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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   -----------


                                    FORM 8-K


                                 CURRENT REPORT


                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934


                         Date of Report: October 1, 1999
                        (Date of earliest event reported)



                        SOUTHERN FINANCIAL BANCORP, INC.
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)


          Virginia                       0-22836                 54-1779978
(State or Other Jurisdiction    (Commission File Number)        (IRS Employer
      of Incorporation)                                      Identification No.)

             37 East Main Street
             Warrenton, Virginia                          20186
  (Address of Principal Executive Offices)              (Zip Code)


               Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
                                 (540) 349-3900




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<PAGE>

Item 2.      Acquisition or Disposition of Assets.

         On  October  1, 1999,  The  Horizon  Bank of  Virginia  ("Horizon"),  a
Virginia  state bank,  was merged  with and into  Southern  Financial  Bank (the
"Bank"),  a  Virginia  state  bank and a wholly  owned  subsidiary  of  Southern
Financial Bancorp, Inc. (the "Company"),  a Virginia corporation (the "Merger").
The Merger was consummated  pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization,
dated as of May 3, 1999, as amended,  between Horizon, the Company and the Bank,
and a related Plan of Merger.

         Under the terms of the  Merger,  each  outstanding  share of  Horizon's
common stock, par value $2.50 per share ("Horizon Common Stock"),  was converted
into 0.63  shares  of the  Company's  common  stock,  par value  $0.01 per share
("Company Common Stock"),  and cash in lieu of fractional  shares.  In addition,
all rights to acquire  Horizon Common Stock pursuant to stock options granted by
Horizon  under  Horizon's  stock  option plans were  converted  into options for
Company  Common  Stock.  As  a  result,   all  shareholders  of  Horizon  became
shareholders of the Company.

         For a more  detailed  description  of the  Merger,  see  the  Company's
definitive  Joint  Proxy  Statement,  which was filed  with the  Securities  and
Exchange   Commission  on  July  28,  1999  in  connection  with  the  Company's
Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-82159).

Item 7.      Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.

       (a)   Financial Statements of Businesses Acquired.

             The financial statements of Horizon required to be included in this
             report are not included herein pursuant to Item 7(a)(4) and will be
             filed as soon as possible.

       (b)   Pro Forma Financial Information.

             The pro forma financial information required to be included in this
             report are not included herein pursuant to Item 7(b)(2) and will be
             filed as soon as possible.

       (c)   Exhibits.

             Exhibit No.                       Description

             2.1            Agreement  and Plan of  Reorganization  between  The
                            Horizon   Bank  of  Virginia,   Southern   Financial
                            Bancorp,  Inc. and Southern Financial Bank, dated as
                            of May 3, 1999, as amended,  filed as Exhibit 2.1 to
                            the  Registration  Statement  on Form S-4  (File No.
                            333-82159), incorporated herein by reference.




                                      -2-
<PAGE>

                                    SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended,  the  registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                            SOUTHERN FINANCIAL BANCORP, INC.



Dated:  October 18, 1999                    By: /s/ William H. Lagos
                                                --------------------------------
                                                William H. Lagos
                                                Senior Vice President





<PAGE>

                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS


No.             Description


2.1             Agreement and Plan of Reorganization between The Horizon Bank of
                Virginia,   Southern  Financial   Bancorp,   Inc.  and  Southern
                Financial  Bank,  dated as of May 3, 1999, as amended,  filed as
                Exhibit 2.1 to the Registration  Statement on Form S-4 (File No.
                333-82159), incorporated herein by reference.
[{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "description": "8-K - SOUTHERN FINANCIAL BANCORP, INC.", "secsgml_size_bytes": 5096}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "SOUTHERN FINANCIAL BANCORP INC /VA/", "cik": "0000914789", "assigned-sic": "6035", "irs-number": "541779978", "state-of-incorporation": "VA", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "000-22836", "film-number": "99730004"}, "business-address": {"street1": "37 EAST MAIN ST", "city": "WARRENTON", "state": "VA", "zip": "20186", "phone": "5403493900"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "37 EAST MAIN ST", "city": "WARRENTON", "state": "VA", "zip": "22186"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "SOUTHERN FINANCIAL FEDERAL SAVINGS BANK", "date-changed": "19931116"}}
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   -----------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                         Date of Report: October 1, 1999
                        (Date of earliest event reported)

                        SOUTHERN FINANCIAL BANCORP, INC.
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

          Virginia                       0-22836                 54-1779978
(State or Other Jurisdiction    (Commission File Number)        (IRS Employer
      of Incorporation)                                      Identification No.)

             37 East Main Street
             Warrenton, Virginia                          20186
  (Address of Principal Executive Offices)              (Zip Code)

               Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
                                 (540) 349-3900

================================================================================
Item 2.      Acquisition or Disposition of Assets.

         On  October  1, 1999,  The  Horizon  Bank of  Virginia  ("Horizon"),  a
Virginia  state bank,  was merged  with and into  Southern  Financial  Bank (the
"Bank"),  a  Virginia  state  bank and a wholly  owned  subsidiary  of  Southern
Financial Bancorp, Inc. (the "Company"),  a Virginia corporation (the "Merger").
The Merger was consummated  pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization,
dated as of May 3, 1999, as amended,  between Horizon, the Company and the Bank,
and a related Plan of Merger.

         Under the terms of the  Merger,  each  outstanding  share of  Horizon's
common stock, par value $2.50 per share ("Horizon Common Stock"),  was converted
into 0.63  shares  of the  Company's  common  stock,  par value  $0.01 per share
("Company Common Stock"),  and cash in lieu of fractional  shares.  In addition,
all rights to acquire  Horizon Common Stock pursuant to stock options granted by
Horizon  under  Horizon's  stock  option plans were  converted  into options for
Company  Common  Stock.  As  a  result,   all  shareholders  of  Horizon  became
shareholders of the Company.

         For a more  detailed  description  of the  Merger,  see  the  Company's
definitive  Joint  Proxy  Statement,  which was filed  with the  Securities  and
Exchange   Commission  on  July  28,  1999  in  connection  with  the  Company's
Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-82159).

Item 7.      Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.

       (a)   Financial Statements of Businesses Acquired.

             The financial statements of Horizon required to be included in this
             report are not included herein pursuant to Item 7(a)(4) and will be
             filed as soon as possible.

       (b)   Pro Forma Financial Information.

             The pro forma financial information required to be included in this
             report are not included herein pursuant to Item 7(b)(2) and will be
             filed as soon as possible.

       (c)   Exhibits.

             Exhibit No.                       Description

             2.1            Agreement  and Plan of  Reorganization  between  The
                            Horizon   Bank  of  Virginia,   Southern   Financial
                            Bancorp,  Inc. and Southern Financial Bank, dated as
                            of May 3, 1999, as amended,  filed as Exhibit 2.1 to
                            the  Registration  Statement  on Form S-4  (File No.
                            333-82159), incorporated herein by reference.

                                      -2-
SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended,  the  registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                            SOUTHERN FINANCIAL BANCORP, INC.

Dated:  October 18, 1999                    By: /s/ William H. Lagos
                                                --------------------------------
                                                William H. Lagos
                                                Senior Vice President
INDEX TO EXHIBITS

No.             Description

2.1             Agreement and Plan of Reorganization between The Horizon Bank of
                Virginia,   Southern  Financial   Bancorp,   Inc.  and  Southern
                Financial  Bank,  dated as of May 3, 1999, as amended,  filed as
                Exhibit 2.1 to the Registration  Statement on Form S-4 (File No.
                333-82159), incorporated herein by reference.