Rev. Lawrence Buxton Announces Retirement from Burke United Methodist Church

Burke, VA – The Rev. Dr. Lawrence W. (“Larry”) Buxton, Senior Pastor of Burke United Methodist Church, has announced his retirement, effective June 30. Buxton came to Burke United Methodist Church in July 2007 and will complete his 9th year as pastor.

Buxton, whose ministerial career spans 38 years, said, “I’m delighted to be concluding my ministry in Burke. This has been the longest pastorate of my career. The folks at Burke are loving, energetic and active, wonderfully welcoming, and always ready to try a new idea. This has been a very rich season of my life. I’m going to miss this community a lot.”

Buxton served churches in Alexandria, Herndon, Richmond, Ashland and Arlington prior to coming to Burke. While in Burke he began Larry Buxton Coaching, a professional firm specializing in personal and professional transitions and clergy coaching. He earned the ACC and BCC certifications from the International Coaching Federation and the Center for Credentialing and Education, respectively. Larry has taught, worked or led groups in Israel, Greece, Turkey, Jordan, Kenya, Mozambique, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He was also the Founder and first Dean of the Goodson Academy of Preaching, based in the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Under his leadership the church hewed closely to its values of Radical Hospitality and Risk-Taking Mission and Service. Those values led the church to become an intentionally welcoming and inclusive congregation and to put hands-on mission and community service at the forefront of its work. Burke UMC has also been involved in interfaith conversations and friendship with members of Ezher Bloom Mosque in Fairfax.

Dr. Buxton and his wife Beverly, a leadership trainer and executive coach, have two sons. Garrett and his wife Carly have lived in Chicago for six years and are moving this summer to the Boston area. Tyler is an employee of RGS Associates Consulting in Arlington and lives in Washington, DC. The Buxtons will move to Ashburn in June to enter what he calls a time of “re-time-ment.”

“I’ve been blessed with a wonderful life, a great family, and a meaningful calling,” Buxton says. “It seems time now to experience time in a different way – with a new rhythm, a new calendar, and a new opportunity to use my time in fresh ways. I’m not completely sure what they are yet – but I’m excited.”