Leadership

Chuck Colson, Rector
Chuck and his wife, Melissa, came to Arlington in March 2008 in order to be involved with the church-planting effort in Northern VA. They came from Memphis, TN, where Chuck served as an assistant pastor for five years. He received his Masters of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL. Chuck and Melissa have two boys, Sim and Ware.

Michelle Griffith, Parish Administrator
Michelle is originally from Philadelphia, where her father was a church-planting pastor. After college she served in Ireland supporting national churches with World Harvest Mission. She moved to Virginia in October of 2007 after marrying her husband, David. Together, they continue to be drawn to the work of church-planting.

parishcouncil

The parish council is comprised of the clergy and four laypersons elected by the members of the congregation. Together the council governs the church’s administrative affairs and seeks to broaden the base of leadership in the parish. The lay members also advise the clergy regarding the ministries of the church, and provide accountability and support to the clergy in their work.

Teams of lay people from within the congregation lead the various ministries at Ascension. These lay leaders provide vision, direction and support to each ministry.

Our staff works in partnership with our two sister churches, The Church of the Resurrection and The Church of the Advent, to serve our congregation and the needs of the DC area.

The Church of the Resurrection

  • Dan Claire, Rector
  • Matthew Anderson, Assistant Pastor
  • Jake Anderson, Ministerial Intern
  • Whitney Porter, Parish Administrator

The Church of the Advent

  • Tommy Hinson, Rector
  • Wendell Kimbrough, Director of Music Arts
  • Lauren Little, Director of Art & Communication

The pastoral teams of all three DC-area churches are under the supervision of Bishop Thad Barnum, who is Rector of the Church of the Apostles in Fairfield, CT.