Hello Galilee,

I am Michael (Mike) Plasters and I am excited to be joining Galilee and the Chapel at Lansdowne Woods as your new Senior Pastor. Let me begin by sharing a little bit about myself.

I was raised in Patrick County, Virginia, located south of Roanoke on the Virginia/North Carolina border. Some would say that makes me a country boy and in many ways I still identify with rural life. I do prefer the slower pace and relaxed life of county living.  

I grew up surrounded by loving grandparents and aunts, uncles and cousins. We all lived within two miles of each other. Very early in my religious journey, I attended an independent Baptist Church where I came to know Christ and was baptized at seven years old. 

At a young age, my great grandmother gave me a Bible and wrote in it that I needed to study this book because one day I would be a preacher. At the time, I thought she was crazy. I guess in reality she saw something in me at the age of nine that I was not able to recognize.

Rev. Mike Plasters’ first Sunday at Galilee will be July 7

I continued in that church for a few years until there was a fight. Literally a church fight. (More about that later, it’s a good story). I ended up joining a church many friends attended, Salem UMC. We had a great pastor and youth program and it felt like a great place to be. 

After high school, I planned to go to college, major in business, and start a landscape and greenhouse operation (I love gardening). However, in my senior year I began to acknowledge what I knew in my heart and so many others had named. Turns out my great grandmother was not crazy. God was calling me to ministry. 

So in May of 1984, I announced to my home church that I was going into ministry. None of them were shocked. However, I was!

I was appointed to a small church as a local pastor at the age of 19. I know. 19, right?What were the Bishop and District Superintendent thinking? Well, here I am beginning my 39th year in ministry.

Mike has most recently been serving at St Matthews UMC in Annandale

During that time I have served as children’s and youth pastor,  Associate Pastor and as the Senior Pastor of small, medium and large churches in Southern Virginia, Central Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, Tidewater, and Northern Virginia.

I have also served the denomination by being a member of several district committees. Currently I serve on the NOVA District Committee on Ministry. I also serve on the Conference Church Development Team. I have been trained in starting churches, best practices for revitalizing existing congregations, and managing churches to thrive. During my ministry I have led the physical expansion and renovation of five churches, from major additions to constructing a whole new church building. I look forward to lifting Galilee up to where God wants us to be.

I have been happily married to Rev. Dr. Sandra Benton Plasters for 23 years. Sandi will be serving Bethany UMC in Purcellville, where we will be living. We are proud parents to Hannah Benton Plasters, a rising senior at the University of New Orleans. After her graduation next year, Hannah plans to study law and become a civil rights attorney. We also have two fur babies: Cricket is a mini doxie who lives with Hannah. Gracie is our golden retriever, who likes to come to work with me from time to time.   

Sandra and Mike and their daughter Hannah with dogs Gracie and Cricket

That is enough about me. I look forward to working with Steven Carr, Galilee’s new Associate Pastor, our church staff, and each of you to help reveal the love of Jesus Christ to this broken and hurting world in hopes of bringing God’s Kingdom to the last, the least, and the lost.  

See you in person in a few weeks. Until then,

May God’s grace and peace fill you.