Pastor Walter Short Bio-
Pastor Walter is a second career clergy who received his call to ministry after having been self employed as a local contractor in the Southern Maryland area. Pastor Walter had served as Director of Youth Ministries, and later, Director of Disciple Ministries in addition to his involvement in music ministries as Gospel Choir Director and the leader of a praise bands.
Pastor Walter received a Bachelor of Science in Religion from Liberty University in 2005, a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in 2008, and a Doctor of Ministry in Leadership Excellence in 2015. He currently has been selected to study and work with the Financial Leadership Academy, a two year program promoting best practices in financial accountability, stewardship, and growth in local churches and in church leadership.
Ordained an Elder in the United Methodist Church in 2011, Pastor Walter especially enjoys leading Bible studies and worship. His preaching style ties Biblical context and truths to contemporary needs, offering hope in Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world.He strives for worship excellence that draws people into the presence of God, the sole focus of our worship, praise, and adoration. In worship, we celebrate with thanksgiving all that God has done in unity with God’s greatest gift, Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Pastor Walter and his wife, Lauren, especially enjoy active participation in music ministry, where Pastor Walter has always played guitar and both he and Lauren sing. He believes energetic and uplifting, but theologically sound Christ centered, God focused, music draws persons into God’s presence thereby experiencing here on earth the joyful worship we will celebrate in heaven. Mission and outreach beginning in the local community and extending throughout the world in meaningful, hands-on ways are part of Pastor Walter’s core values.
A native of St. Mary’s County, Maryland, Pastor Walter has been married to Lauren, a native of Vienna, Virginia since 2013. They enjoy the outdoors, discovering God’s creation through hiking, kayaking, fishing, crabbing, and simply observing nature from their back yard. They enjoy singing together, going to Christian concerts, theater and the arts, reading, and learning new things. Between them, they have seven children ranging from thirty years of age to eight- four boys and three girls. As of this date, there are no grandchildren.
Pastor Walter is United Methodist by choice. He is deeply convicted by Wesleyan theology focused on Jesus Christ, the grace of God’s unfailing love for all persons, and the sense of connectional community through the local and extended church. He believes each local church body, made up of many diverse persons, is a mission site connected to each other and bound covenentally by the Spirit of God through Jesus Christ to make a real difference in the real lives of real people to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.