VITAL Conversations with Pastor Dan and Angie Griffith
Vital Conversations: Lessons Learned from the Margins.
Name: Daniel (Dan) A. Griffith
Spouse: Angelia (Angie) A. Griffith
Kids/Grandkids: Joshua (28) married to Veronica (lives in Kentucky) with two grandchildren, Joanne (3) and Jerald (born 5/21/25). Christian (26) married to Avanna (lives in Seattle) with one grandDogter, Swarlie (3 y/o female Berna doodle).
Church: Culpeper Community Church of God
How long have you pastored this church? Interim Pastor since June 22, 2025
Other churches you have served?
- Currently at Harvest Church of God, Charlottesville, as a Deacon, Community Service Chaplain, Volunteer Finance/Admin Advisor
- Covenant Church of God, (prior name for Harvest), Deacon, Charlottesville
- Volunteer deployed Chaplain, Central Command, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Active Duty Army) (non-COG)
- Volunteer Minister / Youth Pastor, Seoul, South Korea (Active Duty Army) (non-COG)
1. How has God confirmed His calling on your life?
God first placed a calling on my life during my teenage years. Like many, I resisted, questioning my faith and purpose as life’s challenges arose. That decision to run from His calling led me down paths marked by hardships and near tragedy. Yet even when medical experts gave me no hope, God had a plan.
Over the years, He has blessed us with miraculous healings—both personally and for our children, whose faith was too young to stand on its own. We have felt His protection as we traveled the world, including deployments to the Middle East and Afghanistan, as well as journeys to remote places where His angels surrounded us.
In late 2024, I received an undeniable calling and confirmation to leave my position at the University of Virginia. This conviction was deepened during our time at the inaugural Paul L. Walker Center for Pentecostal Preaching fall program. Stepping away from full-time employment in December 2024 brought financial uncertainty in 2025, yet God has faithfully provided for all our needs—and many of our wants. While we no longer live at the same financial level we once did, our spiritual depth, commitment, and peace in obedience have never been greater.
2. How has God proven His faithfulness in your ministry?
In 2019, I received devastating news: medical tests showed I had no more than twelve months to live. Facing what seemed like the end, I was reminded that God was not finished with me. By His grace, I was able to join an experimental study that required a complete overhaul of our diet and lifestyle. Just as we reached the critical one-year mark, the COVID-19 pandemic began, pushing the study to continue remotely.
Amid these uncertain times, Angie and I both enrolled in full-time, doctoral-level programs. She completed her Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in Higher Education while working remotely. I continued my Doctorate in Healthcare Administration while serving near the front lines at UVA Emergency Medicine, fitting and verifying PPE for the region during the peak of the pandemic. With our oldest son an active phlebotomist collecting blood for the Red Cross and our youngest a residential spiritual counselor and student at Liberty, the frontlines were around us and the unknown was becoming very common. Balancing doctoral studies, demanding work, unknown how our children were going to get through the pandemic, and a terminal diagnosis seemed insurmountable—but God sustained us with peace that surpassed understanding.
In late 2021, we completed our advanced degrees. Angie remained in remote work, and I returned fully to in-person care at UVA Health. The research study resumed in-person testing, and at each visit, we shared our testimony with doctors, researchers, and fellow participants. Despite further health scares and discouraging test results along the way, God remained faithful. By the fourth year of the study, the results were astonishing: a 25% reduction in body weight and critical health markers returning to normal. In the fifth year, as the study concluded, the staff affectionately called us their “blessed poster children.”
What was once declared a 12-month prognosis has turned into years of thriving and serving. Through this season, God opened countless doors: helping hundreds during COVID-19 with PPE initiatives; Angie earned her Ed.S., I completed my DHA, we finished the Ministerial Internship Program (MIP), Angie has been the President of the Women’s ministry at Harvest Church of God, I passed my Ordained Minister’s exam, and we have continued training for the next level of ministry credentials. With the blessing of our mentors (medical and ministerial), medically, I have been cleared by the doctors for all of the negative test results over the past years and ministerially, we have preached in churches across the Commonwealth, served at Virginia Church of God Camp Meetings, volunteered wherever needed, and now serve as interim pastors at Culpeper Church of God.
God has proven Himself faithful time and again—through my years of running, my doubts, my military service around the world, and a prognosis that should have ended my life long ago. He continues to remind us that His calling is irrevocable and that His plans are far greater than ours.
3. Why do you enjoy pastoring your local congregation?
I have followed a unique path to pastoral ministry. Like many, I held entry-level jobs after high school before beginning my military career. I then served 20 years on active duty in the United States Army as a Noncommissioned Officer, retiring honorably as a Sergeant First Class with numerous awards and decorations. After my military service, I spent 11 years in healthcare administration at the University of Virginia. During this time, I built on my educational foundation—retiring from the Army with two master’s degrees, then earning an MBA and a doctorate while working full time.
Before stepping into a pastoral role—even now serving as an interim pastor—I brought with me more than 30 years of leadership across two separate careers, along with three graduate degrees and a doctorate. These experiences have shaped my approach to ministry, equipping me to serve with vision, compassion, and practical wisdom.
Yet, with all these achievements behind me, nothing has brought me greater joy than ministering to God’s people. I cherish every opportunity to counsel individuals and families through life changes that strengthen their homes, finances, and businesses. I am grateful for the privilege of gathering with the local church to plan meaningful worship, navigate technology, and steward resources wisely to advance the Kingdom. Above all, sitting in hospital rooms praying with members and their families reminds me why I answered this call: to offer to others the care and presence I once longed for myself.
4. Why is your local congregation vital to your community?
The Culpeper Community Church of God congregation has been a steadfast presence in the community for decades, serving as a foundational congregation devoted to the uncompromised Word of God. This group of believers are deeply committed to the preaching, teaching, and sharing of biblical truth with the broader community. The congregational family has a genuine heart for worship, a passion to seek the Kingdom of God, and a vision to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those around them. Culpeper Community Church of God strives to support, engage, and minister to people of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds — all for the glory of God’s Kingdom.
5. What is one valuable lesson you’ve learned from a misstep or mistake in handling a situation?
As an Army Noncommissioned Officer, I often struggled with impatience and had little tolerance for lengthy explanations or stories — a trait that carried over into my post-Army career and personal life. At times, I gave the impression that there were only two ways to do things: my way or the wrong way. For years, I excused this by claiming I was simply a “tell it like it is” kind of person. While some appreciate that directness, I’ve come to understand that this approach can harm more than it helps — and that most people respond better to truth spoken with grace and care.
This has been one of my greatest lessons: to lean daily on the everlasting arms of God for strength, wisdom, and understanding so I can continue to grow in compassion, patience, and restraint. I am learning that quick, reactive words can wound deeply — and although apologies may be accepted, they often do not erase the hurt they cause. Sometimes, believing I am right can be just as damaging as the mistakes I perceive in others.
Going forward, I want to be more like God has been with me in my responses; he listens attentively when I ramble, doesn’t interrupt me when I go down a rabbit path, and does not cut me down because my reflection or response is not mirroring His. My goal is to pause and reflect before I speak — and to remember that sometimes no response is needed at all. Not every statement or question requires an immediate reply. By embracing these moments for prayer and reflection, I hope to lead and serve others with greater kindness, humility, and genuine care for their hearts and well-being.
6. Have you had to think “outside the box” to accomplish a task or mission in the church and what was it?
I have been serving as an interim pastor for only a short time, so I speak from a present perspective rather than long-established pastoral experience.
First and foremost, I am deeply committed to sound stewardship and responsible debt management, personally and ministerially. If God chooses to keep us here for the long term, I believe that taking on significant debt is neither wise nor sustainable. From my experience as a church member, minister, deacon, and now pastor, I have seen how burdensome debt can hinder growth and discourage full congregational engagement.
One key dynamic I have observed in healthy churches is the importance of generational depth — welcoming babies, children, youth, young adults, adults, and seniors alike. Meaningful growth depends on creating spaces and programs that meet the unique needs of every age group.
Culpeper Community Church
Our current building, however, presents real limitations. It cannot be easily expanded without major modifications that would likely cost more than rebuilding altogether — an approach that conflicts with our commitment to avoid burdensome debt. We have no attic or basement to adapt for ministry use, and while there are small, detached structures on our nearly two-acre property outside the city limits, these separate spaces pose real safety concerns for children and youth ministries in today’s world.
This leaves us with a clear tension: to grow, we need relevant programs and inviting spaces; yet to create those spaces responsibly, we need more people and resources — which depend on the very ministries we hope to offer. It is truly a “chicken-and-egg” situation.
I believe our path forward must be shaped by prayerful discernment, creativity, and a shared vision. I welcome the wisdom and input of our congregation and community leaders as we explore what God may provide — whether that means maximizing our existing property, partnering with others, or reimagining how we serve families of all ages within our means.
Together, through wise stewardship and unwavering faith, I trust we can navigate this challenge and grow in a way that honors God and strengthens His Kingdom here in Culpeper. I encourage us all to pray for clarity, creativity, and unity as we seek His plan for our next steps.
7. What are some of the future ministry goals for your church?
As an interim pastor, I have not established a vision, mission, and goal statement and perspective with the congregation. However, while these ideas have not yet been formally presented to the congregation, I have already discussed several ways they can engage the community and increase the church’s presence locally, regardless of who fills the pastoral role. These goals include:
Partnering with a local classroom — public or private — to adopt and support its needs. Although we may have limited finances, our congregation’s skills, time, and willingness to serve can make a meaningful difference.
Building relationships with local leaders — including the city and county police chief, sheriff, fire chiefs, and elected officials — to better understand the needs of our community. These connections can open doors for training, outreach opportunities, and partnerships that benefit both the church and the wider community.
Collaborating with the local pastoral council to stay informed about community needs and to support shared ministry efforts. This fellowship can also strengthen our presence and expand our reach to new families, as the Holy Spirit leads.
Additional ideas are taking shape, including connecting with local veterans’ groups, shelters, and community support centers. For now, I remain prayerful and open as we seek God’s guidance about whether He is calling us to stay here long term — that decision, of course, will be a collaborative decision with the defined parties made through prayer, seeking spiritual wisdom, and according to the guidelines set forth in the Minutes and wisdom of the leaders God has blessed us with in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
In the meantime, I believe planting these seeds faithfully is worthwhile, trusting God to bring the growth in His perfect timing. I invite you to pray with me that the Lord will open the right doors, provide wisdom and favor, and guide our steps as we move forward together.
As a new pastor, I also welcome any ideas you may have for how we can serve our neighbors and share Christ’s love more effectively. Thank you for standing with me in prayer and partnership.
Joshua (28) married to Veronica (lives in Kentucky) with two grandchildren, Joanne (3) and Jerald (born 5/21/25).
Christian (26) married to Avanna (lives in Seattle) with one grandDogter, Swarlie (3 y/o female Berna doodle).
