Bishop John Howe of Central Florida once remarked in a letter to his Diocesan Board, "...it would be hard to find an Anglican congregation anywhere in Uganda that does not have among its active membership any number of polygamists."

While most of the members of South Riding Church, a forming congregation in the Diocese of Virginia, voted on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2005 to leave the Episcopal Church and the Diocese, the decision was not unanimous, and the Diocese of Virginia remains committed to planting a church in the South Riding area and to maintaining its forward-looking program of church planting around the Diocese.

"The Diocese of Virginia is committed to every member of the church in this Diocese, all 90,000 of them, whether they are gathered in the hundreds or in the twos," said Bishop Lee. "And we are committed to reaching new persons. It is one of our major priorities."

In a meeting Monday between the Rev. Phil Ashey, missioner of South Riding, and Bishop Suffragan David Colin Jones, Mr. Ashey resigned his position and informed Bishop Jones that the congregation had voted to leave the denomination and that he had been received by the Bishop of Ruwenzori, the Rt. Rev. Benezeri Kisembo, in the Province of Uganda.

Though next steps in how the South Riding church plant will proceed are being developed, Bishop Jones said, "We have purchased significant property in the South Riding area and we are committed to planting an Episcopal Church in that area." Bishop Jones together with Bishop Lee and diocesan staff are exploring options for the South Riding church plant.

The Diocese of Virginia, organized in 1785, is a community of over 90,000 members worshipping in 195 congregations in 38 counties throughout one-third of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Through the generous contributions of the member churches and hundreds of individuals the Diocese has planted over a dozen new churches in the last 20 years.