Pastor Lauren Eanes has served as our senior pastor since January 2019. A graduate of Valparaiso University and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (now United Lutheran Seminary), she has served congregations in Farmington Hills, Michigan, and Charlottesville, VA. She lives in Harrisonburg with her spouse, Nathan, their four teenage children, and four cats.

Where did you grow up, and what brought you to Harrisonburg?

I grew up just outside the "Da Burgh" (Pittsburgh, PA). After college in Valparaiso, Indiana; Lutheran Volunteer Corps in Wilmington, Delaware; seminary in Gettysburg, PA; and serving churches in Farmington Hills, MI and Charlottesville, VA, I was called to serve Muhlenberg Lutheran Church in January 2019. My husband and I love the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley and the friendliness of this community--it's most definitely become home!

How does your faith happen in your daily life?

As a busy mom of four teens, faith is lived out on the go! Whether it's witnessing an act of kindness between two teammates at a high school event, having a spontaneous conversation about grace while in line at the grocery store, or simply taking a moment to give thanks for the life and love in our midst, God continues to show up and sustain us.

How did you become a pastor?

When I was in fifth grade, every time I was an acolyte at church on a Sunday morning, my pastor would tease me and say, "I'm tired today. Why don't you give the sermon instead?" And I'd giggle and declare that I couldn't do that! But as I got older, I started to realize that God was indeed calling me to ministry. It wasn't any kind of lighting and thunder, angel-appearing-in-a-dream moment, just a slow realization that I'd been gifted and called to serve in this way. I ended up studying theology in college and fell in love with God and the church. I was ordained in 2006 and I'm still in love! (Even on the Sundays when I'm tired and wish I could ask a fifth grader to preach for me!)

What is a fun fact about you that may surprise people?

I'm 6'1", and no, I don't play basketball.

What’s the most inspiring part of your job?

The people. Truly, the people in this community inspire me every day with their compassion and commitment, their faith and their doubts, their triumphs and their struggles. They inspire me with the ways they are open to God's Spirit working in their lives.

Ask me about:

My upcoming sabbatical adventure to England and Wales!

My favorite word in the English language is:

I recently learned the word vellichor, which means "the strange wistfulness of used bookstores," and I think that's my new favorite word.

If I could invent a holiday, it would definitely involve:

Eating chocolate. I wouldn't really care what we were celebrating as long as I could eat a lot of chocolate that day.

If we held a talent show, I’d wow everyone with:

My ability to reach things off high shelves.