Brenda Burns is an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God. She is lead pastor of Vienna Assembly of God in Northern Virginia. Here’s how that came about:

After years serving alongside my husband, Craig, God opened the way for me to become pastor. How? Although Craig is a cancer survivor, it wasn’t about his health. It was his choice to humbly step aside in order to make way for female leadership. He sensed that our (Assemblies of God) statement of belief - that women are equally called and equipped by God for ministry - must be empowered by practice, especially having men in leadership positions making way and space for women to lead. So in early 2017, after consulting with some female mentors, he approached me with the idea. God had been preparing my heart to be willing to lead in a new way, but I didn’t really know for certain what that meant. We carefully sought counsel and feedback from family, friends, and our congregation, and I was elected pastor in November 2017.

I hold a degree in Music Communication, an interdisciplinary course of study that characterizes my 40+ years of ministry. I’ve been a church musician since the age of fifteen, and have worked professionally in the field of communication within the church and for our denomination.

Craig and I have three grown children, and seven delightful grandchildren. Life is full and our boundaries have fallen in pleasant places.

My personal story includes sexual abuse and the long healing journey that continues even this far into my adulthood. In the current cultural context of #MeToo and #ChurchToo, I humbly add my voice to encourage other survivors with what I am learning, and to share the healing hope I have found in relationship with God.