New Mount Zion Lutheran Church is led by the Rev. Dr. Bryan Katz. Pastor Bryan grew up in Haymarket, Virginia and is the son of Alan and Marti Katz. He is a graduate of Stonewall Jackson High School in Manassas, Virginia and began forming his faith life in his childhood and youth years at Haymarket Baptist Church.
Upon graduating high school, Bryan went to Virginia Tech to study Civil Engineering where he completed his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees. He has been a Professor in the Civil Engineering Department at Virginia Tech since 2007, currently as an Associate Professor of Practice. In addition, he leads the Engineering group as a Vice President in his family’s consulting firm, Toxcel.
Bryan and his wife Katie were married in 2006. Katie introduced Bryan to Lutheranism, the ELCA, and Lutheridge (a Lutheran Camp in Arden, North Carolina), where Katie was a camper, camp counselor, and senior staff member. Through these experiences in learning more about the Lutheran faith, Bryan started becoming interested in theology and began to discern a call into ministry.
Before accepting the call at New Mt. Zion, Bryan served as a Vicar to both Shiloh and New Mt. Zion Lutheran Churches, the Campus Minister for Lutheran Campus Ministry at Virginia Tech (The Well) and continues to serve in a Synod Leadership role as the Synodical Coordinator for Campus Ministry, working closely with the Rev. Dave Delaney in the Synod office.
Bryan completed his Master’s of Arts in Religion and Pastoral Ministry Certificate at the Institute of Lutheran Theology and has completed coursework through Luther Seminary, all through distance learning. He is currently participating in the TEEM (Theological Education for Emerging Ministries) program as a candidate for Word and Sacrament Ministry.
Katie is a Professor in the School of Nursing at Radford University. Katie and Bryan are blessed with two children, Emily and Ethan.