Our History:
The first Episcopal service attributed to St. Timothy's, Herndon was held on the night of All Saints Day, 1868. It was read by a young village school teacher and lay reader. By 1872, a Sunday School with three teachers and seven students had been formed and a small building, once used as a cheese factory, acquired and renovated. This chapel was located on the northwest corner of Grace and Vine Streets, and was called St. Timothy's Mission.       The first church building (now the Masonic Lodge at Elden and Grace Streets) was consecrated in June 1881, and the bell was hung in its steeple in 1882. St. Timothy's status reverted from church to mission and back again several times prior to World War II, but the church remained active thanks to the dedication of a few committed families, two well-liked rectors, and students from the Episcopal Seminary in Alexandria.       The need for a parish hall to house the ever-growing Sunday School, meetings and social gatherings was of constant concern, but the budget was already strained with the demands of building maintenance and salaries. The congregation raised funds with such activities as horse shows, rummage sales and phantom auctions, invested the proceeds in War Bonds, and the parish hall was finally built in 1947.       Crowded conditions prevailed again during the 1950s, but it was the construction of Dulles Airport and the growth of Reston and Sterling Park in the early 1960s that forced the Rev. John C. Henry and the church leadership to plan seriously for major expansion. After more years of creative fundraising, ten acres of pasture was purchased and the structure which is now Henry Hall was built. Consecrated in 1969, the building served as church, education building and parish hall. Upholstered pews, built by parishioners, had to be moved out of the way after each service so that the congregation could enjoy coffee and socialize.       A strong tradition of liturgical music has been maintained throughout the church's history, thanks to the dedicated efforts of talented choir directors, organists and volunteer choir. An antique two manual Tracker organ was acquired in 1972. A plaque detailing its acquisition and restoration is displayed on the right side of the instrument.       In the early years, St. Timothy's was dependent upon students from the Seminary for Sunday services. Today, St. Timothy's serves as a site where second and third year students from Virginia Theological Seminary can practice some clergy skills, and the Lay Committee provides our Seminarian with counseling and feedback. St. Timothy's has always had a Sunday School and usually a Vacation Bible School in the summer. Christian education for all ages, as well as discussion and prayer groups, continue to be an important part of parish life today.       St. Timothy's has a strong tradition of outreach, both within and beyond the community. Its acclaimed preschool was founded in 1974. The Closet, Herndon's highly successful used clothing exchange, had its beginnings at St. Timothy's in the 1970s. A young deacon initiated the first shelter for the homeless in Fairfax County in 1984. Volunteers set up cots and provided dinners in Henry Hall. Other churches joined in the effort, which continued until the Embry Rucker Shelter was built in nearby Reston. In 1988, parishioners raised $26,000 in ten weeks to replace the roof of a church in Uganda that had been destroyed by war.       The present sanctuary, which seats 400, was consecrated November 11, 1982. The baptismal font and hymn boards date from the late 19th century. The bell from the 1881 church building has been recently electrified and its clear tones summon the faithful to worship as it has done for over a century.
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