Religious Services. We conduct historically correct Christian liturgical services using the 1845 version of the Protestant Episcopal Prayer Book. The liturgy is a powerful window into history. The historic liturgy and hymns are powerful even today and allow the public to partner with us in recreating the sounds and words of history. Generally, we do a Morning or Evening Prayer service, which lasts about an hour or re-enactments and interpretations of historic chaplain visits and services. We also have conducted Old School Baptist services and are currently researching Methodist, Presbyterian, and Lutheran services and hope to offer them in the near future as we obtain sponsorship of congregations of those denominations. In support of these services (with the exception of denominations that restrict the use of instruments, such as the Old School Baptists), we use a restored portable reed organ.
Documentation. We disseminate historic liturgy such as is found in our Field Prayer Books (Federal and Virginia), Bibles, reprints of period tracts, and other religious writings and historical research, such as the life of Rev. C. W. Andrews. One source of Civil War Gospel Tracts and other materials is Re-enactors Mission for Jesus Christ headed by Rev. Alan Farley who has served the re-enacting community for over 24 years.
Historic Interpretation. We work with museums and historical sites as living history interpreters and docents. For example, my wife, Jo and I were on the cover of the Loudoun County section of the Washington Post (Oct 20, 2002) for an event for the Loudoun County Museum. Over a two day period at the Old Stone Church Cemetary (http://www.gcah.org/Heritage_Landmarks/Stone.htm), we gave fifteen minute presentations on 1850 Methodist beliefs on death and resurrection and Victorian mourning customs to over 800 people. Our presentations are in first or third person. Where posible, first person interpretations are of actual historic persons, ministers such as the Rev. Charles Wesley Andrews and lay members of the congregations.
Teaching and preaching. We teach and preach on issues of the Christian faith and history in both modern and historic styles as desired. We serve under the spiritual authority of Church of the Holy Spirit, an Anglican congregation in Ashburn, Virginia which is part of the Province of Uganda..
Due to the many opportunities that the Lord has presented, we are interviewing ministry partners to help with this work. If you are interested, please contact Jim Craft at ict4afghans@hotmail.com.
