Vienna Assembly of God Installs New Lead Pastor

VIENNA, VA - Dec. 20, 2017 The Reverend Brenda Burns will be installed as Lead Pastor by the Superintendent of the Potomac Ministry Network, Rev. Ken Burtram, on January 7, 2018. Rev. Burns is not unfamiliar to the congregation of Vienna Assembly of God as she has been serving alongside her husband, Rev. Craig Burns, for over 30 years in the church. She has held positions in Children’s Ministry and Women’s Ministry while concurrently leading in the position of Worship Pastor.

Pastor Craig informed the church of his decision to step down from the position of Lead Pastor early in 2017. He says, “In the era of the #metoo movement, we want to elevate women in places of leadership. For too long men have overpowered and abused women and that has to change. Vienna Assembly of God has always been a safe place, but it’s now going to also be an empowering place for women.”
Pastor Brenda was elected as the new Lead Pastor in November 2017 by a unanimous vote of the church members. During the transitional period, Pastors Craig and Brenda shared the pulpit and other pastoral duties.
After her installation, the Burns’ will be taking some time off to rest. Once they return Pastor Brenda is excited to re-engage with the Vienna community and to bring her unique vision to the church. She says, “my first job is to be a good shepherd to the people who are here. Making sure that everyone that is a part of this congregation is being encouraged towards transformation - that we’re all being discipled and moving forward together in whatever God has for us - will be my first priority.” She also desires to bring to the church a renewed emphasis on prayer and has shared that racial reconciliation is a core value that will flavor sermons, outreaches, and other ministries of the church.
The congregation of Vienna Assembly of God is excited to continue to move forward under Pastor Brenda’s leadership.