Faces of Fauquier: Faith, politics inspire him to act

By Don Del Rosso
Staff Journalist

The Marshall-area man has a longtime interest in the “intersection” of religious faith and politics.

Looking for a way “to sort of merge those two passions,” Scott Christian four years ago cofounded the Northern Piedmont Chapter of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.

Besides Fauquier, the Northern Piedmont Chapter serves Culpeper, Rappahannock and Madison counties, says Christian, a 63-year-old retired school teacher and administrator.

Established in 1982, the Richmond-based policy center “started as a way for the mainline Christian denominations to sort of pool their resources and lobby the (Virginia) General Assembly on issues that were related to the values of their faith,” he says. “So, they had a lobbyist (in Richmond), just like Dominion and everybody else, trying to speak up for the poor and vulnerable.”

Though founded as a consortium of Christian churches, the nonprofit organization since has broadened its base to include all faiths.

Nothing in particular prompted him to try to create the regional chapter, Christian explains.

In April 2013, he emailed about 100 people he thought might want to get one started.

He suggested they meet at Panera Bread in Warrenton. A Muslim woman, a female rabbi, a female African-American Episcopal priest and a female Quaker attended.

“Out of that conversation, we founded the chapter,” Christian recalls.

He hopes the group provides a framework for like-minded people, regardless of their religious beliefs, to promote and achieve change related to a range of social and economic issues, says Christian, an active member of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Warrenton.

“I felt the need for support and encouragement,” he says. “I think working in isolation can be limiting — at least it limits me. When people gather in a group, there seems to be a synergy that allows you to do more than just the sum of the individuals.”

And, as a practical matter, “there’s just too much work for one person,” Christian says.

The chapter has about 12 active members, he says.

“We are hoping, with all of the recent political activity, to double or triple that amount in the coming months,” says Christian, born and raised in Richmond. “As a direct result of Donald Trump’s election, people have been galvanized across the country to become more politically engaged.”

While “much of what the Trump administration proposes would fray the social safety net, for us, it’s not anything new,” he says. The interfaith center has always “advocated” for “the poor and vulnerable. It’s just given us energy to do what we’ve always done in the General Assembly.

“That’s the big difference for us. With so much of the activity targeted on Washington — Congress and the White House — our focus is in the state legislature” in Richmond.

Healthcare and the “economic divide” rank among the organization’s top priorities, he says.

Virginia remains one of about 20 states that decided not to accept federal money to expand Medicaid, Christian says.

“We could have had 400,000 more people insured,” had the state taken about $5 billion in federal funds since the Affordable Care took effect about seven years ago, Christian says.

On May 25, the regional chapter hosted a healthcare forum at Taylor Middle School in Warrenton. Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Services William Hazel Jr. delivered the keynote address.

The center will continue to push for an increase in Virginia’s minimum wage, which stands at $7.25 per hour, Christian says.

“The economic divide between the haves and have-nots is getting wider across the nation and Virginia,” he says. “And I think raising the minimum wage, enabling people to have what’s called a ‘living wage,’ is critical. If you don’t want people to depend on government handouts, pay them a decent wage.”

The Northern Piedmont Chapter has organized several events, including February’s “Rally for Unity,” which drew about 400 people to downtown Warrenton. The program featured eight speakers and a local musician.

Though speakers repeatedly stressed that the rally had no political agenda, they clearly directed their criticism at President Trump and his executive orders related to immigrants and refugees.

“I thought it was very successful, in all of the feedback that we’ve gotten.” Christian says of the rally. “People seemed empowered, inspired.”

• Age
63

• Home
Near Marshall

• Work
Second-grade teacher, St. James’ Episcopal School, Warrenton, 2011-15; elementary school teacher, Prince William County Public Schools, 2002-11; middle school administrator, Potomac School, McLean, 1994-2001; teacher and administrator, Carlisle School, Martinsville, Va., 1981-94.

• Family
Wife Helen, three stepchildren and nine step-grandchildren from previous marriage.

• Education
Master’s degree, liberal studies, Hollins University, Roanoke, 1987; bachelor’s degree, elementary education, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, 1978; St. Christopher’s School, Richmond, 1971.

• Civic and/or church involvement
Vestry member, St. James’ Episcopal Church, Warrenton; 2017; Fauquier County Head Start volunteer teacher’s aide, 2016 to present; co-founder, Northern Piedmont Chapter of Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, 2103; stewardship committee chairman, choir member, St. James’ Church, 2011 to present; Fauquier Free Clinic volunteer, 2011 to present.

• How long have you lived in Fauquier?
Sixteen years.

• Why do you live here?
Because this is my wife’s family’s home.

• How do you describe this county?
A mix of town and country. A mix of people who just moved here and people who’ve been here for generations. Having moved from McLean, what strikes me is just a strong community feel. It’s sort of trite to say, but it really is a friendly place.

• What would you change about Fauquier?
It would be great to build the economic base, without sacrificing the beauty of the county. Certainly, you’d like to strengthen the tax base a bit, in the context of preservation.

• What do you do for fun?
I walk my little Corgi (Sammy) an hour every day in the woods in the morning.
And I sing in the (St. James’) choir.

• What’s your favorite place in Fauquier?
It definitely be this farm. We’ve got this wonderful view of the Blue Ridge Mountains out back. It’s a great place to walk.

• What will Fauquier be like in 10 years?
I hope not a lot different. I just hope the growth is contained in the Service Districts (areas the county designates for dense development). And that we still have open space.

• Favorite TV show?
I don’t have one favorite. I like British crime dramas, both light and dark.

• Favorite movie?
“To Kill a Mockingbird.”

• Favorite book?
The Patrick O’Brian series — the Jack Aubrey series.

• Favorite vacation spot?
My wife and I love Death Valley (in eastern California and Nevada).

• Favorite food?
Anything from Blue Apron — the internet delivery service.

• What is the best advice you have ever received? From whom?
The goal of life is eternity, not retirement. Andrew Merrow, my first Episcopal priest when I returned to the church.

• Who’s your hero and why?
Martin Luther King Jr., because of that mix of religion and civic engagement.

• What would you do if you won $5 million in the lottery?
It’d be a delight to spread it out — first to my church, St. James’ and their school, and then among all the worthy nonprofits in the county.