The Rev. Dr. Hope Italiano Lee joined Vienna Presbyterian Church as the church’s new Lead Pastor October 4, 2021. Hope is a seasoned leader who has served congregations in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Most recently she was the Lead Pastor at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church in Bradenton, Florida.  She is anchored by a deep love of Jesus and is a nationally recognized preacher.

Hope holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary as well as a Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary. In all of Hope’s work, she demonstrates a strong belief that the people of the church are the face of Christ to the neighborhood and that God has already equipped us with all that we need to live out His mission and vision for the people right where we live and then to the world.

“We are so excited to welcome a pastoral leader of Hope’s caliber to Vienna Presbyterian Church,” said the Co-Chairs of the Pastor Nominating Committee, John Hall and Yvonne Malloy. “Her engaging, open style both in preaching and interacting with people of all backgrounds was what inspired our call for her to be our next Lead Pastor.”

Hope and her husband, Sung Lee, have three children: Anna, Peter, and Maria. In referring to her close-knit family, she states, “We don’t take ourselves too seriously … [but] we do take the Gospel seriously. And we try to live our lives in a way that carries the hope of Christ out into the world through our everyday living. We consistently seek to ‘be the church’ wherever we find ourselves.”  Read more about Pastor Hope