At 200 John Tyler Lane in Williamsburg, Virginia, Williamsburg Christian Church is known for joining liturgical worship to the everyday work of hospitality and mission. The non-denominational church began in 1964 and describes its shared life as being “joined in God's pursuit of restoring lives.” Sunday worship is held at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., with the 11 a.m. gathering also livestreamed through Vimeo. Around those gatherings are children's and student ministries, small groups, shared meals, prayer, and partnerships addressing restoration in Williamsburg and beyond.
Five Families and a 1964 Beginning
The church traces its beginning to early spring 1964, when residents of Williamsburg and nearby communities who belonged to Lebanon Church of Christ at Lee Hall considered establishing a New Testament congregation. In September, five families began meeting in a home, and formal services began on October 11. A part-time minister supported the small group during its first year. The founding vision paired the preservation of Williamsburg's past with faith in “the One who made the past and holds the future.”
After three years in a remodeled Jamestown Road property, the congregation acquired a larger site at John Tyler Highway and Mill Neck Road. It met temporarily at Rawls Byrd Elementary School while the new building rose. Dedicated in December 1968, the original auditorium seated 206 and included offices, foyer and classrooms. Church members worked nightly for months on the project, and the larger room was initially imagined partly as a focal point for college students.
A 2001 renovation added a foyer, large classroom, offices, a lift to the sanctuary level, an accessible restroom and Welcome Center. It also expanded the platform, replaced pews with chairs, increased seating capacity and installed sound and video systems. Across earlier decades, youth ministry grew from a bus program and youth choir, while small groups and ministries for children and adults shaped the church's expanding life.
Early markers of communal life included seven deacons installed in 1970, the first two elders in 1975 and a Golden Agers group in 1983. The original building also emphasized hospitality, worship and gathering places for those seeking to connect faith with life in Williamsburg.
Two Sunday Gatherings, One Dialogical Liturgy
Sunday worship is held in person at 200 John Tyler Lane at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. The second gathering can be joined through the church's Vimeo livestream. Both belong to one Sunday rhythm in which the church hears Scripture, gives common worship and is then sent back into mission. People who have not felt well are invited to join the 11 a.m. gathering by Vimeo, reflecting the church's concern for the medical community and vulnerable people.
From Song to Sending
- Songs of praise, thanksgiving, lament and confession call the congregation to praise and honesty before God.
- Confession & Proclamation follows, with Scripture read aloud as one body and with one voice.
- Children come to the front for Big Idea, a shared lesson drawn from Scripture before age-appropriate groups begin.
- In Practicing the Presence of God, the church reads Scripture and sits in silence to make room for discernment.
- Teaching, preaching, public discussion or lectio divina may follow with attention fixed on Jesus as Lord and Scripture as God's living witness.
- At the Eucharist Table, the congregation receives bread and wine in remembrance, gratitude, celebration and self-examination.
- An offering shares resources with one another, the city and the world as part of stewardship.
- The gathering closes with renewed fellowship and Prayers of the People for the world.
Children begin every gathering with the adults singing, reading Scripture, praying and hearing the Big Idea. They then move to age-specific groups. The nursery serves babies through age three, while children's ministry covers age four through fifth grade. This makes room for both childlike faith and age-appropriate formation.
A Church Center mobile app helps the church family stay connected with events and other parts of WCC life. Past messages are archived, and the Sunday message may also be heard the following Sunday on WMBG at 10 a.m. Giving is offered through PayPal, bank routing, debit or credit and through text giving.
The Lord's Table Becomes Other Tables
Eucharist means thanksgiving, and the church also calls it Communion and the Lord's Supper. Receiving the bread and wine is understood as a weekly rehearsal of the gospel: Christ's death is remembered and proclaimed, the church receives spiritual nourishment, and it acknowledges both need and belonging. The welcome received at Christ's table is meant to become the welcome people extend to others.
That welcome becomes practice through meals. Each quarter the church family gathers for a shared meal at church grounds or Walsingham Academy. The meal begins with Eucharist and moves into lunch with side dishes, desserts and drinks contributed by those present. Many stay for the afternoon and its soccer fields, basketball courts and playgrounds. Food Allergy Cards help the church care for people with different dietary needs.
Missional communities often share meals during the week, and the church also hopes to share a meal with neighbors on ordinary days. Its vision of hospitality extends to regular third places such as coffee shops, cafes, parks and hobby groups where people gather informally. The aim is genuine interest rather than transactional contact so relationships can form naturally and extend into friendship and mission.
One Ear Up, One Ear Out
The church's guiding posture is often summarized as one ear up and one ear out: listening to God and also listening to one another, neighborhoods and the city. Hospitality sits at the heart of its imagination because the triune God is described as self-giving and faithful. God's welcome in Jesus breaks down cultural and social barriers, forms surprising friendships and shapes worship, shared meals and mission.
Mission means going where others are and joining what the Spirit is already doing. The church therefore seeks to become good neighbors in the places people live, work and play. Hospitality creates room for that neighborliness while mission directs the church outward toward people whose lives need repair and renewal.
These values come together in five Shared Values Proclamation Statements made by the church family each Sunday:
- Love One Another for God's Sake
- Guard One Another's Backs
- Protect One Another's Kingdom Values
- Believe One Another's Motives
- Sing One Another's Praises
The same posture shapes vulnerability and conflict. Confession is a lifelong practice of opening oneself to God for healing rather than a one-time transaction. Disagreement becomes an opportunity to set Jesus apart as Lord. The church describes itself as a wounded but healed and scarred but beautiful body rather than a corporation or well-managed club. Its peace and restoration witness must sometimes confront systems of greed, violence, fear and political posturing.
Christ at the Center, With Room for Conversation
WCC says its theology is grounded in Scripture and historic Christian doctrine rather than novelty. It affirms the Trinity, Jesus as fully God and fully human, his sacrificial death and resurrection, salvation by grace through faith rather than works, the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, weekly Eucharist, the church as a worshipping community sent on mission, life after death and Jesus' return in power and glory. The Bible is understood as the 66 books of Hebrew and Christian Scripture, divinely inspired and trustworthy.
Its governing principle is “In essential beliefs, we have unity. In non-essential beliefs, we have liberty. In all things, we show love.” Baptism by immersion is taught as part of faith's response, and the church understands itself as living within God's mission to reconcile individuals, communities and creation. These convictions accompany a deliberate refusal to make dogmatic claims about disputed matters where serious Bible-believing churches have long differed.
Learning in the City and in Small Groups
A Missional Community gathers 15 to 20 people with two facilitators for an outward-facing focus in greater Williamsburg and a secondary focus on the church's common life. Communities meet twice a month and ask members for at least a six-month commitment. Their practices include one ear up and one ear out, dwelling in the Word, lectio divina, Scripture, Bible study, confession, the church's identity as God's people, prayers of the people and a book chosen around a particular Kingdom concern.
Small groups meet both virtually and in person and are temporary studies built around biblical books or topics such as Christian living, spiritual practices, gospel, culture, justice, theological studies and biblical studies. A person seeking a longer-term pattern can explore a Missional Community instead.
Theology Thursday meets every Thursday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. to explore the theology behind the previous Sunday's conversation and teaching. Discussions are kept light while seeking understanding and application. Coffee and tea are provided, and participants may bring lunch. Men's and women's ministries gather for Bible study, retreats and socials, while Adopt a College Student encourages families to support and encourage local college students. During summer months, the Wilder Minds reading cohort trains its members to listen with humility, confront bias and discuss critical issues in light of Christ's reign.
For Children, Students, and Their Families
Family ministry is organized around formation that continues from Sunday through the week. The children's pathway includes Big Idea, Kidz Konnect, special children's events and family resources. For middle and high school students, theANTHEM is a Sunday morning worship gathering. They also gather Sunday evenings from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for worship and shared common life.
Family ministers lead or coordinate volunteers who teach, lead worship, plan retreats and trips and create service opportunities. With students, family ministers pursue pastoral discipleship and communication with students and their families throughout the week rather than confining discipleship to a Sunday event.
The same leaders organize opportunities for children and families, including children's events, retreats and other seasonal activities. These ministries are designed to equip families as they participate in God's mission in ordinary life from Monday through Saturday.
Prayer on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
Prayer is woven through the week rather than confined to a service. The church invites its family to set aside 30 Minutes of Prayer on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays whenever and wherever they are.
- Monday prayer focuses on requests shared by the church family.
- Wednesday prayer centers on orphans and widows worldwide, including people reached through supported ministries.
- Friday prayer remembers gatherings, ministries, events and other concerns.
Prayer partnerships connect church families with senior members for shared prayer. Fasting and prayer are regular disciplines whenever wisdom and discernment are sought. Quarterly prayer gatherings use Scripture, silence and petitions for the church, city and world, with childcare provided. The church's care ministry also includes visits, cards and calls for people who are sick, shut in or facing difficult circumstances, plus the Sunshine Ministry, which provides food, gift cards and celebrations of life.
Restoration Along the Streets of Williamsburg
Mission is not framed first as a schedule of programs. The church describes it as a discipled way of life in which people bear witness to the risen Christ in everyday places. It supports and works with 3e Restoration, the Virginia Racial Healing Institute, Literacy for Life and Echo Care Family Partners, while local service is often organized through Missional Communities.
The Little Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi and their Lwanga Community are part of WCC's common life. The church organizes service through Missional Communities for people living with neurodevelopmental and intellectual disabilities. In winter, WCC partners with Community of Faith Mission and other congregations to provide its building for one week during December as a shelter for men, women and children experiencing homelessness. The church also hosts an annual candlelight vigil and memorial honoring people who died because of homelessness.
A Buy-Two, Give-One culture puts the community into practice. For every toiletry or hygiene item purchased, one additional item is given to homes serving people with mental illness or intellectual disabilities and to Restoration Place, an emergency shelter. The same pattern applies to school supplies with children in Head Start programs. WCC also serves as an early literacy book drop-off location, hosts a water station for the city's Juneteenth Celebration and provides an Advent tree for families who need help during the Christmas season.
The building also opens its space to community groups according to availability and is used by community organizations six days a week on most nights. Staff conduct weddings and funerals for the church's own members but do not rent the building for those ceremonies.
Restoration Across Borders
Williamsburg Christian Church supports global mission financially on a monthly basis and through practical involvement when opportunities arise. Its partners include Christian Relief Fund, Nourish and Mission Alive. This support extends the church's conviction that mission belongs to the life of God's people, not merely to a program arranged around other work.
Christian Relief Fund combines spiritual, physical and emotional care, including feeding hunger, addressing disease and heartbreak, education, emergency relief and gospel witness. WCC specifically supports Jared Odhiambo in Kisumu, Kenya, where he oversees orphanages, a school and a medical clinic and trains church leaders. Members also sponsor children in Kisumu and Eldoret.
Nourish partners with local churches to work among highly vulnerable children and break cycles of poverty. Mission Alive discovers, equips, places and nurtures church-planting leaders in suburban, city-center and poverty areas of North America and helps existing churches pursue missional renewal as Kingdom communities.
Many Gifts, Shared Leadership
The church has no Head Pastor. Instead, it is served by several co-pastors, elders and many ministers. This structure is partly a response to hierarchical abuses of power, partly an effort to emphasize Jesus alone as Head of the Church and partly a way to recognize a wider range of gifts. Pastoral and communal discernment are shared, and everyone is encouraged to initiate ideas rather than waiting for a single leader.
Fred Liggin serves as lead pastor. Jon Sprankle is Community Life Pastor, overseeing small groups, Missional Communities, administration and other aspects of the church's common life. Latonya Chamberliss Borden leads Local Mission and Compassion. Melinda coordinates Missional Communities and communities of advocates and learners. Erin serves in Family Ministry and Prayer and Care, Garrett serves in Family Ministry, and Stephen is an Elder-Shepherd who also serves children in second through fifth grade.
Jonathan and his wife serve in Kidz Konnect with kindergarten and first graders, and Jason leads a small group and fills in with preaching. Some pastors serve full time, others are bi-vocational, and some serve without a paid ministry position while continuing another occupation. This shared arrangement keeps leadership tied to the church's theology of mutual submission and its conviction that every person belongs in the wounded but healed body of Christ. At Williamsburg Christian Church, worship remains the center while hospitality, learning, care and mission continue through the week.