Tucked into a quiet stretch of Kings Way near the intersection of Fairfax County Parkway and Route 50, King of Kings Lutheran Church & Preschool has become a familiar gathering place for families across Fairfax, Chantilly, Centreville, and the surrounding Northern Virginia communities. The congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America lives out a simple motto, Following Christ, Living Faithfully, Serving Others, and its Sunday mornings reflect that rhythm: a 9:00 AM Adult Forum, a 10:00 AM worship with Holy Communion, and a lively coffee hour in the Fellowship Hall where newcomers are greeted by name.
A Sunday Morning at King of Kings
Worship is the heart of life at King of Kings. The whole community gathers at 10:00 AM each Sunday in the Sanctuary, where greeters and ushers hand out bulletins and help first-time guests find their way. Holy Communion is celebrated every Sunday, and the welcome at the Lord's Table is intentionally wide: all who trust in Jesus and desire His presence are invited to participate, whether or not they are members of King of Kings or of the Lutheran tradition.
Several details make the Communion practice approachable. Both wine and grape juice are offered, gluten-free wafers are available, and ushers guide worshippers forward. Anyone who prefers to stay seated can simply let an usher know and Communion will be brought to them. Children who have not yet received their first Communion are welcome to come forward for a blessing instead. A fellowship hour with coffee and light refreshments follows in the Fellowship Hall, and worship services are livestreamed on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person.
The dress code is as relaxed as the welcome. Visitors regularly arrive in jeans and t-shirts as well as business casual attire, and the atmosphere throughout the morning is casual and unhurried. The church also provides nursery care and age-appropriate programs so families with young children can participate comfortably.
A Reconciling in Christ Congregation
In December 2021, the congregation overwhelmingly voted to become a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) partner, an affiliation with the organization that since 1974 has advocated for the full welcome of LGBTQIA+ people in Lutheran communities. The vote followed a season of adult forum sessions, town hall listening opportunities, and intentional discernment about what it means to be a fully inclusive faith community.
The church's welcome statement spells out that commitment plainly. As a Reconciling in Christ community, King of Kings affirms racial equity, full inclusion, and anti-racism. It celebrates the full participation of LGBTQIA+ individuals in every aspect of church life, leadership, and ministry, and it holds an open Communion table where anyone, regardless of background, identity, or stage on their spiritual journey, is welcome to receive the sacrament. Whether someone is exploring faith for the first time, returning after time away, or simply looking for a place to bring their whole, authentic self, the church's own language insists there is a place for them at the table.
Children, Youth, and Confirmation
Children are woven into the life of the congregation from the earliest years. During the 10:00 AM worship, between the Prayer of the Day and the Hymn of the Day, children preschool through sixth grade are dismissed for Sunday School, where they explore the same Bible story being addressed in the sermon. A few times a year, school-aged children rehearse a song to perform during worship. Activity bags are available for children who remain in the pews, and families are invited to step out for a quiet break whenever needed.
The youth ministry, known as LYO (Lutheran Youth Organization), is built around fellowship and service. The group meets for games, movies, service projects, and seasonal events, and every Shrove Tuesday the youth host, prepare, and serve a pancake supper for the wider congregation. Friends are always welcome at LYO gatherings, which include scavenger hunts, kickoff dinners, and an annual Youth Sunday when young people lead the liturgy and music.
Confirmation is a two-year commitment that begins in seventh grade and concludes at the start of ninth grade with the Affirmation of Faith. Classes are held once a month on Sundays from October through April and include a week at Caroline Furnace Camp during the summer. The curriculum centers on Scripture and Luther's Small Catechism, and the program is open to any youth who wants to walk that journey, including those in the Special Needs program.
For younger creatives, the Kiddo Fiber Arts ministry gives children a chance to explore simple yarn crafts. Each project is framed as one of God's gifts of creativity, and no experience is required. The group meets after worship on selected Sundays throughout the year.
Music and Worship Arts
Music carries a great deal of weight in the life of King of Kings, and Director of Music Ministries Beth Gustafson has been shaping the sound of the congregation since 2001. A former freelance bassoonist in the greater Washington, D.C., area who also spent five years in Germany directing choirs, Beth leads a music program that reflects the diversity of the congregation through both traditional and contemporary expressions.
The Sanctuary Choir sings regularly, the King's Ringers handbell choir rings from the balcony, and the Celebration Players lead contemporary worship. Kingz Kidz, the children's music ensemble, regularly offer praise during worship, and other instrumental ensembles in brass, woodwinds, and strings round out the offerings. The guiding conviction is captured in a phrase the music ministry repeats often: all God's people sing all God's songs.
Adult Life Together
Adults find a wide range of ways to grow and connect at King of Kings. The Sunday morning Adult Forum at 9:00 AM invites adults and youth in grades seven through twelve for what is essentially an adult Sunday school, exploring social issues, Lutheran identity, Scripture, and spiritual practices in a discussion-based setting. A separate Friday morning Bible study at 9:30 AM, led by Jim and Ruthann McDivitt, offers another weekly touchstone for those who want to dig deeper between Sundays.
Pastor Elijah leads a Midweek Bible Study on Wednesdays at 11:00 AM. Recent seasons have focused on the Book of Psalms, walking through the Psalms of Lament and exploring how these ancient prayers give voice to grief and lead toward renewed trust in God's steadfast love. Pastor's Pen, the weekly email reflection, often continues those conversations through the week.
Fellowship is treated as seriously as study. Every Sunday after worship the Fellowship Hall fills up for Coffee Hour, and Brunch Bunch is a regular cross-campus outing in which members from the Fairfax campus and the Dulles South campus meet at a local restaurant for a meal together. A Women's Ministry gathers one Tuesday evening a month for connection, conversation, and hands-on service projects such as sorting donations for Lutheran Social Services. Some months the group hosts a movie night; other months it gathers for games.
Two adult interest groups have grown into signature ministries. The Fiber Arts group, a knit-and-crochet circle, meets monthly after worship to make prayer shawls for members in need of comfort, and card making or bring-your-own-craft nights are scheduled periodically for those who want fellowship while they work. King's Fermentation Community brings adults together monthly to learn about and share fermented beverages, with brewery field trips and group brews throughout the year.
Special Needs Ministry
King of Kings describes its Special Needs Ministry as small and growing, but its reach is wide. The ministry is open to adults and children of all ages and abilities, with the stated goal of ensuring that everyone has a place at King of Kings and can fully engage in the church's programs and services.
On Sunday mornings, the ministry offers full inclusion in the regular Sunday School program and supports full participation in worship. Activity bags are available for children, and families are invited to step out for a quiet break at any point during the service. The church has also adapted its Confirmation program so that any youth wanting that experience can be incorporated, and Vacation Bible School is open to all children, with staff ready to discuss individual needs ahead of time.
King of Kings Preschool
Sharing the Kings Way campus is King of Kings Preschool, a licensed, half-day morning program serving children from two-and-a-half to five years old. The preschool has been providing early childhood education in the Fairfax area for over twenty years, and its mission is closely tied to that of the congregation: a Christ-centered, nurturing community that is open to children and their families regardless of race, color, or national or ethnic origin.
Classes run from 9:15 AM to 12:15 PM, with an optional Lunch Bunch extension until 1:45 PM available most days. Tuition varies by age and number of days, and a $125 registration fee is collected at enrollment. The curriculum is built around play, process art, early writing, early literacy and language, early math, outdoor activities, weekly chapel, and a weekly music class led by a professional music teacher.
Director Lori Colonna has been part of the preschool community for more than twenty years, first as a parent and now as its leader. She is supported by a staff of college-educated early childhood educators who maintain CPR and First Aid certification and complete ongoing continuing education. The preschool follows the holiday schedule of Fairfax County Public Schools and uses Brightwheel as its school management system. Tours can be scheduled by calling the preschool office or emailing preschool@kofk.org.
Pastoral Leadership and the Wider Team
Lead Pastor The Rev. Dr. Elijah Mwitanti grew up in a Christian home in Luanshya, Zambia, where he first sensed a call to ministry in high school. After studying at the Theological College of Central Africa and serving in the Baptist Church, he came to the United States for further theological education, earning a Master's degree from Reformed Theological Seminary and a Doctorate from Drew University. He has served in the Lutheran Church since 1999, in both interim and full-time pastoral roles, and is widely recognized for his gifts in preaching, teaching, and global missions. He and his wife, Kerris, have four adult children.
Mission Pastor Garrett Wolf, a Northern Virginia native and George Mason University graduate, joined the King of Kings staff in 2018 after a decade in corporate finance and a Master of Divinity. He completed a Doctorate in Ministry from Mercer University in 2022 and is now leading the work to start a second site for King of Kings in Loudoun County. He and his wife, Niki, have three children.
Beth Gustafson has served as Director of Music Ministries since 2001 and has been a member of the congregation since 1992. Lori Colonna directs the preschool, and Fran Crabtree serves as the church's office administrator. A Congregational Council, led by Council President Larry Gloss with Vice President Colin Stoffer-Youth and Secretary Rachel Garrewats, works alongside the pastoral staff on the direction, mission, and vision of the congregation.
Mission and Outreach
King of Kings describes its mission in three movements: inspiring, equipping, and sending out faithful followers of Jesus. The church frames this through three commitments - Following Christ, Living Faithfully, and Serving Others.
Following Christ means paying attention to what God is already doing in the neighborhood and joining that work with fresh perspectives and Biblical insight. Living Faithfully centers on life in community, where every person plays a part in the shared mission and where discipleship is understood as moving from unbelief to belief in every aspect of life. Serving Others reflects a conviction that God is a sending, missional, and incarnational God, and that the congregation is called to continue that work by living out the good news in local communities and beyond.
Concrete expressions of that mission include the regular Women's Ministry service nights sorting donations for Lutheran Social Services, the annual pancake supper hosted by the youth on Shrove Tuesday, a Community Pentecost Service and Potluck hosted at King of Kings that brings together Ox Hill Baptist, Chantilly Baptist, Pender UMC, Christ Presbyterian, and the Korean UMC of Koinonia, and the launch of a second site in Loudoun County. Cross-campus brunches and shared Bible studies link the Fairfax campus with the Dulles South campus in Chantilly.
Getting Connected
Anyone interested in attending can plan a first visit by following the directions to 4025 Kings Way, Fairfax, Virginia. The church is located near the intersection of Fairfax County Parkway (Route 286) and Route 50. Visitors turn onto Middle Ridge Drive, take an immediate left onto Kings Way, and follow the road around to the parking lot.
Worship services are livestreamed on YouTube for those who want to tune in from home. Online giving is available through the Vanco Mobile app, by texting a gift to the church's toll-free number, through online bill pay via a personal bank, or by mailing a check to the church office. A weekly newsletter keeps members and friends current on upcoming events, Bible study topics, and opportunities to serve.
Church office hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and the preschool office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Anyone interested in learning more about the life of the congregation is invited to attend an inquiry session in the Library after worship, where questions about membership, beliefs, and the rhythm of the church can be explored in a relaxed setting.
A Word on Belonging
What keeps drawing people back to King of Kings, in the words of its pastors, is a simple trio: friendship, community, and faith. The sanctuary is full on Sundays, but the building is busy most days of the week - preschoolers in the classrooms, women sorting donations in the fellowship hall, handbells ringing from the balcony, fiber artists stitching prayer shawls, fermentation brewers bubbling in the parking lot, and Bible study groups gathering in small rooms around the campus. It is, as the church likes to say, a place where everyone has a place at the table.