Anglican Church of the Valley Opens Bookstore

The Anglican Church of the Valley is a small congregation which is currently worshipping in the Temple House of Israel Synagogue in Staunton, Virginia. In the past few years, the congregation has felt the need of establishing a greater physical presence, while at the same time serving the local community. The closure of Staunton’s last Christian Bookstore in 2019 gave the local vicar, Rev. Alan Lipscomb, an idea. Why not open a small Christian bookstore combined with a parish office? The vestry consented and the congregation went to work finding a suitable location, acquiring furniture and fixtures and filling out the paperwork required to open a business.

The first attempt was hampered by the Covid -19 shutdown and then wiped out by a devastating downtown flood. Undaunted, the parishioners put what could be saved in storage and began to look for a new location. One was found on higher ground just a block away from the old location. The new bookstore is located at 15 Middlebrook Avenue in Staunton, Virginia. The store is stocked with an excellent collection of books on Christian art, history, scripture, prayer, liturgy and theology.

The bookstore is named Wisdom Bookstore because the goal is to make Jesus Christ known to unbelievers and to deepen the faith of believers by exposing them to the riches of the Christian tradition. A Christian bookstore should be more than just a place to buy books. It should be a meeting place where Christian disciples can connect across denominational lines and find support in their quest to be true followers of Jesus Christ.

Anglican Church of the Valley invites you to stop by whenever you are in town: 15 North Market Street, Staunton, VA 24401. The bookstore will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays to start but will be expanding hours soon. Please check the parish website for updates.

Alan Lipscomb is the Vicar for Anglican Church of the Valley in Staunton, VA.