Staff

The Rev. Robert J. Whitaker, Ph.D.
Rector

The Rev. Robert Whitaker is the founding pastor of St. John's Church. A native Virginian, he has served traditional Anglican parishes in Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Louisiana. He began ordained ministry in 1991, serving as the curate and first full-time rector of Christ Church, Warrenton, VA, from 1992 to 1995.

He graduated with a B.A. and High Honors in English from the College of William and Mary in 1983 and was also awarded the Dr. Murray Braderman Borish Prize as the College's most outstanding senior English major of that year.

He was later selected a Jacob K. Javits Fellow and obtained both an M.A. and a Ph.D. in English from Princeton University. His Ph.D. dissertation was on the 17th-century Anglican priest and poet George Herbert.

Having felt called to ordained ministry at an early age, he began studying theology, philosophy, the Bible, and church history as a teenager. He trained for ordination in a full-time, two-year Diocesan Training Program and internship under the Rev. Canon Stephen J. Dibble (M.Div., Nashotah House) and Archbishop John T. Cahoon (M.Div, Church Divinity School of the Pacific). He also took courses at Holyrood Seminary in Liberty, NY and is currently completing a master of divinity degree in the School of Divinity at Regent University.

With a background in the Episcopal Church, he joined the Anglican Catholic Church in 1979.

He lives in Virginia Beach with his wife, Kathryn, and son, Andrew.

The Rev. Brian K. Waite, M.Div., Ph.D.
Former Priest Associate and Chaplain-in-Residence

From 2004 to 2007, St. John's was blessed to have the Rev. Brian K. Waite as a priest associate and chaplain-in-residence. A full-time U.S. Navy chaplain, Fr. Waite has been the pastor of several large churches and the author of several books including For God & Country, his first-person account of the early days of the war in Iraq.

While stationed in Hampton Roads, he served as the Deputy Director, Head of Training and Operations for the Operational Ministry Center, as well as Command Chaplain for the Naval Submarine Support Center.

From August 2002 to July 2004 Fr. Waite served with the 2nd Marine Division in Camp LeJeune, NC. It was from there that he deployed to combat operations in Iraq with Task Force Tarawa, for which he was decorated for Valor.

He has appeared as a keynote speaker for the National Governor's Conference, served as a consultant for the State of Oklahoma's Department of Homeland Security in the area of Crisis Response, and was the featured guest panelist on a series of nationally syndicated National Public Radio specials.

Largely due to the events of 9/11, he felt compelled to return to active duty as a United States Navy Chaplain, sensing an overwhelming call to serve his country as well as God.

Fr. Waite holds a B.A. in Biblical Studies, an M.Div. in Biblical Languages (Hebrew and Greek), an M.B.A. in International Relations (with an emphais on Middle Eastern affairs), a D.Min. in Religious Studies, and a Ph.D. in Historical Theology.

His personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with combat "V" and two gold stars, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with one gold star, the Air Force Achievement Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Outstanding Military Volunteer Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal with bronze star, as well as numerous Unit and Service medals and ribbons.