Public to Tour Arlington, VA Church Meetinghouse

ARLINGTON, Virginia — The public is invited to tour the newly completed meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 727 23rd Street South in Arlington, VA. The bishops of the two Single Adult congregations that occupy the meetinghouse announced an open house the first weekend in June. Tours of the meetinghouse and a service project will be held on Saturday, June 1, 2019, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm with an interfaith musical fireside and evening tours on Sunday, June 2, 2019, at 6:00 pm.

“People of all ages, faiths and backgrounds are welcome. Guests will have the opportunity to donate items for School Care Packs and Hygiene Kits, learn about family history work, participate in a guided tour and enjoy refreshments,” David Salmons, Bishop of the Potomac Single Adult 2nd Ward, said.

Supplies for School Care Packs and Hygiene Kits can be dropped off in bins in the church lobbies starting May 12, or brought to the open house on June 1 or June 2. A list of needed items can be found here.

“The meetinghouse will serve single Latter-day Saints who mostly reside in Northern Virginia.” Bishop John Read of the Potomac Single Adult 1st Ward said. “Single Adults primarily between the ages of 31-45 will attend services at this building.”

Originally created in 2009 with about 90 members, just under 400 people currently attend the Ward. Because of the large size, the Church recently split it into two congregations, the Potomac Single Adult 1st and 2nd Wards.

“We’ll all be blessed and strengthened by the split,” Rachel Ballington, member of the Potomac SA 2nd Ward who recently moved to the area from Atlanta, said. “Having fewer people in each Ward means we will be able to get to know each other better. It means we will have a better grasp of the needs within our respective Wards and will become more unified as we serve.”

The converted office building houses the chapel and several classrooms on two of the three floors. Discussions on how the third floor will be used are underway.

With over 30,000 congregations the 16-million-member Church has meetinghouses in many of the countries and territories where it has a presence. These meetinghouses differ from Latter-day Saint temples, where marriages and other sacred ordinances are performed, uniting families for eternity.