Pastor Wanda L. Childs
Floyd Location, 635 Needmore Ln, FLOYD (Zion)
Willis Location, 5655 Floyd Hwy South, WILLIS (St. Mark)
Contact Us! Phone: (540) 745-2096 Email [email protected]
Floyd Location, 635 Needmore Ln, FLOYD (Zion)
Willis Location, 5655 Floyd Hwy South, WILLIS (St. Mark)
Contact Us! Phone: (540) 745-2096 Email [email protected]
Hi! I’m Pastor Wanda Childs and I began my ministry in the Southern Baptist tradition serving as
music & youth director in Longcreek Baptist Church in Huntersville, NC during my college years then going to Recife, PE in Brazil with the Foreign Mission Board for two years after college. I earned a Master of Divinity at Southeastern Southern Baptist Seminary in Wake Forest North Carolina and was ordained in 1987. I served as a Chaplain at St. Elizabeth’s Psychiatric Hospital in Washington, DC for 3 years before going to the Federal Bureau of Prisons where I served as a chaplain at the Federal Correction Institutions in Danbury, Connecticut and then the Federal Correctional Complex in Allenwood, Pennsylvania. Following the birth of my 3 sons, Nathaniel, Zachary and Benjamin I retired from the prison system and joined St. Luke Lutheran Church. It wasn’t long before I had entered into the candidacy program at Gettysburg Seminary to become a Lutheran Pastor! I was assigned a small Lutheran Church in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, serving them for 2 years. Before I could complete my Lutheran training at Gettysburg, however, we decided to move so the boys could be close to grandparents. I entered Southern Lutheran Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina. Upon completion of my candidacy, I was called to serve as pastor at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Beckley, WV where I stayed for 23 years! After leaving St. Luke, I took a call as the pastor at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Christiansburg, Virginia. I came to the Floyd-Willis Parish in 2020 in order to be close to my aging parents and am in love with these two wonderful congregations, St. Mark in Willis and Zion in Floyd! I have 3 cats, love hiking, biking, all kinds of music and anything out of doors! I thoroughly enjoy the unique community in which we live and the privilege of serving as Pastor of this most amazing Floyd-Willis Parish. |
Zion Lutheran Church & Cemetery is located one mile north of the town of Floyd. The white frame church stands in a grove of oak trees, separated from the cemetery by a growth of pines. In 1791 the first wave of German-American pioneer settlers moved to the area. This group, and others of like nationality & religion settled within a 5-mile radius of the present town of Floyd, formed the nucleus of the German Lutheran congregation, which was formally organized in 1813. Some of the original records still remain (which were kept in German until 1835). In 1898 the 4th and present church was erected. Behind the church is the Oak Grove Pavilion, a stage which host Saturday evening entertainment during the summer (these events help support local charities).
The church is located at 635 Needmore Lane (access from Rt. 8 and Christiansburg Pike) in Floyd.Services are held at Zion every Sunday at 9:30 AM. Phone: (540) 745-2096 Email [email protected] |
"Saint Mark Lutheran Church was organized October 1879 out of Zion Lutheran Church. C.A. Marks was the pastor who helped with the organization. It was then a part of the Floyd-Carroll Parish, along with Gladesboro, Carroll County, Zion, and Burk's Fork Churches. In 1930 Burk's Fork merged with St. Mark. In 1945 the two congregations united into the Floyd-Willis Parish it is today. Gladesboro is now an independent parish. The white frame church building erected about the time of the organization is still in use. The parish hall was added in 1936 by Rev. J.A. Shealy who also designed and made the altar and lectern still being used. The interior of the sanctuary was completely renovated in 1967-68 and the parish hall in 1975-76." (Information retrieved from Floyd County Virginia Heritage by S. Grose, 2001.)
The church is located at 5655 Floyd Hwy S in Willis. Services are held at St. Mark every Sunday at 11:15 AM. Phone: (540) 745-2096 Email [email protected] |