun, and service. Past activities have included an annual lock-in and movie night, a tour of the National Cathedral with a picnic in the Bishop's Garden, a trip to a trampoline gym, service opportunities, and cookouts. Youth and adult members of the parish aged 14 and older (who have completed eighth grade) have traveled with the Appalachia Service Project, whose mission is to make homes warmer, safer, and drier.
The parish sponsors Ship 1942 of the Sea Scouts, a coed program for ages 14 to 20 focused on sailing, water, and boating safety.
For families with very young children, POLO (Parents of Little Ones) hosts play dates, potlucks, and outings about once a month for families with children ages 0 to 5. POLO gives parents and other caregivers a chance to connect outside the structure of Sunday morning.
Small Groups, House Churches, and Adult Formation
Saint George's offers a rich calendar of adult formation. A Bible study on Philippians and 1 Thessalonians meets Sunday mornings from 9:15 to 10:00 am in Room 114, led by Mother Karin and open to adults and youth in grade 7 and up. The Sunday Adult Forum meets from 9:30 to 10:15 am in the Parish Hall, September through June, with thoughtful speakers drawn from the parish and the wider church.
House Churches are small groups of eight to ten adults who meet weekly by Zoom to share joys and challenges, pray together, and reflect on the Gospel for the upcoming Sunday. Each group reflects the diversity of Saint George's and is led by a trained facilitator.
The 20s and 30s ministry gathers Saint Georgians in their twenties and thirties for fellowship, learning, and community. The group meets monthly to discuss faith, theology, and the Christian life with one another and the clergy, and gathers for social activities, the annual Blessing of the Animals on the Feast of St. Francis, and Advent and Lenten discussions.
The Men's Group meets the first Saturday of each month from 8:00 to 9:30 am in Room 114 for a light breakfast and a facilitated discussion on topics ranging from the spiritual and religious to current events. The Life, Community, and Faith (LCF) class is a multi-week exploration of the Episcopal way of being Christian, designed for newcomers, longtime members, and those exploring baptism, confirmation, reception, reaffirmation, or marriage at Saint George's.
A Conservatory of Choirs at the Heart of the Parish
Music is woven into every corner of Saint George's. Through music, the parish seeks to praise God, to grow in musical gifts, and to inspire in others a deeper faith in Christ.
Saint George's offers choirs for children ages 3 through grade 12, as well as the principal adult Saint George's Choir. The Choristers sing alongside the adult choir for Choral Evensong services and major feast days. Throughout the year, the music ministry presents concert series including Friday chamber music concerts hosted by the Friday Morning Music Club, Capitol Early Music concerts, and visiting recitalists such as Jacqueline Farrell and Elisa Bickers.
Saint George's hosts special annual events such as the Kids' Halloween Concert and Pumpkin Painting on the Pasi organ, a Pancake Supper following Evensong, and a Chili Cookoff. The Choral Evensong for Pride Month features the world premiere of new works written for the choir. A youth string quartet concert showcases young musicians from the 9th Street Chamber Music program, who rehearse at the church on Tuesday evenings.
The parish shares its music with the wider community through the musical offerings of the 9th Street Quartet, the regular Friday chamber music series, and partnerships with visiting ensembles from across the country and abroad.
Care for One Another
Caregiving is the work of Christian community at Saint George's, not the work of clergy alone. From greeting a fellow parishioner by name, to praying for those on the prayer list, to providing a ride, a meal, or a loving phone call, Saint Georgians take care of one another.
The Helping Hands ministry supports parishioners with meals, groceries, rides, and errands during times of need. Pastoral visits by clergy and trained lay visitors offer a ministry of presence to those in need of comfort and company. Both clergy and laity participate in bringing the Eucharist to those who cannot attend in person.
For neighbors beyond the parish, caregiving takes the form of the food pantry, the refugee ministry, and the work of racial reconciliation, as well as praying for the world and welcoming those who pass the church's doors and grounds.
Becoming Part of Saint George's
Becoming a member of Saint George's involves a commitment to Christ and to the church, and a commitment from the members of Saint George's to the newcomer. The process begins with a conversation with the clergy and often includes the Life, Community, and Faith class.
Holy Baptism is offered to anyone, including infants whose parents and sponsors make the promises on their behalf. Confirmation, reception, and reaffirmation are available through the laying on of hands by the bishop.
Weddings at Saint George's are celebrated with at least six months' advance notice when possible. The funeral liturgy in the Episcopal Church is an Easter liturgy, finding all its meaning in the resurrection. Both clergy and laity walk with families through times of grief.
The Saint George's Legacy Circle recognizes stewards who make financial provisions for the future of the parish through bequests or planned gifts. Anyone who names Saint George's in their will or planned gift may join the Legacy Circle.
Getting to Saint George's
Saint George's is located at 915 N. Oakland Street in Arlington, Virginia, one block west of the Virginia Square Metro station on the Orange Line. A small parking lot at the corner of North Oakland Street and North Fairfax Drive offers three designated handicap-accessible spaces and is generally reserved for those with limited mobility. A larger lot sits at the corner of North Oakland Street and North Ninth Street. Free street parking is available on Sundays.
Several paid garages are within a few blocks: Ballston Point/Atlantic Parking at 3833 Fairfax Drive and Colonial Parking at 3801 Fairfax Drive (entrance off 10th Street). Two Capital Bikeshare stations are within a block of the church.
The parish office is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm; appointments are encouraged. Saint George's welcomes newcomers almost every week, and the parish's weekly e-newsletter, Dragon Bytes, keeps the wider community informed of news, events, and opportunities to serve.