Deacon & Deaconess Bios
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Paul was born in Chicago, Illinois but grew up under blue skies and the shadow of the Rockies in Colorado Springs. While hearing and believing the Gospel as a child and growing up in a Christian home, it was during his time at Hillsdale College that Paul understood the complete supremacy of Christ and the importance of the church. He and his wife Kathryn moved to Arlington two years ago and now Paul works part time while participating in the economics PhD program at George Mason University. |
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Born and raised in the beautiful Commonwealth of Kentucky (Lexington to be precise), Justin joined CHBC in 2008. Justin and his high school church youth group sweetheart and now wife Rachel, moved to the DC area in after they both graduated from the University of Kentucky. He now works on Capitol Hill for a Member of Congress. Justin loves spending time reading, watching films, messing around with electronics, watching/playing sports and spending time with Rachel. Justin never misses the chance to give a book or film recommendation and when he grows up his dream job is to be a film director, but at least he would like to continue to work in DC doing technology policy. Justin and Rachel love DC, love living on Capitol Hill and love CHBC. |
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Ken moved to Washington, DC, after graduating from Maranatha Baptist Bible College with a B.S. in Business and an M.A. in Biblical Studies. He became a member of CHBC in the Fall of 2004. From 2005 to 2008, Ken served as the Deacon of Children’s ministry, during which time he changed his first and only diaper. In 2010, he began serving as the Deacon of Budget, which is not only an opportunity to support the church, but also provides an outlet for his love of excel spreadsheets. Ken works for the Western Growers Association where he lobbies on behalf of fruit, vegetable, and tree nut growers in California and Arizona. In his spare time, Ken enjoys watching football, reading, running, golfing, and eating Chipotle burrito bowls. He and his wife, Kelli, live on Capitol Hill, where they hope the Lord will keep them for many years to come. |
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Kate grew up in the Baltimore area, where her parents and siblings still live. She graduated from Penn State University in December 2008, and although she still proudly wears her blue and white on Saturdays in the fall, she decided to move back south of the Mason Dixon Line following graduation. When she moved to D.C. for an internship, she only planned to stay for a few months. However, after meeting the members of CHBC and being encouraged by the church, she happily gave up any plans to leave the area. She currently lives at the Bluebird house with several other members from the church, and in her free time, she enjoys spending time with her roommates and friends, as well as learning new things.
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Alexandra is a certified military brat who grew up moving around every 3 to 4 years. She came to DC after graduating from the University of Oklahoma to be a seasonal DC/NYC tour guide for private Christian schools. While living in DC, she found out about CHBC through friends from her old church who raved about it. Although her job was seasonal, after the tour season was over, she decided stay in DC because she fell in love with city and wanted to continue to be under the solid teaching at CHBC. Before coming to DC, Alex spent many nights babysitting, being a “travel nanny,” and even spent one year working at her church’s daycare. She loves families and hopes to get to know, as well as serve and love, many of the families at CHBC in her new role. Her favorite hobbies include, but are not limited to: reading, traveling, history, studying different cultures, enjoying the arts, and getting to know people well. She currently works at International Justice Mission and is married to Nathan Schuh. |
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Wensa was born in New Jersey, and raised in Amherst, OH. She then moved to Louisville, KY with her family and received degrees from University of Louisville, and Bellarmine University. After spending a week visiting her brother in the DC area, she thought that DC would be a pretty cool area to live in. In November 2007, she decided to make that move, but not before finding a job at the Washington Hospital Center as an ICU Nurse (currently she is an RN Case Manager at GWU Hospital). Wensa began regularly attending CHBC in May of ’07 where she deeply appreciates the wonderful teaching. In her free time, she loves to sing, listen to music, going to the theatre, tennis, and meeting new people. |
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Dan was born in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. He first came to Washington, DC, for an internship and started attending CHBC in the summer of 2009. Through the CHBC Intern Bible Study and a discipling relationship, God worked in Dan’s life to richly grow his love for the Gospel and his desire to join a local church. Following his graduation from Grove City College in December 2009, he moved to DC where he worked for several non-profit organizations. He now works as an accounting assistant for a small accounting firm in Arlington, VA. Dan enjoys playing Ultimate on the National Mall, reading, and cooking breakfast for dinner.
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Rob grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma and earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri. He moved to DC in 2006 to study international conflict resolution at American University and after graduating, now works in that field at the US Department of State. Rob became a Christian through the ministry of his parents and church at an early age, but grew immensely during his college days. He has a passion to see college students come to faith in Christ and grow in their love for the Lord and His word. He is engaged to Hayley Sitton, who serves the church as a Biblical counselor. Rob also loves music and sports. |
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Noah Braymen, Deacon of Community Outreach Noah was born and raised in Dallas Center, IA. At a young age he came to understand that he is a sinner against God deserving only wrath, and that he is in need of grace alone that is offered through the gospel of Jesus Christ alone. In 2003 he married the love of his life, Lindsey, and they have two daughters Julia (deceased), and Noelle. Noah works for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention on Capitol Hill and is pursuing full-time pastoral ministry. Noah enjoys singing with the congregation, spending time with his family and friends, reading, playing the guitar, and going to Chincoteague, VA. |
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Lisa grew up in Gaithersburg, Maryland and attended the College of Charleston. During her time there, she was converted, attended East Cooper Baptist Church, and was involved in Campus Outreach. Lisa joined CHBC in November 2007 after returning to the DC area. She married her husband, Daniel Shieh, in October 2010. They love living near the church and other friends on Capitol Hill. |
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Emily Smith, Deaconess of Library Emily was born in Washington, DC and grew up in the Maryland suburbs. She graduated from Grove City College in 2003 where she studied computers, and returned to the DC area to work and be near family. She moved to the Hill in 2006, at which time she started attending CHBC, and has been thankful for the strong teaching and discipleship she found here. She is married to Patrick, and currently works as an IT specialist. She enjoys reading, traveling, knittting, and exploring the city by foot or by bike. |
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Both from Southern California, Luke and Erin met at UCLA and got married in December 2006. A year later, they moved out to the DC area, where Luke works on the Hill as a foreign affairs staffer and Erin works in a local hospital as a Speech-Language Pathologist. Raised in a gospel-believing home, Luke repented and believed in Christ at a very young age, while Erin began following the Lord after her best friend in junior high invited her to youth group. They enjoy watching movies, playing sports, and, when Erin makes him, taking long walks (not a sport). |
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Joe Durso was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of a Catholic father and an atheist mother. He was saved in 1967, through the ministry of Billy Graham, but was not connected to a Gospel preaching church for another six years. He and his wife Jean moved to Cheverly, MD to be close to CHBC after joining a year and a half earlier. Joe and Jean were married in 1974 and have experienced the grace of God through their years together; hospitality and discipleship is a passion they share. |
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Jason was born in Pasadena, California. While in high school, the Lord used his parent’s divorce to show him the depravity of man and the need to trust in Christ. As a young Christian while attending UC Davis for a degree in Clinical Nutrition, he was blessed to be a member of a reformed church, which taught him the importance of fighting sin, seeking wisdom from older men, and being hospitable. Shortly after obtaining a Masters of Public Health from UNC Chapel Hill, Jason moved to Washington, DC and became a member of CHBC in 2004. He currently works as a Program Director in health policy with the National Governors Association and lives on Capitol Hill. |
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Joel was born and raised in a Christian home in Birmingham, AL. In his college years at Auburn University, he gained a much deeper understanding of the Lord and grew in his love for him. He moved to DC in 2007 for a job as an electrical engineer. He was married in 2010 and enjoys music and playing tennis in his spare time. |
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Converted in high school, Sam originally attended CHBC while completing political science degrees at the Naval Academy and the University of Maryland. He left DC for five years to fly F/A-18Fs for the Navy, returning in 2009 for another Navy job. Thanks to God’s grace at work in his life and biblical, healthy local churches in Pensacola, Virginia Beach, and DC, he’s grown much in his love for Christ, his hatred of sin, and his ability to live and rest in the Gospel. Sam loves God, his wife Jill, and his daughter Liberty, and currently teaches American Government and International Relations at the Naval Academy. |
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Matt hails from Carlisle, PA, and has called the DC metro area home since 2003. He grew up in a Bible-believing church and Christian family and heard the gospel from a young age, though he was in his senior year at Grove City College when the Lord removed the veil and his stony heart and saved him in 2003. Since moving to Washington, DC, Matt has worked as an aviation systems engineer on Federal Aviation Administration surveillance systems…an occupation best described as “one who just gets stuff done.” Matt enjoys reading and pretty much anything that gets him out and moving, especially cycling, hiking, running, and working out. |
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Ian was born in Takoma Park, Maryland and was raised in a Christian family hearing the gospel and seeing it lived out. He moved to Blacksburg, VA where he attended college at Virginia Tech. After graduating with a degree in computer science in 2005, he moved to DC and began attending Capitol Hill Baptist Church. Ian met his wife Adrienne at Capitol Hill Baptist, and was married in June 2011. He currently lives in DC and works as a computer programmer. He enjoys spending time with his wife, hiking, rock climbing, and photography. |
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Brandon grew up in an Air Force family that settled in Lexington, Kentucky. In God’s kindness, he was born into a family where he grew up hearing the Gospel from a young age. Following his undergraduate studies at the University of Kentucky, he married his not-quite high school sweetheart, ran a business, moved overseas for the sake of the Gospel, finished a degree at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and then moved to the District to study international affairs at Johns Hopkins University SAIS. He joined the church in 2008 immediately following his arrival to the city. Brandon lives with his lovely wife Christa in NE DC. |
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Sarah grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania but now goes home to visit her family in much warmer and sunnier Phoenix, Arizona. After attending Wheaton College, she spent two years in the Peace Corps in Benin, West Africa, worked for a nonprofit doing development work in Haiti, and eventually moved to DC to attend graduate school in international relations at Johns Hopkins University. She now works as a financial sector specialist with the World Bank and has been a member of CHBC since 2008. Sarah was blessed to have been raised in a godly Christian home where her father was a pastor, and appreciates more and more the wonderful sovereignty of God as she travels to strange and complicated places for her work. She is an avid sports fan and probably spends way too much time on espn.com. |
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Born and raised in Maine, Jenn moved to Virginia after graduating from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania in January 2004 with a degree in Anthropology and Sociology. She has been an HR Specialist with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration since then. CHBC was recommended to her by friends from college and family friends from Maine and she started attending shortly after moving to the area. Jenn enjoys cooking, sightseeing, and hanging out with her roomies. She is married to Bill Cook. |
Luke and Erin Murry, Deacons of Member Care
