|  Bob
The Rev. Dr. Robert Albritton
Senior Pastor
Balbritton@vbc-va.org
Ben
The Rev. Dr. Ben Wagener
Pastor for Spiritual Formation
Bwagener@vbc-va.org Jennifer
The Rev. Jennifer Peterson Singh
Pastor for Youth and Children
jsingh@vbc-va.org Diane
Diane Frost Gardner
Music Ministry Director
Dgardner@vbc-va.org Jan
Jan Just
Interim Director, Vienna Baptist Children’s Center
VBCCOffice@aol.com Mary Ann
Mary Ann Christian
Music Ministry Assistant Heidi
Heidi Kharbanda
Office Manager
OfficeManager@vbc-va.org Carol
Carol Natella
Publications Editor
communications@vbc-va.org Bobbie Jean
Bobbie Jean Tolson
Financial Secretary
finance@vbc-va.org Betty
Betty Wiersema
Financial Assistant Volunteer Pastoral Associates on Call - Hank
The Rev. Hank Dunn - Julie
The Rev. Julie Price - Roy
The Rev. Dr. Roy Woodruff
Bob
The Rev. Dr. Robert Albritton
Senior Pastor
Balbritton@vbc-va.org When accepting the call to become senior pastor at Vienna Baptist in June 2006, Bob said in a letter to the church, “I have known of you for years. I know of your commitment to the faith journey that is both inward and outward. I am aware of the integrity of your being Baptists in Virginia without being swayed by the religious/political pressures for uniformity. I know of your dedication to authentic worship where your heart is warmed, your head is challenged, and your hand is equipped for ministry. “I see in VBC a worshipping community practicing the disciplines of the Christian faith: prayer, Bible study, testimony, retreat, meditation, reflection, hospitality, encouragement, witness, mission, and ministry. These are my values as well.” Before coming to Vienna, Bob had most recently served 12 years as senior pastor of Millbrook Baptist Church in Raleigh, N.C., and nine years as pastor of University Baptist Church in Montevallo, Ala. Earlier, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Carson-Newman College, and both master of divinity and Ph.D. degrees from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His doctoral concentrations were in Christian philosophy, modern theology, and New Testament interpretation. While a pastor in Alabama, he also taught philosophy and religion for five years as an adjunct professor at Samford University in Birmingham. He also has served as a spiritual formations leader, student pastor mentor, and field ministry supervisor for several divinity schools. Bob is married to Becky Neil Albritton, who is an ordained minister and pastoral counselor. They have two children: Neil, a recent Elon University graduate who is working in the Vienna area, and Anne, a sophomore at Oakton High School.
Bob enjoys playing tennis, skiing on snow or water, and playing guitar. His daily goal is to laugh as often as possible. One of Bob’s favorite blessings is from Fred Craddock: “Live simply, love generously, speak truthfully, care deeply, pray daily, and leave the rest to God.”
Ben
The Rev. Dr. Ben Wagener
Pastor for Spiritual Formation
Bwagener@vbc-va.org
Ben believes that church membership should be a carefully considered commitment rather than a casual act, and that the Christian walk is a pilgrimage of following essential spiritual disciplines. He came to VBC in 2002 with 37 years’ experience as a pastor. He had served a rural church in Kentucky and four Virginia churches in different settings: county-seat town, suburban, and urban. His most recent position was as founding pastor of a small urban covenant church in Richmond, Va., modeled on the Church of the Saviour in Washington, D.C. At VBC he coordinates the church’s efforts to stimulate and develop committed Christian discipleship for all ages. He also has responsibilities in missions, worship, and pastoral care. In addition to his formal education—bachelor’s degree from Furman University, master of divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and doctor of ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary—Ben continues to study leadership in ministry through a family systems group as well as a clergy group that focuses on spiritual renewal through worship and reflection. Ben is married to Dorothy, who is editor of a monthly association magazine in Washington, DC. They have two children: Daniel, an assistant editor for online communications at a think tank in DC, and Anne, a project assistant at an educational association in Reston, Va. An athlete who can still outrun most of the youth in tackle football, Ben enjoys playing outfield on the VBC coed softball team, playing tennis, studying history, and traveling.
Jennifer
The Rev. Jennifer Peterson Singh
Pastor for Youth and Children
jsingh@vbc-va.org
When she joined the VBC staff in 2004, Jennifer assumed responsibility for development of all aspects of the children’s and youth ministries. She teaches weekly youth small group Bible studies, leads the Sunday evening youth ministry program, and leads the Tween group. For the children’s ministry, she coordinates all aspects of the programs on Sunday morning and Wednesday night, as well as Vacation Bible School and Children’s Camp. With five years of previous experience, she had most recently served two years as associate pastor for education and youth at Peace Haven Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, N.C. Earlier, she served as part-time minister to youth and children while earning her master of divinity degree at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. Jennifer holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina-Asheville. She has held numerous leadership positions, among them membership in the coordinating council for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina. She also was a summer intern for the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty in Washington, DC. Jennifer has been married to Pravin Singh since October 2005. They live in Fairfax with their dog, Hatteras. They love to travel, explore all that DC has to offer, hike, read, and go to the gym. Diane
Diane Frost Gardner
Music Ministry Director
Dgardner@vbc-va.org Some of Diane’s earliest memories of church are musical, and she sang in choirs from a young age. Her formal education includes an undergraduate degree in vocal music education from Oklahoma City University, 40 graduate hours from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a master’s degree in voice performance from the University of Central Arkansas. A native of Tulsa, Okla., she has taught all ages from preschool to university students to senior adults. She has served churches in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, and North Carolina. Her husband, James Gardner, is chair of the music department at George Mason University. Their son, Peter, is a graduate student in aerospace engineering at the University of Maryland. Since joining the VBC staff in 2002, Diane directs vocal and handbell choirs for children and adults, and gives much energy to worship planning. She finds her greatest fulfillment in sharing her faith through music, and believes that the most important choir in the church is the congregation.
Jan
Jan Just
Interim Director, Vienna Baptist Children’s Center
VBCCOffice@aol.com Jan Just is the interim director of VBCC. She has been a teacher at VBCC for 20 years working with the infants. She will be serving as interim director for one year.
Mary Ann
Mary Ann Christian
Music Ministry Assistant Mary Ann and her husband, Lewis, grew up in Northern Virginia and became members of VBC in 1969. In 1971 Mary Ann joined the VBC staff as organist and pianist; the position was later changed to music ministry assistant. She was delighted when the church voted to install a Dyer pipe organ in the new worship room. Mary Ann especially enjoys accompanying and learning new music. Mary Ann is a graduate of Westhampton College of the University of Richmond, where she majored in piano performance, and she also studied at Wesley Theological Seminary. She has accompanied various soloists and choral groups, including the Vienna Choral Society, and has taught piano for 20 years. Recently she completed training and became a certified practitioner in the Feldenkrais Method, which uses gentle physical movements to increase range of motion, flexibility, and coordination. Mary Ann is a deacon at VBC. She and her husband, Lewis, have a daughter and two grandchildren. Mary Ann also enjoys reading and working crossword and Sudoku puzzles. Heidi
Heidi Kharbanda
Office Manager
OfficeManager@vbc-va.org As VBC office manager, Heidi ensures that the office functions smoothly as the communications hub for the church. Before joining the VBC staff, she taught first, second, and third grades in Fairfax County Public Schools. She holds a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary social sciences from James Madison University and also completed JMU’s early childhood education program. In 2006, she earned a master of arts in new professional studies in teaching from George Mason University. Heidi grew up in Northern Virginia, but she also lived for periods of time in Luray, Va.; Rödelhausen and Liederbach, Germany; and Salamanca, Spain. Now she lives in Sterling with her husband, Kunal, and cat, Sophie.
Heidi enjoys taking digital photographs, reading, playing board games, writing haiku for Advent devotional books, and eating chocolate. She also enjoys traveling to such destinations as Maine, Prince Edward Island, and Ireland. Carol
Carol Natella
Publications Editor
communications@vbc-va.org Carol is responsible for VBC’s monthly print newsletter as well as the weekly news and announcements page, "Connections," which is sent to the congregation via e-mail as well as appearing in print in Sunday’s worship guide. She joined the staff in 2004. Although Carol’s academic background is in the biological sciences, throughout her vocational and avocational life she has enjoyed writing projects with subjects ranging from architecture to Jungian psychology. She learned the nuts and bolts of editing at midlife through coursework at George Washington University. Carol and her husband, Dave, are currently very involved in building a retreat cabin in the Blue Ridge near the Shenandoah River. Bobbie Jean
Bobbie Jean Tolson
Financial Secretary
finance@vbc-va.org As financial secretary to the church, Bobbie Jean is responsible for all financial transactions done on the computer, including accounts payable, payroll, contribution records, general ledger, budget, and financial reports. Bobbie Jean has been a member of VBC since 1965. Her working background has been in banking and bookkeeping for more than 40 years, and she has also served previously as a volunteer in the church office to post payroll and deposits. She has four children, twelve grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Bobbie Jean enjoys reading and walking—not necessarily at the same time. Betty
Betty Wiersema
Financial Assistant Betty is responsible for receiving all incoming church monies and reviewing church expenditures, thereby serving as the internal auditor. Before joining the office staff in 1999, she was a teacher at Vienna Baptist Children’s Center for 15 years. Betty is an ordained deacon and has served the church as assistant treasurer. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pa., Betty attended the University of Pittsburgh. She met her husband, Dick, while both were working in the headquarters office of U.S. Steel. Betty and Dick have two children and four grandsons, who keep them busy and are a delightful part of their lives. Betty enjoys reading and traveling whenever possible.
Hank
The Rev. Hank Dunn
Hank has directed an inner-city jobs program for four years and has served five years as a youth minister, twelve years as a nursing home chaplain, and five years as a hospice chaplain. His booklet, Hard Choices for Loving People: CPR, Artificial Feeding, Comfort Care and the Patient with a Life-Threatening Illness, has sold almost 2 million copies. Hank has two grown children and one grandson, and he enjoys kayaking, fishing, hiking, wilderness camping, and life in general. He has been a member of Vienna Baptist Church for 20 years. Julie
The Rev. Julie Price Julie Price is an ordained Baptist minister who currently works with engaged couples as a wedding officiant. She also teaches music and is a full-time mother of two energetic boys. She has a master of divinity degree from Candler School of Theology at Emory University and previously worked as the associate pastor of two congregations in Texas and Georgia. She and her husband Watt Hamlett have been members of VBC since 2002. Roy
The Rev. Dr. Roy Woodruff Roy has been a member of VBC since 1988. His ministry has been in the practicing, teaching, and organizational leadership of pastoral care and counseling. He retired in 2003 as executive director of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, after which he served two years on the interim pastoral team at VBC. Roy and his wife, Kay, have two adult sons. Roy’s recreational activities include hiking, tennis, and traveling. He finds personal spiritual renewal in Celtic Christian literature and in meditation.
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