Candidates standing for election to Vestry in 2026
Scroll down to rEAD ABOUT THE 10 CANDIDATES STANDING FOR THE 5 OPEN VESTRY SEATS IN THIS ELECTION YEAR. Candidates are: TAYLOR BARKLEY, NORM FICHTHORN, AMANDA HENNEBERG, JASON KUYKENDALL, LISA LAMPMAN, ANNIE NAGAOKA, DARIN POWERS, TRAVIS SHANK, CARLY J. SMITH, KELLY WOFFORD
TAYLOR BARKLEY
I have attended The Falls Church Anglican since 2011. It was the second church I visited shortly after moving from California to Virginia for a new job that year. What drew me in was the organ played in conjunction with the contemporary worship band. Seeing and hearing that combination made me think, “Here is a church that sees God’s beauty in all good things,” and I knew I had found my church home. I was raised in a Christian home, made a decision to follow Jesus at a young age, and grew in my faith thanks to faithful parents, grandparents, community and schooling from kindergarten to college. I am the recipient of God’s grace through the generations!
My wife Rachel, our three young children, and I live nearby in Annandale. Rachel and I met through a professional network in 2011 and got married in 2016. From 2011 to today we both have had a passion for sharing the Gospel with our neighbors and coworkers. We both work in the public policy field and often get the opportunity to talk about our faith. My work is at a think tank on policy issues that surround emerging technology like artificial intelligence. Our children are 6, 3, and 1. We are blessed that they have all been baptized at TFCA.
Church involvement is also very important to our family. Over my time at TFCA, I have co-led a co-ed small group, became a member in 2013, played drums in worship bands, helped with nursery set-up and tear-down before our current property, and hosted men’s ministry retreats and discussions.
Together, my wife and I have taught classes and given talks on evangelism and how to study the Bible. The church faithfully supported us through my wife’s spinal cord tumor diagnosis and paralysis. That was a journey that began in 2019 and continues today.
I am truly honored and humbled to stand for Vestry election. I am passionate about seeing our church be a place where everyone can experience the presence of God, where newcomers from all backgrounds feel welcome and special. My wife’s disability has changed my worldview for the better and I am passionate about true accessibility for all. I would be honored to have the chance to represent the community of the disabled, caregivers, and parents of young children in our church community. Fundamentally, I want our church to be as great a conduit of Christ’s love in practice as it is a physical symbol on Route 50.
Thank you for reading! I am excited to follow God’s leading through you and the rest of our church body.
NORM FICHTHORN
Growing up in Ohio, I attended Episcopalian churches and was baptized and confirmed. During my teen years I turned away from God, but He mercifully brought me, at age 22, to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Through my 20s, in northern Virginia and for three years while a law student in California, I attended good churches but found no long-term congregational home. One Sunday in the early 1980s, I visited The Falls Church and heard a compelling sermon by a young John Yates. A few years later, it became especially important to commit to a church as my dating relationship with Melissa appeared to be progressing toward marriage. Remembering that John Yates sermon, I suggested to Melissa that we attend a Falls Church service. We did -- and realized immediately this would be our church home. As a newly engaged couple, we became members, and in 1990 we were married in the historic church. Our sons, Joe and Matthew, were baptized and confirmed in the church and attended Sunday school, Crossroads, and Cornerstone.
For over 35 years, we have remained committed members of this congregation, grateful to God for our pastors’ biblically faithful preaching and teaching, their leadership through many challenging times, and the church’s Christ-exalting worship, its warm and welcoming fellowship, and its many fruitful ministries.
My family and I have been blessed immeasurably by participation in the life of TFCA. Many blessings have come from hosting eight Falls Church Fellows in our home and developing friendships through the Fellows program with church members of all ages. Over the years, I have also been blessed by serving in other ways, including helping in Sunday school, participating on a congregational discernment committee, assisting in various men’s ministry activities, and representing TFCA as a delegate to Diocesan Synods in 2024 and again this year.
After 36 years working as an attorney, I retired in 2021. Melissa and I enjoy visiting national parks, getting together with friends, and spending time with Matthew, who lives with us, and with Joe and his wife and their children, who live near Charlottesville.
It is humbling to be considered for service on Vestry. If elected, I pray my time and talents would be used in helping us to steward faithfully what God has given us to advance His purposes, to His glory.
aMANDA HENNEBERG
My family and I have been part of The Falls Church Anglican community since the 1980s, and it was here that I first came to know Jesus personally. Growing up in a strong Christian home, I was taught about God’s love and salvation plan at an early age, and it was within this church that my faith came alive. As a child and teenager, I experienced the joy of giving my life to Christ, proclaiming my faith publicly at my baptism, and committing my heart and future to Him.
Through youth group, discipleship, and the faithful teaching of our leadership and congregation, my faith was nurtured and strengthened. This church has walked alongside me in all seasons of life, shaping me into a disciple of Jesus and instilling in me a love for His Word and His people. Now as an adult, The Falls Church Anglican continues to be a place where I am challenged to live out my faith boldly.
It has been a joy to give back to the church that has given me so much. Over the years, I have served on the Welcome Team and with the Youth Ministry as a small group leader. I’ve had the privilege of being a Kindergarten Sunday School teacher and Vacation Bible School volunteer. I also enjoyed serving as the Logistics Chair for TFCA’s Parish Retreat: planning and managing the details of our congregation’s weekend together.
Professionally, my background is in communications and operations. After graduating from the University of Virginia, I worked on political campaigns, on Capitol Hill, and currently as the Chief Operating Officer for a consulting and media firm in Washington, D.C.
I am passionate about continuing the longstanding evangelical and biblical tradition of The Falls Church Anglican - a tradition rooted in reaching those who are seeking, proclaiming the hope of the Gospel, and equipping believers to grow as mature disciples of Christ. My desire to serve on the vestry comes from a profound gratitude for all this church has poured into me over the past 40 years and a heart to help support its ministry for current and future generations.
JASON KUYKENDALL
My wife, Lindsay, and I have called The Falls Church Anglican (TFCA) home since 2015. Our family has grown since we joined, and we are now raising our three children—JP (7), Leo (5), and Kayleigh (2) within this church family. My faith journey began in childhood, and I am profoundly grateful for my upbringing in a Christian home where I came to know Christ at a young age. To this day, I am being transformed by the gospel as I learn and grow in my knowledge of Him.
For the last eight years, Lindsay and I have been actively involved in a TFCA small group. It has been a vital source of fellowship and growth, sustaining us through various seasons of marriage and family life. Walking alongside other believers - sharing burdens, celebrating joys, and encouraging one another in our faith - has been one of the great blessings of our life at this church. Over the last three years, I have also had the privilege to serve at the church through Men’s Ministry by helping to organize the annual Men’s Retreat and supporting the monthly Men’s Fireside Chats. Additionally, I serve as an usher, welcoming parishioners to the 11AM service.
Professionally, I work in consulting at a large professional services firm. My undergraduate degree is from American University, where I was recruited to play soccer, and my M.B.A. is from Georgetown University. My love for soccer has come full circle as I now have the joy of coaching my sons’ teams. When not on the pitch, I'm found enjoying time with my family and soaking up this busy, wonderful season of life with young children.
I am grateful for the opportunity to stand for the Vestry. It would be an honor to serve and give back to this community that has blessed me so much.
LISA LAMPMAN
Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, I gave my life to Christ in middle school and was active in YoungLife during high school. In college, I joined InterVarsity and led Bible studies on campus. While I was raised Presbyterian, I found a new spiritual home in the Anglican tradition when our family joined TFCA in 2009.
At TFCA, I’ve been blessed to serve in the vibrant Prayer Ministry as a Prayer at the Rail minister since 2014. I also participate in the Evening of Healing Prayer ministry when able. I was a small group leader and teacher in the early days of the Thursday Night Women’s Ministry and delighted in being a part of the Babes with Babes group for several seasons as an older mom and co-leader.
Our family has hosted two Fellows, and I served on the Fellows Admissions Committee for three years. Currently, I help lead TFCA’s High School Outreach Ministry—now in my fourth year—serving both Falls Church and Justice High Schools.
My heart for missions began in high school with a trip to the North Carolina mountains, where our youth group shared God’s Word and love with youth in need. In my young adult years, the Lord developed a deep connection to Romania through several mission trips. More recently, I’ve served on TFCA’s Outreach Committee for three years. Last fall and spring, I returned to the mountains of North Carolina to participate in disaster relief projects through the Anglican Relief and Development Fund (ARDF) in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Early in my career, I worked in political campaigns and government roles. I later served as Vice President of Prison Fellowship Ministries (PFM) and President of Neighbors Who Care, PFM’s crime victim assistance ministry. More recently, I’ve worked as a consultant to non-profit, government, and for-profit organizations, specializing in strategic planning, project management, and grant funding.
Scott and I have been married for 28 years and are grateful for our two young adult children who keep us feeling younger than we are and our chocolate lab who brings great joy.
If chosen to serve on the Vestry, I hope to draw on my experience to help TFCA faithfully and strategically pursue its calling to build God’s kingdom. My desire is to encourage and equip parishioners to serve in local and global outreach, while investing in raising up the next generation of Christ-centered leaders.
ANNIE NAGAOKA
I am Annie Nagaoka, and my life has been a long journey of faith, often defined by movement. Having lived in 22 different places, I learned early to trust in the philosophy of "pray, listen, and move." This practice of following God’s call is what ultimately brought my husband, Erik, and me to plant deep roots right here at The Falls Church Anglican.
My early life was spent in the mountains of Golden, Colorado. After college at Whitworth University in Eastern Washington, I continued to move, spending a summer working on a ranch in Wyoming and studying abroad in England and Thailand.
Following my undergraduate studies, this trust led me to Vallejo, California, where I pursued my lifelong calling as a teacher—a passion I have held since first grade. Even in California, I continued to move frequently, residing in nine different places over three years across the Bay Area. Despite the wandering, God's guidance remained clear, and I felt prompted to move to Williamsburg, Virginia, where I sought to deepen my professional expertise through a master's degree in K-12 administration at William & Mary and immersed myself in the richness of American history.
Seven years ago, in the summer of 2018, having completed my degree and married my husband, Erik, our journey found its anchor in Falls Church. My parents, who were involved with the Fellows Program, recommended the church, and we never looked back. We quickly planted ourselves here, committing to serve and integrate into the life of the congregation. Erik and I joined the choir, participated on the Young Adults leadership team, and served on the Welcome Team.
My professional life in education has flourished here as well. I spent five years teaching fifth grade in Fairfax County Public Schools before being called to a new opportunity as an Elementary Math Resource Teacher. In this resource position, I was blessed with the rich experience of leading math instruction for an entire school and mentoring fellow teachers. This background in educational leadership, curriculum development, and organizational management has deeply informed my approach to serving the broader community.
Now, seven years later, we are blessed to be members of this amazing community and parents to three wonderful children. Having recently welcomed our third, I have been called to a new, precious season of being home with my kids. This is the next chapter in my faith journey, and I am eager to transition the leadership and administrative skills honed over years in education to serve this church community in new ways.
DARIN POWERS
My wife, Christine, and I began attending TFCA in 2008, drawn by the vibrant youth ministry. With three sons in elementary and middle school at the time, Cornerstone quickly became central to our lives. Now, 32 years into our marriage, our sons are adults, each having benefited immensely from the discipleship of their Youth Family mentors. TFCA’s strong teaching and community have been, and continue to be, formative in our family's faith journey.
My personal story emphasizes the need for belonging. Through death and divorce, my mom raised my four brothers and me alone. Our interactions with mainline denominations were often challenging; we simply didn't seem to fit in. These experiences led me to doubt the Lord’s salvation promise. It wasn't until my early 20’s, just after college, that I was baptized, and Christ assured my heart that I belonged to Him forever. Since then, Christine and I have greatly benefited from the broader Christian community, from pre-marriage ministry and Bible studies to supportive small groups.
Early in our time at TFCA, we volunteered with Youth Family. For the past 11 years, I have been actively involved with the Fellows program, serving as a mentor, Job Teams lead, and now as the Steering Committee Chair. I also support our church staff through service on the TFCA Personnel Committee. Professionally, I am a retired Marine Corps officer and have subsequently held executive leadership roles in several companies.
I am excited for the opportunity to serve TFCA as a Vestry member. My core commitment—rooted in those early experiences—is to help everyone find their place and feel like a vital part of the body. Enabling cross-generational discipleship is the mindset I am thankful and appreciative to contribute to our Vestry.
TRAVIS SHANK
I was raised in a godly Christian home. My father was a pastor, church planter and ministry leader, and my mother was a stay-at-home mom. Our family planted four churches across the U.S. and supported dozens more around the world.
The Lord had mercy on me at a young age, revealing to me that I was a sinner and offering me the gift of faith and ability to accept Jesus as my Savior. When I was a teenager, He used circumstances and godly influences in my life to help me see my need to make my faith my own. By His grace, I surrendered my heart to Him and made Him Lord of my life. Learning to live a life of joyful surrender has been a consistent theme of my spiritual journey.
Throughout my life, I have served in various ministry roles, locally as well as globally. I worked in youth ministry for a prominent church, taught the Bible at a Christian school, and traveled to preach to youth groups. I also lived in South America, serving a church by teaching and caring for youth leaders and pastors’ families. At another church in this area, I served as an extended member of the church’s leadership team, providing pastoral care to the staff and lay eldership.
My family and I joined The Falls Church Anglican in the fall of 2019. The church became home for us almost immediately and has been one of the greatest blessings in our lives. We currently host a Young Life chapter for Justice High School in our home. My wife and I also started a small group in our home. The relationships we built there are a precious gift to us. After three-and-a-half years, I transitioned leadership to another leader and launched a new small group for the 20s–30s age demographic in the church.
Recently, I had the privilege of serving our Rector Sam on a vestry-led team to consider the topic of spiritual formation in the context of "whole life discipleship." One of my greatest ministry privileges is serving with a small group of men to provide connection and support to members of TFCA's pastoral team.
If elected to the vestry, I look forward to supporting areas including discipleship and spiritual formation for all ages, as well as providing administrative and management support to Sam and the pastoral team.
I have been married to Nora for twenty years. We have three children aged 17, 15, and 11. As a vocation, I am the U.S. president of a global software company.
CARLY j. sMITH
My husband, Andrew, and I began attending The Falls Church Anglican in 2008 and were confirmed as members in 2010. We arrived as a newlywed Methodist/Presbyterian couple seeking a place to worship and grow in our knowledge and love of the Lord. We expected to stay in the area for 3-5 years, yet here we are 17 years, 4 addresses, and 3 kids later! Wesley (12), Harvey (10), and Beatrix (7) enjoy the many gifts of the Children and Family Ministries and now Youth Ministry too. We are so thankful for this fellowship of believers in which each member of our family can plug in.
Blessed by so many of TFCA’s ministries, we desire to share our resources, time, and talents within the body. Early on, we served on the Welcome Team. Soon after, we became involved with the Young Adults ministry and served as small group leaders for 7 years with several other young couples who are still dear friends. Once our family grew, I began attending the Women's Ministry on Thursday mornings as part of Babes with Babes. I served as nursery registrar, a Babes small group leader, teacher, and eventually co-leader of Babes. Now that I have big kids, I’m honored to have joined the Thursday morning teaching team. Over the last few years I’ve had the opportunity to serve as a Lay Eucharistic Minister during the 9 am services, which is a true joy.
My faith journey is shaped by both rich blessings and deep prunings. Raised in a Christian household, my faith became a personal relationship with Christ during a middle school youth retreat. As I walk in Christ, I invite him to form me through the study of His Word, fellowship with believers, prayer, and daily rhythms. As a contemplative, I love to ponder how it is that in Christ all things hold together (Col. 1:17).
I am thankful to stand for vestry with my husband and children’s blessing. I hope to see our church hold fast to God's Word and its teachings while growing in our welcome to the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, and the poor in our midst. If elected, it would be my honor to prayerfully serve our church family in this capacity.
KELLY WOFFORD
I first came to TFCA almost six years ago, after a new job brought me to Northern Virginia and I began seeking a church home. When I walked out of TFCA after my first visit, I had a strong sense that this was where I was supposed to be. I was uplifted by the deep biblical teaching, the emphasis on discipleship, and the call to community, to missions, and to care for the vulnerable.
My walk with the Lord has been a lifelong journey. I grew up in a Christian home, and from my earliest memories I trusted Jesus as my Savior. In high school I joined my church’s Bible quiz team. That season was the catalyst for a deeper, more mature commitment. Through study and memorization, and the teaching of faithful leaders, God brought Scripture alive for me in a greater way, deepening my appreciation for the Word, God’s love for His people, and His mercy and grace toward us. That foundation has carried me through life’s inevitable and painful trials.
I have served in church ministry both at TFCA and elsewhere. At TFCA I’ve had the joy of leading a small group, mentoring a Fellow, and serving as a Lector and Lay Eucharistic Minister on Sunday mornings. Before coming to TFCA I had assisted in childcare, coached students in that same Bible quiz program I’d attended, and been a member of the program’s national committee, led adult singles, led a Bible Study Fellowship group, and discipled young women.
My professional background is in security, safety, risk management, and regulatory compliance. After almost a decade working in supply chain and logistics in Seattle and Amsterdam, my move to Virginia allowed me to apply these skills as a federal employee helping to keep our nation safe—a mission I’ve been passionate about since college.
In my free time I love to read and travel, and a few years ago these two interests (with the prompting of the Lord) happily led me to a conference in Oxford, U.K., where I met my husband, Jeff. I enjoy getting out for walks, search out new coffee shops, visiting historical sites, and dreaming of someday being a real gardener.
I’m honored to be nominated to serve as a vestry member, and I’m grateful for the trust it represents. I take seriously the responsibility of serving the TFCA community should I be selected. May God bless our church, and may we increasingly make His love known.