Where Lutherans Gather in Lovettsville
New Jerusalem Lutheran Church sits on Lutheran Church Road just outside the small Loudoun County town of Lovettsville, Virginia, and is a community of faith focused on love, service, and spiritual growth, where all people are welcome. The congregation, often shortened to NJLC, has long served the families and farmers of western Loudoun, and in recent years has become equally known for the Western Loudoun Food Pantry that operates out of its building each week.
Sunday Morning at Ten
The Sunday service begins at 10:00 a.m. and follows a traditional Lutheran liturgy that includes Holy Communion every week. Congregants and visitors of all ages are welcome, and families are encouraged to let their children experience and participate in the service. A nursery is available for those who prefer it, an open space to play while still watching and hearing the service through the live stream. After worship, the congregation shares a fellowship time with coffee, juice, and light snacks, a simple weekly rhythm that many in the parish count on as much as the service itself.
For those who cannot be there in person, the 10:00 a.m. service is livestreamed on YouTube, and a service archive of past weeks is available on the same channel.
A Place for Every Stage
The congregation's stated welcome is broad: anyone new to faith, returning after time away, or simply looking for a spiritual home. Faith formation classes for adults, children, and youth meet from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the first and third Sundays of each month. The First Sunday of the month is set aside for the children and youth of the parish, while the Third Sunday offers adult faith formation.
The Western Loudoun Food Pantry
The biggest extension of New Jerusalem into the surrounding community is the Western Loudoun Food Pantry, which shares the church's address and opens its doors every Wednesday from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., with appointments available outside those hours. The pantry operates on the honor system. There is no proof of residency or eligibility required, only a last name for inventory, and large staple items such as flour, sugar, and oil are limited to one per household per month so that as many families as possible can be served.
Confidential help is available for households who have a case worker through Loudoun County Mental Health, the Arc of Loudoun, or the Parent Liaison at a school in the Lovettsville School District, and shoppers may also be referred by a local faith community. Spanish-speaking neighbors are accommodated: pantry hours are posted in Spanish, with Wednesday afternoons from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. by appointment.
Donations can be dropped off at the church in the boxes in front of the pantry at any time, and gift cards for groceries or gas are welcomed alongside cash and online gifts. A wide list of urgent and standard needs, from beef stew and dry beans to shampoo and dog food, accompanies a Roll of Honor thanking the many local groups, businesses, schools, and scout troops that keep the shelves stocked, including the Lovettsville Lions Club, the Lovettsville Waterford Ruritans, the Lovettsville Game Protective Association, Freedom Masonic Lodge No. 118, the Lovettsville Historical Society, the Greater Brunswick Chamber of Commerce, the RHOLC Foundation, and several neighboring congregations.
A Wide Circle of Ministries
Beyond worship and the food pantry, the congregation sustains more than a dozen active groups. Music is well represented with a Choir and a Bell Choir that draw on volunteer musicians of varying skill levels. There is an Altar Guild that prepares the chancel, an AV Team that runs the sound and video, and a Building and Grounds crew that cares for the property. Outreach is paired with fellowship through the Food Pantry volunteers, a Knitting Group, and a Quilting Group that turn handmade gifts into missions. WELCA (Women of the ELCA) gives the women of the church a way to serve together. A Men's Group gathers for service and conversation, a Parents with Littles group supports young families, and two intergenerational groups, Young Adults and Young at Heart (for the parish's seniors), keep the age span from young adults to retirees connected. A separate Fellowship ministry coordinates the chili cook-offs, Fall Festival, and other seasonal events that fill the church calendar.
Pastor Josh and the Team
The Rev. Joshua A. Wullenweber, who arrived at NJLC in April 2024, serves as the congregation's pastor. Before that he was Associate Pastor at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in McLean, Virginia, and he retired after twenty years in the United States Air Force, where he served first as an aircraft maintainer and later as a chaplain. He and his wife Heather have one child and three pets, and for fun he hikes and fly fishes on the paths and streams of the Appalachian Mountains. Tammy Tritapoe, an active member of the Brownsville Church of the Brethren who retired from the railroad industry in 2019, serves the congregation as organist and administrative assistant. The work of the parish is governed by a 2026 Congregational Council led by President Don Bloom, Vice President Toni Chancellor-Adams, Secretary Sarah Legas, and Treasurer Joe Heffern, alongside council members Marty Cooper, Diana Dezern, Michael Gavigan, Joel Lemp, Jean Karmen, Barbara Tobler, and Cody Wagner.
Visiting New Jerusalem
New Jerusalem Lutheran Church is at 12942 Lutheran Church Road, Lovettsville, Virginia 20180. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and can be reached at 540-822-5576 or officenjlc@gmail.com. Weekly bulletins and the calendar of events are available online, and giving is available online as well.