Our Pastor believes that the deepest hunger of every human heart is a close relationship with God. In his leadership of our church, Mike works to help us, as individuals and as a congregation, to connect more closely and faithfully with God, and thus with the very best that life has to offer.

Mike Lyle became our Senior Pastor in July of 2005. He is an Elder in the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church where he and Brenda, (his wife of 35 years), have served churches in Roanoke, Fincastle, Madison, Winchester and Loudoun County. Brenda & Mike have two married daughters living in Virginia.

Mike holds degrees from Emory & Henry College, Wake Forest University and Wesley Theological Seminary. He received a D.Min. from Wesley after completing course work in the International Track which enabled him to study at United Methodist seminaries in Sweden and Germany.

In 2005, Mike published a book of true stories from early in his ministry that reveal some of the ways that God works in everyday life. The book is titled Gathered Stones and is available from Amazon.com.

Our pastor believes that the church offers a uniquely hopeful word for a culture and a world in the midst of rapid and often confusing change. Mike seeks to lead our church in faithful, creative response to all that is around us and to enable us as individuals and as a congregation, to grow increasingly connected to God.

Reverend Sara Porter Keeling – Associate Pastor
Email - sara@wsumc.com

http://revsara.blogspot.com

Sara Porter Keeling, is a native resident of Virginia. She grew up in a clergy family in the small town of Orange. She holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia in English and anthropology. Originally she intended to become an archaeologist, but found herself irresistibly drawn toward a call to ministry through her work and experience with the Wesley Foundation. She received an M.Div from Candler School of Theology at Emory University, in Atlanta, GA. She is a Probationary Elder, and Washington Street UMC is her first appointment.

Sara comes to Alexandria with her husband, Shawn, and her daughter-by-marriage, Savannah. They also have a German Shepherd and two cats. The Keelings are all enjoying the adventure of life in Northern Virginia.

Sara firmly believes that God has led her on this meandering journey to this congregation. She feels blessed to be serving God and living out her call to share God's divine love with the world.

Victoria Shields – Minister of Music
Email - victoria@wsumc.com

Prior to coming to Washington Street UMC, Victoria served as the Minister of Music at the Historic Pohick Episcopal Church in Lorton, Virginia for seven years. At Pohick, Victoria grew the music ministry through her work with children, establishing good relationships with those involved in the life of the parish, encouraging anyone with an interest in music to participate in music ministry, and through a creative approach to music in worship. Before coming to Washington, she was the chapel organist at Williams Smith and Hobart Colleges in conjunction with St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Geneva, New York.

Victoria received her Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music, with concentrations in Music Education and Organ Performance. She was a student in the organ studio of Michael Farris, studied piano with Vincent Lenti and harpsichord with James Bobb. While at Eastman, Victoria was the recipient of the Frasier Organ Scholarship and the Fay Stinson Craighead Memorial Scholarship. She is active as a recitalist with future performances including Trinity Episcopal Church in Seattle, Washington, St. Paul's Episcopal in Old Town Alexandria, National City Christian Church and the Franciscan Monastery in Washington, DC.

In addition to her work in the church, Victoria is active with the local chapters of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) as coordinator of the Potomac Organ Institute (www.potomacorganinst.org) and Executive Secretary for the 2010 AGO National Convention to be held in Washington, DC. In addition to her career in music, she is also a positive dog training instructor at All About Dogs, Inc. in Woodbridge, Virginia (www.allaboutdogsinc.com). She believes that through positive reinforcement and building good relationships, humans can improve their life with their dogs as well as with our other two legged friends!

Rachel Miller - Director of Christian Education
Email - rachel@wsumc.com

Rachel believes we have been placed in this world to worship God and to spread the good news about Christ our Savior. She feels that everyone should feel loved and accepted and be given opportunities to learn about God and have a deep, meaningful relationship with Him.

Rachel earned her undergraduate degree in Communications from Old Dominion University and is currently pursing her M.A. from Wesley Theological Seminary. She volunteered with the youth of Redwood UMC and was the Youth Director of Boones Mill UMC. She has spent many years working with children of all ages and knows that they are all special gifts from God.

A native of Ohio, Rachel moved to Virginia with her family in 1995 and moved to Alexandria in 2007.

Ashley Kent - Director of Young Adult Ministries
Email - kentashley@gmail.com

Before becoming a member of WSUMC in March 2006, Ashley began attending WSUMC events catering to the growing 20 to 30-something population. When a more formalized Young Adult program was launched later that year, she witnessed the continued growth of a community made up of young adults seeking God’s will in their lives. Inspired by the group’s enthusiasm and passion for serving God, Ashley accepted the call to serve as part-time Director of Young Adult Ministries in November 2007. With the belief that Christians serve God by serving others, she is excited about utilizing the individual and collective talents of young adults to reach beyond the church doors to the community and the world.

Ashley is also a member of church council and leads a yearly mission trip for middle and high school students. Originally from Newport News, Virginia and a proud Virginia Tech Hokie, she works in the television and media industry

Ann Cary McLain – Office Manager
Email - anncary@wsumc.com

Alexandria has been home to Ann Cary's family for four generations. She graduated summa cum laude from Marymount University with a BA in design. Previous employment includes ten years at EEI Communications -- first in their human resources department and then as manager of the company's staffing service.

Barbara Harslem – Financial Administrator
Email - barbara@wsumc.com

Barbara Harslem and her husband George Tuttle have lived in Alexandria since 1971 and have raised their four children in the Del Ray neighborhood. They are members of Emmanuel Episcopal Church. They are active volunteers in their church community in addition to volunteering in a variety of community endeavors. Barbara has a BA from Smith College and a Masters degree from the University of Pittsburgh. In addition to working for the federal government, she has worked in higher education and run a small community business. Barbara works for two other Methodist churches in addition to WSUMC.

Bobby Cochran – Custodian

Bobby is a native of White Sulphur Spring, West Virginia. He and his wife, Janet, are the parents of two grown daughters. He enjoys yard work, fishing and above all else, he’s a fan of the Dallas Cowboys. Bobby also works at another downtown church.

Some Photos Copyright @2002 Olan Mills, Inc.