Congregational Meeting 10.1.23

An Important Season of Leadership: Next Steps

Throughout the history of God’s people, God has continually called and set apart servant leaders to advance the mission of God’s work in the world. In our church, we place a high value on the leadership of lay people who work alongside of (not in front of, not behind, but together) the pastors and staff for the good of the Gospel here at Vienna Presbyterian Church.

On October 1 at 10:15 am in the Sanctuary, the Session has called a congregational meeting for the purpose of electing a new class of Elders, Deacons, and Nominating Committee Members. Elders are responsible for the spiritual leadership of their congregation, providing oversight to the mission and ministry of the church. Deacons provide for the caring fellowship of our congregation. And our Nominating Committee is designed to prayerfully discern those who God might call each year into the ministries of Elders and Deacons.

We are happy to provide you with the names and bios of each nominee for all of the positions mentioned above. Please be in prayer for each individual who has been nominated and prayerfully and boldly accepted the nomination. Should you have any questions or comments prior to our meeting on October 1, please do not hesitate to reach out to Elder Jonathan Benett, Chair of Nominating at jonathan benett@verizon.net; Pastor Hope, Moderator of Session at hope.lee@viennapres.org; or Elder Chuck Allen, Clerk of Session at chuckaallen1@gmail.com.

We look forward to a joy-filled and productive congregational meeting and are grateful for your participation!

Andy has attended VPC since the 1980’s and met his wife Anne at the young singles group. They will be celebrating 35 years of marriage this October and are the current parents to two feline fur boys - Thomas Jefferson (“TJ”) and Monroe. During his time at VPC, Andy has served in several roles, including facilitating the Marriage Prep and New Member Class, and has served for six years as a Deacon (2015-2020). He has also been active in the NOVA Great Banquet community since 2014 and participates in a weekly men’s group. Andy is an usher at the 11:15am service.

Professionally, Andy has been with State Farm for over 34 years and currently owns a State Farm Insurance Agency. As a small business owner, his free time is limited, but he is also a general aviation pilot and flight instructor and, in the past, has been a skydive “jump” pilot at Skydive Orange.

“I have a strong conviction that as members of VPC we are the Body of Christ and serve as Christ’s hands and feet. Nominating lay leaders as ordained Elders and Deacons is a vital part of our calling to be Christ’s hands and feet.”

Jonathan met his wife Amy in the choir here at VPC over 15 years ago just after they both joined the church. They now have two children, Henry and Ava, and the whole family is active in all kinds of VPC activities. In his time here, he's taught a number of Bible study classes, including the Foundations class for which he is currently the primary teacher. Serving as Elder from 2020-2023, Jonathan helped VPC navigate through pastoral transition, COVID, and was part of the founding and leading of the Ministry for Racial Reconciliation and Healing. He's been blessed to be part of many other ministries including choir, Great Banquet, Growing Your Soul, the children's ministry, and more. A role leading operations and software development at Quantuvis in Tysons Corner keeps him busy, though he tries to squeeze in moments for reading, music and biking when time allows.

“I’m excited to be part of the Nominating Committee because the church is going through some exciting changes and we're seeing a lot of new faces, as well as old friends taking on new roles. One of the reasons I joined VPC was the focus on Jesus and bringing His Love to the community in Vienna and the world With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, serving as part of this committee is an opportunity to find new and long-term members that can be part of the journey Jesus is leading us on."

Andy Arnold

Jonathan Lochhaas

CE Andrews

CE and his wife Jean have been married for nearly 50 years and have been residents of the Vienna community since 1986. Soon after moving here, they joined VPC where they raised their three children, Mary Beth, Chas and Alex. While a member at VPC, CE has served a three-year term as Elder, has been an usher and greeter, served a three-year term on the Staff Committee, and is currently on the Generosity Committee. Now retired from full-time work, he actively serves on the boards of both public companies and non-profit organizations, such as Marriott Vacations Worldwide, NVR, Washington Mutual Investors Fund, Trustar Bank, Wolf Trap Foundation and the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech. CE and Jean enjoy spending time with their three children and five grandchildren who all live in Northern Virginia. CE also enjoys golf, fly fishing, skiing, retreating to the peacefulness of Southwestern VA, and his ongoing participation and support for Virginia Tech.

“My decision to serve was easy. I love our leadership and direction under Pastor Hope and the entire pastoral and VPC team. We can do big things in our community and beyond by doing all the right little things well. We are wellfocused on the Lord’s work, and I am humbled to be asked to be a small part of that exciting future for VPC. And, to top it all off, Pastor Hope asked me and that is an ‘ask’ I would never refuse.”

It is an honor to be asked to serve as an Elder. Patricia and her husband Michael have been attending Vienna Presbyterian Church for over 15 years. Previously, she served as a Stephen Minister and leader in Great Banquet and attended Apprentices class on Sunday mornings. Most recently, Patricia had the privilege of working on the Fellowship team. She finds Sunday morning group worship to be a gift because she often works Sundays as a cardiac nurse practitioner for a large local health system. Gardening, reading, running, practicing hospitality (no surprise here, huh?), nature, reading her mother’s Bible, quiet time with God while the sun rises, and lifting weights are things Patricia is incredibly blessed to enjoy.

“It is a very exciting time at VPC, with so much changing in churches postpandemic, but I think God has outdone himself with our staff, leadership and the new people attending. These are all gifts that we need to take care of wisely and use for his divine purpose I can’t wait to see how he will use this to bring his kingdom to our corner of the world How cool is it that we get to be a part of it?!!”

Todd Burger and his wife Sharon have lived in Fairfax since 1992 and have been members of VPC since 2001. They have one son Kyle (29) and two daughters, Madison (27) and Anna (a sophomore at University of Cincinnati). Todd is the Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) in Northern Virginia. In his spare time, he fishes, spends time outdoors, runs and roots for the Cincinnati Reds. The family are all Cincinnati Bearcat fans! Todd and Sharon were participants in the children’s and youth ministries at VPC over the years. Todd has served as a Deacon, on the APNC for Outreach, and on NOVA Great Banquet Teams. Todd is a current usher and was fortunate to participate in a Growing Your Soul class in 2017.

“I am grateful that Pastor Hope and the nominating committee have provided me an opportunity to serve as an Elder and I’m excited to be a part of what God is doing here at VPC. I look forward to following God’s lead and going with Him as we strive to bring ‘Christ into our diverse community through discipleship and service.‘ ”

Patricia Bronson

Todd Burger

Bruce Dickson

Bruce and his wife Benita have two adult children, Andrew and Caitlin. At VPC, he is active in the Monday Night Men’s Group, the Perspectives class, the Missions Ministry team, the ushers, and he is also a member of a Great Banquet reunion group. Outside of VPC, Bruce is a professor of political science and international affairs at the George Washington University and a volunteer at the Lamb Center, one of VPC’s local mission partners. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, watching movies, eating out, and going for walks, although not all at the same time.

“I am grateful for this opportunity to serve on Session As VPC embarks on new activities to support our new mission statement, it is an exciting time to get further involved.”

Robin has been a member of VPC since 2003, and has lived in Vienna for over 23 years with her husband Tom and Tom’s 94-year old mother, Pat. Robin has been a VPC Deacon and Elder, teaches ESOL, and has led small groups. She is also the Board Chair for Belong! and a board member for the Shepherd’s Center, which are both local mission partners of VPC. Robin is passionate about serving veterans and military families, and individuals who have special needs. She is the Board Secretary for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation board, and serves on the board for Easterseals of MD DC VA. Robin also works with corporate boards and is the Board Vice Chair for Westat, a health research company, and also sits on the Advisory Board for ConvergeOne Government Solutions, a technology solutions company. Robin loves everything outdoors cycling, hiking, skiing and swimming, especially at the beach! She enjoys reading and spending time with her incredible Australian Shepherd dog, Creedence.

Robin Portman

“I love this beautiful church community and all of my friends here at VPC. Being a part of this church has been transformational for me, and I feel honored to serve with our Elders, Deacons and staff. The energy here at VPC is so exciting, and I am eager to see what God has planned for us!”

Ryan and his wife Stephanie live in Fairfax Station and have been members of VPC since 2011 They have three children: Lizzy (17), Ruth (15), and James (12). Ryan has enjoyed serving with the worship team on Sunday mornings, in children’s and youth ministries, and on several church committees over the years. Ryan is a professional engineer and leads a team at an international engineering firm across several offices. He enjoys projects around the house and spending time with his family.

“I am very optimistic about the work that God is doing at VPC and am excited for the privilege of being part of it through serving on Session.”

Ryan Seckinger

Rob has lived in Northern VA over 50 years and has been married to Susan Brooke for 11 years They have one daughter, Addison, who is six and keeps them young! He has worked at Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) for 21 years – VIPC is a nonprofit funded by the Commonwealth to help early-stage technologybased entrepreneurs access funding and grow their business - a very rewarding place to work. He travels a lot around the state, engaging with companies and universities who are developing the technology of tomorrow. When not working, he enjoys landscaping and gardening in ways to help the bees, butterflies, and other animals. Rob loves nature, camping, and hiking the trails around NoVA and in Shenandoah National Park. The whole family loves to travel, with trips planned to the beach and the mountains high on the list each year He has two brothers – one of them is his twin! They are all Eagle Scouts, and Rob obtained the rank with his brother in a double ceremony many years ago. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a BS in Marketing and loves following the Hokies and all the local sports teams. Hockey is one of his favorite sports to attend and watch. (Go Caps!)

I've been attending VPC since 2009. Serving and volunteering is something I’ve always enjoyed, but life sometimes gets in the way. I’m looking forward to being able to catch up on my volunteer goals to make our community an even better place!

Rick is joyfully married to Phyllis (51 years now). They have three grown sons (Eric, David, and Ethan) and two grandchildren. They met in Grand Rapids, Michigan and moved to Virginia in 1970, soon after marrying and to Reston in 1976. Since 1993, they have been deeply blessed by VPC. Rick’s path has included Great Banquet, Sanctuary Choir, Stephen Ministry, Apprentices, Growing Your Soul, and marvelous new spiritual friendships. In retirement, he is enjoying friends, books, music, photography, and simply getting outdoors.

The Bible has much instruction for Deacons. I like John 21:17, “The third time [Jesus] said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’” In just three words, Jesus gave us a powerful command to live by.

Robert Brooke

Rick Cassee

Susannah “Sue” Chung has been a member of VPC since 2008. She and her husband Jason have two children, Davis and Alexander They have celebrated many milestones at VPC from infant baptisms to first communions to confirmation. Sue served in childcare, Sunday School, VBS, and NextGen. She works for the Federal government and is a member of the DC Bar, JMHS Athletic Boosters Club, JMHS PTSA, Vienna Woods Swim and Tennis Club, The Friends of Oakton Library, Junior League of Northern Virginia, and Young Men's Service League of Hunter Mill.

I am honored to be called as a Deacon and look forward to serving in this role.

Ashley is a blessed mama to her daughter Allison, age 12. She grew up in a Christian household. She was baptized by her uncle, a Presbyterian minister, attended a Methodist church until age 8 and then attended a United Church of Christ church until 23. Ashley joined VPC in 2007 after searching for a church community that was like her UCC experience. Since becoming a member, she has served in the Children's Ministry as a volunteer for the younger aged Friendship Class and during Vacation Bible School. After working as a special education teacher for 18 years, she made the switch to teach Kindergarten this school year. Ashley works privately as an educational consultant and tutor for many families in the Northern VA area and more recently has started working for an educational company part-time to write decodable books for children. She enjoys spending time with her daughter, exercising, being in nature, journaling, and cooking/baking.

I felt called to serve, as I am at a point in my faith walk with God where I believe my spiritual gifts can be used to serve others

Sue Chung

Ashley Harrison

Donna is honored to serve as a Deacon and looks forward to continuing in this role of executing “Faith in Action”. She hopes to continue learning about the Presbyterian church, meeting more of the VPC members, serving others, and helping those in need. During her time away from VPC, she works full-time as an Activities Coordinator at Tysons Towers Apartments, an independent senior living facility. She also cares for her soon to be 102-year-old grandmother, making sure she has all of her life’s essentials which very often include a steak, a Coca-Cola, and a candy bar. In her spare time (which is not often), Donna enjoys spending time with her two adult daughters and three wonderful grandchildren. She is also fond of entertaining, decorating, reading, spa visits, and fun gatherings with friends.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you as a Deacon and to be part of this wonderful group of individuals. Get excited…there’s more to come!

Christina Jones and her husband, Randy, have been members of VPC since 2005. They have two children, Natalie (15) and Luke (12).

Christina works in HR at Deloitte. In her spare time, she watches her kids play field hockey, soccer, lacrosse and swim and loves cheering on her Baylor Bears. Christina currently serves on the Preschool Committee and was on the church staff for several years She most recently served on the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee for Worship and Discipleship. Previously she served on several leadership positions within MOPS, was a part of the Marriage Ministry team and a Growing Your Soul participant. She also served at VBS and as a Sunday School teacher when her kids were younger.

I am honored to be nominated as a Deacon and am excited to see how God will use me to serve in this new way!

Donna James

Christina Jones

John and his wife have been members at VPC since the 1980s. He has served on many committees but has never been a Deacon. He is a retired United Airlines pilot. John has been married to Marna Morgan for 55 years, and they have two sons who grew up in the church and four grandchildren. For many years, he has been blessed to participate and lead U.S., Haiti, and Mexico Summer Mission Projects, working with many high school students. Recently, he has served as a Stephen Minister and a member of the Nominating Committee.

I love VPC and am looking forward to serving as a Deacon.

Charlotte became a member of Vienna Presbyterian Church in 2015 and previously served as a Deacon. She attended the Great Banquet in the Spring of 2015 and has remained an active member of the Great Banquet Community. She has grown through three years of Growing Your Soul and participation in the Monday Night Women's Bible Study. Charlotte has a married son living in the Raleigh, NC area and a married daughter living in the Atlanta, GA area, but no grandchildren yet. Before the pandemic she worked as a personal trainer at a gym in Herndon. Now retired, she still enjoys being active, playing soccer, working out, gardening, DIY projects, traveling and getting together with friends and family.

I accepted the opportunity to serve as a Deacon because I was looking for a way to become more involved in a service area at VPC. This was a perfect step toward accomplishing that and I am looking forward to what the Lord has in store.

John Morgan

Charlotte Roland

Rob is currently single, having lost his wife Debby in 2018. Rob’s son Brian and wife Mindy live in Sterling His daughter Julie, her husband Carlos, and delightful 4-year-old son Charlie live in Oakton. At VPC, Rob has participated in a number of activities including the Monday Night Men’s Fellowship, the Foundations Class, Growing Your Soul, Great Banquet #47, GB Reunion Group, Greeter, and Usher. Prior to joining VPC, he attended Vienna Baptist Church for 34 years where he served as a Deacon and participated in many activities including Outreach, Small Group Studies, Adult Sunday School, Nominating Committee, Personnel Committee, and various Maintenance activities. In retirement, Rob enjoys bicycling, traveling, and participating in the Optimist Club and community activities - but he especially enjoys being with his church family.

I love VPC and am looking forward to serving as a Deacon. Over the past two years I've felt the need to restore a balance in my Christian life between receiving (listening, learning, studying, fellowship...) and serving others. As I've gotten to know more about the VPC Deacons and what they do, it seems like an ideal opportunity for me to focus more on serving others.

Lauri is delighted to be joining the Deacon ministry. She has been married to her husband, Brian, for 29 years and has two grown children - Drew and Kelsey and Kelsey's husband, Judah. While Brian served in the US Navy, they lived all over the country, and Lauri served and participated in many churches in Sunday school, VBS, MOPS, women’s retreat, camp counselor and missions to Africa. With VPC she has helped with coffee hour, Bridges, youth breakfast and lock ins, and Great Banquet. Lauri has been an Office Manager at Haymarket Baptist Church Preschool & Kindergarten since 2014. She enjoys travel, reading, cycling, golf and tennis.

After 20+ years of living all over the country, I love that we've able to put down roots in this community and I feel privileged that God’s timing will allow me to give back to VPC and serve our community.

Rob Ruth

Lauri Smith

Sherry is single and has two children and two grandchildren in the area She is retired after working at AARP for 20 years and now serves as a volunteer on the AARP Capitol Hill Strike Force representing members’ visibility during congressional hearings and works on senior issues. Sherry has been a VPC member for over 30 years and has served on three previous Deacon boards. She serves on the 60s Plus Leadership Team, the Memorial Reception Team, as an usher and is a member of the weekly Thursday night small group. She has a passion for working with the Community Coalition for Haiti.

Sherry Smith

In Luke 12:48, Jesus tells us, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (NIV) I believe that serving as Deacons affords us the opportunity to give hearts, hands and feet to VPC's mission to be a caring fellowship bringing Christ into our diverse community. I am both humbled and honored to serve as a Deacon

Gary is an engineer and technical manager with career experience supporting the U S Government He is a Navy brat with ties to the Pacific and California. In 1996, he moved to the Washington, DC metro area for internship opportunities and college. He graduated from George Mason University in 2004 and has lived in Reston for the past 20 years. He is the proud father of six and grandfather of one. When not in church, he can be found in a local movie theater enjoying extra salty popcorn, walking in a local park with his dog Rocket, at the Smithsonian looking at plants or art, or reading a book. Gary is super proud of VPC and its commitment to the greater community. He has participated in the Foundations Class, the Monday Night Men’s Group, the Thursday Night Dad’s in the Word group, has been a past participant and facilitator for DivorceCare, has benefited from Stephen Ministries, and has helped with the winter hypothermia mission as a volunteer- a program dedicated to helping the homeless.

One lesson that my father taught me is to surround myself with good people. I’ve definitely found that at VPC!

Gary Thomas