Our Pastor

The Rev. Justin W. Cullen

Favorite Bible Verse: Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet."

Life Experience:  I was born and raised along the Chesapeake Bay in Hampton Roads, Virginia and spent half of my childhood in the City of Hampton then we moved to a small fishing town called Urbanna just north of where the Battle of Yorktown took place during the Revolutionary War. I have a mother and father, of course, and I had one older brother, Luke, who passed away in 2015. I grew up mainly around extended family (aunts, uncles, and cousins), who still live along the east coast. I was baptized and confirmed at St. Mark Lutheran Church (ELCA), Yorktown, VA and I attended an LCA turned ECLA parochial school in Hampton, VA until the 3rd grade. When I was a teenager, my parents decided to move to the LCMS, because of developing doctrinal differences with the ELCA and we attended a small LCMS church in Urbanna, VA.

I graduated from Middlesex High School in 2002, with a senior class size of 47. My college experience was a little untraditional. I joined the Virginia Army National Guard after graduating from high school and became a student at Virginia Commonwealth University majoring in Political Science with a minor in Russian. However, I transferred to the Regular Army after only completing two academic years. While on Active Duty, I completed an Associate in General Studies from Central Texas College, a Bachelor of Science in Religion from Liberty University, and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. This was accomplished through night classes and distance learning. 

I joined the Army in 2003 by enlisting in the Virginia Army National Guard as a Chaplain Assistant. I later transferred to the Regular Army in 2004 as a Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. In 2006, I applied and was approved to become an Army CID Special Agent, and after several years of experience, I was commissioned as a Warrant Officer in that same field. As a CID Special Agent, I investigated felony level crimes for the U.S. Army. My rank upon leaving active duty was Chief Warrant Officer Two, and my last assignment was as an Instructor at the Military Police School in Fort Leonard Wood, MO. In January 2018, I resigned my rank in order to accept a commission as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Chaplain. I am currently serving as the Chaplain of the 10th Psychological Operations Battalion at Jefferson Barracks, MO.  I have been stationed in South Korea, Fort Bragg, NC, Fort Bliss, TX, Fort Hood, TX, Fort Eustis, VA, Fort Lee, VA, and Fort Leonard Wood, MO. In addition, I have completed combat tours in Iraq, Kuwait, a foreign security mission in Cairo, Egypt, South Korea and officially traveled to places like Iceland, Ireland, Hungry, Germany, and Mexico. 

Family Life: My wife and I met at Fort Eustis, VA, while we were both assigned there as Special Agents. Kimberly is a combat veteran, who served 10 years Active and 3 years Reserve. The Lord graciously blessed me by assigning Kimberly to my detachment at Fort Eustis. Kimberly was coming back to the U.S. after being stationed in Vicenza, Italy for three years. We have four children Allison (15), Benjamin (8), Nathan (6), and Mary (4). My wife is a called Lutheran Teacher and holds a Master’s in Crisis Counseling and Master’s in Teaching from Concordia University, St Paul.




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