Our Story
PASTOR JOSH & CRYSTAL WHITLOW
CHANCELLORS
It would be an understatement to say that Josh Whitlow came from a family of pastors. On both sides of his family for five generations, there have been pastors loving and serving people. Needless to say, when Pastor Josh was 16, he felt that God was calling him, like so many before him, into a life of ministry.
Before his full time pursuit of ministry, Pastor Josh first had to answer his relentless desire to serve our country. In 2002, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. After 2 overseas deployments and participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Pastor Josh returned home in 2006. That same year he married his best friend and greatest ministry partner, Crystal. They now have four beautiful children, Lucy, Josh, Lincoln, and Josie.
After eight years of full time ministry and serving at Community Church in Ashburn, Virginia, he and Crystal knew that God was calling them to pursue the dream of planting a life giving church. In March of 2014, Pastor Josh and Crystal drove down Broad Street and immediately knew this was their new home. They have completely fallen in love with the city of Richmond – the people, needs and unimaginable potential. From starting in a small tent to where we are now, God continues to add people to help build His church and fulfill all we believe God is doing in RVA.
Heights Academy
Pastor Josh and Crystal believe the mission of Heights Church, to lead people to experience the God who can change their lives, is not only to be carried out through the church, which they planted in 2015, but also through Heights Academy.
Both Pastor Josh & Crystal have personally experienced the impact of private Christian education and are the benefactors of generations who gave their lives to building both the local church and the next generation of leaders. Pastor Josh dreams of developing and equipping the next generation, just like his father who founded Community Church in 1982 and Virginia Academy in 1997, now one of Loudoun County’s largest preschool-12th grade private schools.
“When the next generation is educated in Jesus’ name, they’re given the strongest foundation to build upon so they can grow to become world changers.”
-Pastor Josh Whitlow
“As a mom of four, I have experienced the challenges of finding the best educational fit for each of my children. I’ve learned how a personalized and positive educational experience impacts both our children and our home. Our heart is to create a place where every child is known and finds their confidence in who God made them to be. We see a school where children excel not only academically, but physically, emotionally and spiritually and grow into the fullness of their God-given potential.”
-Pastor Crystal Whitlow
