Who We Are

We are a diverse community, with members from many different racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and demographic backgrounds: black, white, and Asian; students, professionals, and those just getting on their feet; old and young; longtime church attenders and those who had never set foot in a church before. We welcome all people to worship with us!

Our Pastors

We are led by two pastors, Ed Charlton and Jodi Charlton. Ed Charlton was born in Steubenville, Ohio, and was raised in nearby Wellsburg, West Virginia. He grew up in a local Christian church and was active there, becoming a Christian in 1967 at age eleven.

Jodi Newhart Charlton was born in Lebanon, Indiana, and was raised in Jamestown, Indiana. She too grew up in a local Christian church and was active there, becoming a Christian in 1970 also at the age of 11.

Ed and Jodi met at Milligan College in Tennessee. Ed graduated from Milligan in 1977 with a B.A. in Bible and Human Relations and went on to graduate study at the nearby Emmanuel School of Religion. During his time as a graduate student, Jodi came to Milligan as a student, and Ed and Jodi married in 1980. Jodi finished her B.A. in Music and Music Education in 1981 while Ed earned his Master of Divinity from Emmanuel in the same year.

The Charltons have served together in ministry for over 26 years in four churches prior to Vineyard Church of Washington. From 1981 to 1983, they ministered with the Watauga Christian Church, a rural congregation in upper East Tennessee. From 1984 until 1990, they led and pastored the Brady Lane Church of Christ in Lafayette, Indiana, a suburban church in west central Indiana. In the summer of 1990, the Charltons moved to Columbus, Ohio, to minister with the Indianola Church of Christ, two blocks from the campus of Ohio State University. While at the Indianola Church, God stirred up Ed and Jodi to church planting. They, along with a small core group, planted the New Covenant Christian Church in northeast Columbus in October of 1994.

During that church-planting experience, the Charltons made a connection with the Vineyard. They lived near Vineyard Church of Columbus. First Jodi and a friend, then Ed started attending the Saturday night worship at Vineyard Columbus while maintaining a ministry with the New Covenant congregation. God was stirring up the Charltons for more of the Vineyard. In the Fall of 2000, both Ed and Jodi enrolled in Vineyard Leadership Institute (VLI), a two-year program to train and equip men and women for leadership and church planting in the Vineyard. After one year in the program, Ed and Jodi sensed God's release from ministry with the New Covenant congregation. They stepped down from their ministry there in June 2001, took secular jobs, and continued the VLI program. Both Ed and Jodi graduated from VLI in May 2002.

While finishing VLI, the Charltons were desperately seeking where God was leading them next. In a prayer time with a Vineyard friend in Columbus, a word was given simply to "Hang on!" The picture was that Ed and Jodi would be flung out of VLI and Vineyard Columbus like on a huge roller coaster. The full meaning of that word soon became obvious. In a matter of just a few weeks, they were connected with the Wheeling Vineyard and the Washington group. By the fall of 2002, Ed and Jodi had moved their family to Washington to pastor and lead Vineyard Church of Washington.

Jodi was ordained as a Vineyard Pastor in September of 2003. Ed and Jodi together serve as co-pastors of Vineyard Church of Washington

Leadership Community

The leadership community is a team of individuals who oversee each area of ministry in the church. While VCOW is a pastor(s)-led church, these other leaders assist our pastors in the workings of the church.

Staff

The church is also served by an administrative assistant, Sherry Prescott.