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About Holy Cross Lutheran Church

History of Holy Cross

In the early 1960's, as construction began for the new Dulles Airport, a wave of workers came to the Herndon/Sterling area, many of them Lutherans from Pennsylvania. Because of this, in 1961, the Virginia Synod of the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) purchased a piece of property in Herndon, Virginia with the intention of starting a mission congregation. In May of 1962, the Rev. David C. Hoecker was called by the Board of American Missions of the Lutheran Church in America as Mission Developer for the Herndon area. Church services were held in the Town Hall.

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Holy Cross was chartered on April 29, 1963 and organized on November 24, 1963. Sixty-three people signed the charter. Pastor Hoecker was called as the first Pastor of Holy Cross.

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A groundbreaking ceremony for the first unit – to serve as a sanctuary and as an educational wing – was held in July 1966. The cornerstone was laid in November 1966 at 1090 Sterling Road.

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Pastor Hoecker resigned in 1970. The Rev. Thomas L. Bosserman was called shortly thereafter and given the mandate of building a growing congregation. In January 1972, Pastor Bosserman took another call and an Air Force chaplain, the Reverend Charles W. Reider, served as interim Pastor until August of that same year.

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The Reverend William Edward Harper Jr. accepted a call from Holy Cross. With the rapid growth in church membership under Pastor Harper’s leadership, it became apparent that additional space was needed. The second unit was dedicated on April 13, 1975.  The congregation continued grow. In 1982, Holy Cross embarked on another building program, which included the present worship sanctuary.

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In 1988, Pastor Harper resigned his call to Holy Cross. Construction of the new sanctuary continued and a Service of Dedication was held in October of 1988. The Rev. Carroll Anderson, a retired military chaplain, served as Interim Pastor during this time.

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Rev. Richard M. Connor, Sr. was called as Pastor of Holy Cross in 1989. Renovations to the administrative offices and some classrooms were completed during this period. Staffing also increased during this time. In 1993, Holy Cross called a second Pastor, the Rev. Diane Jackson. She served Holy Cross until 1996.

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In January of 2000 Pastor Connor resigned for personal medical reasons. While the search for a new pastor took place, the Rev. Ronald Christian served as Interim Pastor. In June 2002, we called the Rev. Douglas Jones to be Senior Pastor. During Pastor Jones’ tenure, Holy Cross expanded its outreach to the diverse community surrounding the church. The congregation began an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program in 2003 with a grant from the Wheatridge Foundation and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services. The program is currently referred to as the English Language Learners (ELL) program and has three levels of instruction. 

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In 2005, the congregation expanded its music program with the hiring of Mr. Jeremy Shoop as Director of Music Ministries. A talented musician, he directs a varied program of musical groups including choral, bell, and instrumental ensembles. In June of 2006, the congregation was able to purchase and dedicate a magnificent 29 rank pipe organ, thanks to the generosity of its members and through the efforts of Bishop Theodore Schneider and his wife.

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In February 2007, Holy Cross welcomed the Reverend Stephanie Johnson as Associate Pastor. She expanded Holy Cross worship activities, drama programs, and other young adult ministries. She accepted a call to be Pastor at Living Springs Lutheran Church in Las Vegas in November of 2013.

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In December 2013, Holy Cross welcomed Leila Ortiz as pastor-in-residence. Pastor Ortiz was ordained at Holy Cross in March, 2014. In July of 2014, Pastor Ortiz accepted a call as Associate Pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Maryland. Two years later, in the summer of 2016, she received a call as Assistant to the Bishop of the Metropolitan Washington D.C. Synod.

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In February of 2016, Pastor Jones resigned to accept a call to Evangelical Lutheran Church in Frederick, Maryland. In June of 2016, the Reverend Margrethe Kleiber began serving as Holy Cross’ Transition Pastor as the congregation continued the process of preparing to call a new Pastor.

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In July of 2019, Reverend Doctor Martin W. Eldred began his ministry with Holy Cross. A short eight months later on March 15, 2020, in-person worship was cancelled, due to the COVID pandemic. A team of 8 folks, dubbed the QuaranTeam, faithfully led worship until May 30, 2021, when worshippers returned to the pews. During this time, Holy Cross first began broadcasting worship services on Facebook Live and now worships in a "hybrid" format, welcoming both in-person and on-line worshippers. 

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In the Fall of 2021, after a series of conversations, Holy Cross voted as a congregation to become a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) worshipping community. Reconciling in Christ congregations have made an intentional decision to be welcoming and affirming, and to actively promote justice for all people, including all sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, racial, and socio-economic circumstances. 

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In March of 2024, Pastor Martin Eldred resigned to be able to devote his full efforts to long-term recovery. Beginning May 1, 2024, Pastor Mark Cole became Interim Pastor for Holy Cross, providing pastoral care until a permanent pastor is determined. He has served as a parish pastor in congregations in Northern Kentucky and Northern Illinois. He was trained in fundraising and development, and evangelism - both areas of interest he pursued during his years of parish service.

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Throughout its history, Holy Cross has been blessed with generous support and great leadership from its members and from the pastors who led them. Student interns have been taught here; children have come to learn of the love of Jesus; and people of the community have sensed the presence of God through its ministry.

Staff of Holy Cross

Meet the staff who continue to shepherd our mission in the community in which we live.

Church Council

Meet the elected leadership of our church and their responsibilities in service to Holy Cross.

Committees

Learn about the work of the various committees of Holy Cross.

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