Fred Vongerlage grew up in Fremont, Nebraska.  After graduating from high school there he matriculated at Harvard College in Cambridge, MA where he received a BA in government.  Having decided to become a Lutheran pastor, he next detoured to St John's College in Winfield, KS in order to acquire the necessary Biblical language skills for entering Concordia Seminary in St Louis in 1954.  Before going to vicar at Trinity Lutheran, in Stockton, CA, he finished the  course work for an MA in Political Science from Washington University, St. Louis, Mo. After vicarage in 1958 he returned to Concordia and graduated in June, 1959.  He was called directly out of the Seminary as a mission developer for Woodbridge and the surrounding area.  He knew at that time that there was a small group of Lutherans seeking to establish a church in Woodbridge itself.  The property on Longview was purchased in 1961. The previous year Pastor Vonderlage began doing VBS and other activities in the immediate area. Chaplain Hyatt and Pastor Vonderlage shared preaching between Concordia congregation in Triangle (the actual “mother” of our congregation) and later the fledging Grace mission congregation in Woodbridge.
                           
In the Spring of 1963 Fred received the call to teach history and government at Concordia Senior College, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, the final pre-seminary training college for Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.  During 1963 and 1964 he enrolled at the University of Maryland to do his doctoral work in European, Soviet Russian, and  British history -   subjects which he taught at Ft. Wayne until the Senior College closed in 1977 as a result of the controversies in the Missouri Synod.  According to Pastor Vonderlage, one of his pleasant memories from the Senior College was teaching such very fine and talented young men, among the very best was our current Southeastern Synod President, John Diefenthaler.

There being a contraction in the history teaching ranks of  American Universities and colleges, especially in the Missouri Synod,  he sought unsuccessfully to receive a call into parish ministry.  After some years he was able to receive calls first of all in the LCA and then in the ELCA where he subsequently served many parishes in Florida as an interim pastor with great satisfaction.  Currently Pastor Fred lives part time in Florida and part time in North Carolina preaching on occasion and teaching some in his home parishes.       

Bryant E. Clancy, Jr. was born, baptized, and confirmed in Camden, AL. After graduating in 1961 from our Synod’s Immanuel Theological Seminary, Greensboro, NC, he was called as a Mission Developer in Charlotte, NC. Here he “developed” Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, which he then served as Pastor from 1964 to 1981. During these years he earned a Doctor of Ministry Degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, 1981; was elected circuit counselor (1968-1970); and elected by the Southeastern District as Third, then Second, then First Vice President (1970-1982). In 1977 he served as Chairman of Floor Committee 10 at the Dallas Convention of the LCMS.

In 1982, Dr. Clancy was called to the Southeastern District full time as the Executive of the District Department of Congregational Services. During this time he also served the Synod in an LCMS Consultation on Church/State Policy Development; the advisory committee for the LCMS Office of Governmental Information; and an LCMS Advisory Panel on the Study of the Service of Women in the Church, (1984-1986). He also briefly served Grace Lutheran prior to Pastor Loesch’s call.

In 1990, he moved to St. Louis, where he served the Synod as the Executive Director of the LCMS Commission on Black Ministry (1990-1995) and, when the Commission on Black Ministry became the Board for Black Ministry Services, he served as Executive Director of this board from 1995 to 2001.  Since 2001, he has been the Vacancy Pastor for St. Matthew Lutheran Church, St. Louis, MO. In 2010 he celebrated 50 years of ministry service.

Rev. Keith W. Loesch was born in Missouri, raised in South Dakota, educated in the LCMS preparatory school system, and graduated from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, with the Master of Divinity degree in 1967.  Following his year of Vicarage in Manhattan, New York, and his subsequent Ordination, he served LCMS parishes in Fayetteville, NC, Richmond, VA, and Hagerstown, MD, and received the Divine Call to Grace in 1987, where he served until his retirement in 2007.  During his 20 years of ministry at Grace the current Sanctuary was constructed and the former worship and fellowship space was renovated and expanded to its current capabilities.  Pastor Loesch and his wife, Joan, are the proud parents of two sons and their families: Jonathan, wife Sarah and children Christian and Chloe, and Jeremy, wife Amanda and children Jacob, Matthew and Corinna. 

As a result of his sabbatical time in 1996 at Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany, Pastor Loesch became the Founder of the Wittenberg English Ministry in 1997, and serves to the present day as Director of this outreach and worship ministry.   He has a passion for the Gospel of Christ, for the life and ministry of Dr. Martin Luther, for the residents of Lutherstadt Wittenberg, and for the host of international visitors who come from all parts of the world to visit the sites where Dr. Martin Luther carried out the Reformation of the Church. 

Pastor and Joan Loesch now live in retirement at their home in Woodbridge where he continues to direct the WEM and serve the Church at large as a supply pastor when needed and as a Guest Leader for the Lutheran Church Extension Fund’s “Consecrated Stewards” program.  

Rev. Godfrey (Bo) Jarabak was first called by Faith Lutheran Church in Eldersburg, Maryland in March 1980 to serve Eldersburg, Sykesville, Carroll County and beyond region. In August 1991 Pastor Jarabak left Faith to accept a call at Grace Lutheran Church in Woodbridge, VA.  He subsequently left the ministry and is currently a Financial Services Representative for MetLife Midwest Associates in Edwardsville, IL.  Both Bo and his wife Phyllis are graduates of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.

Rev. Fred Klein was Grace’s Vacancy Pastor from 2007 to August 2010. Pastor Fred Klein retired at the end of July, 2006 after 21years as the Senior Pastor at Living Savior Lutheran Church. The Living Savior congregation celebrated Pastor Fred’s 37 years in the ministry with a formal service followed by a dinner dance. Many members came to say goodbye and celebrate his service to the Church and community.

Klein was ordained on May 25, 1969 (Pentecost Day) at his home congregation of Grace English Evangelical Lutheran Church, Jersey City, N.J. He has served four congregations during his 37 years of ministry. Christ Church of Seaford, Del., Ascension Church of Charlotte, N.C., Living Savior Church of Fairfax Station and Grace Lutheran of Woodbridge, VA.

 Klein began his ministry at Living Savior 21 years ago when he was installed as mission developer for the then Burke-Fairfax Station Mission in 1985. When the mission was accepted into the Southeastern District, LCMS, the newly formed congregation named Living Savior, called him as its first pastor. Under his pastoral leadership Living Savior has grown from a handful of people to approximately 500 members. Klein is married to Elizabeth Fleschhut of Harrington Park, N.J. They have two grown children, Martin and Rebecca, and five grandchildren, Anna, Elise, Andrew, Katherine, and Karsten.