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Our Leadership
Staff Pastor
Ben Palka
Ben graduated from the State University of New York College at Buffalo State with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (B.A.). He earned both a Master of Divinity (MDiv.) and Master of Theology (ThM.) from Southeastern Baptist. He has several years of church, pastoral, and overseas experience. In addition, he has professional experience in the Defense and National Security industry. He also serves in Major League Baseball as team chaplain.
Staff Pastor
Wesley Welch
Wesley graduated from Valdosta State University with a Bachelor of Arts in History and minor in Religious Studies (B.A.). He pursued his Master of Divinity (MDiv.) from Southeastern Baptist. He has several years of church and pastoral experience. In addition, he has management experience in the hospitality industry. He is married to Abby and has two daughters named Ellison and Harper.
Operations Director
Calla Jordan
Calla hails from Chicago and is an alumna of Northwestern University. After graduation, she spent nine fruitful years in the rainy-but-beautiful Pacific Northwest, where Seattle was her home. During her time there, she worked in corporate training, sales, and marketing at Microsoft. The call to full-time vocational ministry led her to serve as the Executive Director of a church plant and as a volunteer instructor at Seattle's Union Gospel Mission. She has recently relocated to the other Washington, Washington, D.C., ready to serve the Lord.
Women's Discipleship
Sarah Anderson
Sarah, a native Kansan, graduated from Calvary University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and a Minor in Bible and Theology (B.A) and earned a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Bob Jones University (MM.) Sarah has decades of lay ministry as a worship leader, Bible teacher and women’s mentor. She is passionate about having a Titus 2 ministry at King’s Church. Sarah has been married to Richard for over 26 years and they are parents to two sons, Will and Chase.
Pastoral Resident
Michael McDowell
Michael is a native Texan and an alumnus of Rice University (B.A.) and Duke Divinity School (MDiv.). He has several years of ministry experience in youth and college ministries and is passionate about communicating the Gospel to young people in cities. He is married to Elizabeth, the love of his life.
Ministry Resident
Brad Robertson
Brad is originally from West Michigan, or "The Golden Coast of the Midwest." During his junior year of college he interned in DC where he was invited to King's. There, he found faith, was baptized, and began volunteering with the church whenever and wherever he could. Finishing up his degree at Penn State online, he began to also run King's Church Collective, the intern outreach ministry of King's. After working in politics, he transitioned into ministry in the fall of 2023.
Ministry Resident
Sam Barry
Sam is a Texas native and a proud Clemson graduate with a degree in Civil Engineering(B.S). After living in DC for a year and half working for a general contractor, she decided to answer her call to ministry and began working at Kings church. Sam has 3 years of high school and college outreach experience and is passionate about glorifying the Lord and making his name known to all people.
Ministry Resident
Will Cordes
Will was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina and is an alumnus of the UNC Chapel Hill where he majored in Business and minored in P.P.E. and Music, earning a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. He spent 3 years leading college ministry with Summit College in North Carolina. Before transitioning to vocational ministry, he worked as a management consultant for two years with a firm based out of Atlanta, Georgia. He is heeding the call to vocational ministry through serving Kings Church and enrolling in Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary to earn his Master in Divinity (MDiv).
Lay Pastor
Bradley Clarke
Bradley graduated from the Baptist College of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies (B.A.). He earned a Master of Divinity (MDiv.) from Southeastern Baptist. He recently earned a Juris Doctor (JD) from The George Washington University Law School. He has several years of college and youth ministry experience. In addition, he has experience in restaurant management. He is married to Leti and has two daughters named Riley and Lauren.
Lay Pastor
Daniel Davis
Daniel graduated from Wheaton College with a Bachelor of Arts in History and a minor in Political Science (B.A.). He is now pursuing his M.A. in Ethics from Southeastern Baptist. He currently works as a communications manager for a Christian nonprofit. He has eight years of experience in Washington, where he has worked in government, think tanks, and media. He is married to Hannah.
Lay Pastor
Richard Anderson
Richard is an executive coach and business consultant who has 30+ years of experience helping leaders discover opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their organization and create more long-term value. His primary focus has been to develop resources and tools to help leaders and supervisors cultivate a culture of principled entrepreneurship where every employee understands how the business creates value and is motivated to find ways to drive improvement. Richard and his wife, Sarah, live in Alexandria, Virginia and focus much of their free time mentoring young professionals who work on Capitol Hill.
About Us
CORE BELIEFS
We believe the Christian faith should not be first defined by its limits, but rather by its central message. The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed are historic confessions that demonstrate the heart of the Christian faith. King’s Church unites around these creeds as we live life together doing God's good work. In addition to the creeds, members must affirm and believe nine core, orthodox, historic beliefs.
CORE DISTINCTIVES
GOSPEL FOCUS
1. PEOPLE SEEKING GOD​
First and foremost, we are a faith community who seeks the Triune God. As a congregation, our goal is not the accumulation of wealth, the attaining of status, or the securing of political power. We seek God and his renewing power in our lives.
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2. PEOPLE LIVING OUT THE SCRIPTURES​
The Bible is entirely truthful, real, authoritative, and reliable. We are committed to keeping the word of Christ central and learning what it says practically, theologically, historically, and personally. We are seriously aware of the dangers of hypocrisy and strive to be "doers of the word," and not just "hearers."
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3. PEOPLE WHO LIKE EACH OTHER​
King’s Church is a group of people who enjoy being together to accomplish varieties of good works. New attenders will find a community of authentic friendships and relationships that exist even outside our service.
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4. PEOPLE WHO HELP OTHERS​
Our church is filled with people who want to help other people. Like you, we want to help other people live healthy and bold lives for Jesus Christ. We engage in efforts to help the poor and the sick and those who are in trying times.
A Christian is any person who believes in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which proclaims that God came to save us by becoming a man, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus lived perfectly, took the punishment that humanity deserved for its sin by dying on the cross, and declared victory over death by rising from the grave, paving for Christians to live eternally in Him. We declare this truth relentlessly as the most important news that humans can hear, believe, and trust.
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