Andrea Wagenbach
In September 2022, two women joined the Military Advisory Committee of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the first time in the Church’s history. One of those is Andrea Wagenbach, who works for the U.S. Department of Defense.
The eleven-member Military Advisory Committee advises Church leaders on military matters. It was established by the First Presidency during World War II to help support and minister to military members, chaplains and their families.[1]
“For me, to have a more diverse and varied background makes the Military Advisory Committee stronger and better able to serve,” said Todd Linton, director of the Military Relations Chaplain Services Division. “When you look at the population of the world and the Church, half of them are women. It’s great that we have their recommendations and perspective when we try to serve and minister to others in the military.”
Wagenbach grew up on the East Coast and studied at the University of Virginia and earned a bachelor’s degree with a double major in economics and Russian language and literature. After earning a graduate degree at Georgetown University, she found work with the Department of Defense, where she was employed on September 11, 2001.
“I’ve worked for the Department of Defense my entire life and I have deep respect for the men and women in the military,” she said.[2] As the Church’s director of public affairs and communication for northern Virginia, Wagenbach started working with the Church’s Military Advisory Committee at the beginning of the year in preparation for the Washington D.C. Temple open house. A few months later they called her to be part of the committee.
“My challenge, my strength and my position in life has been to go to my Father in Heaven and trust in Him,” she said. “We go through a challenge and it hurts, and we have faith and we’re blessed. . . . The Lord has been with me. What I do hope is that I can offer the compassion and the wisdom and what I have seen as a single person in the Church. I can share what I’ve learned.”[3] She served as a full-time missionary to Russia.
