History

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Church of Our Saviour had its humble beginnings in 1895, when two young women from Christ Church in Charlottesville began a Sunday school class at the small schoolhouse in Rio, VA. This small farming community held services there for more than a decade.

Then in 1906, that community raised the funds to build the "Rock Chapel" next to the schoolhouse and it became the center of daily life in the community.

Church of Our Saviour celebrated the Chapel’s centennial on June 4, 2006, with a rededication led by the Rt. Rev. Peter Lee, Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia.

To accommodate a growing congregation, Church of Our Saviour added a new sanctuary on the site in 1967, and expanded its facilities again in the early 1980s. The Church hired its first full-time clergy, the Rev. James Cunningham, in 1960. The Rev. Harold Hallock succeeded him in 1981, and went on to serve for 22 years, leading the Church’s expanding commitment to social ministry and outreach. Following his retirement in 2004, the Church called the Rev. Anne Hallmark as interim rector, and in September 2005, called the Rev. David Stoddart as permanent rector.

Throughout our history, children and youth have been at the center of our church community. We have sought to do Christ’s work in the world through prayer, worship, community support, and social ministry...that work continues today.

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