Meet our Pastor:

Laetitia was born in 1972 in beautiful Somerset West, South Africa and was raised in the Strand where she also went to school. She was a member of the Dutch Reform Church for many years where she was baptized as an infant and also confirmed as a member when she was 16.

The gym was where she met the love of her life, Robert Schoeman. Robert is the pastor at Redland Church. They got married in 1993 when she was only 20 years old. After 3 years their eldest son, Daniel was born and 2 years later their daughter, Noelle. They now have 4 children, Daniel (27), Noelle (25), Luke (18) and Benjamin (10).

She also worked as a service advisor for Daimler Chrysler for many years in South Africa. She likes old (and new) V8’s and also loves motorcycles. She and her husband Robert love cruising through the Shenandoah Mountain areas. Cycling has also been a sport for the last 5 years and whenever she and Robert get some time, they love to go cycling together. 

They came to the USA in 2002 and immediately joined the UMC in Onancock on the Eastern Shore of VA. It felt like home and that is where both Robert and Laetitia started in the UMC Ministry as Youth Coordinators. Her husband got his 1st appointment in 2005 and she’s been working with a mentor since 2007 to also become a minister. She has preached at several churches and events on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and also here locally and in West Virginia. She is licensed as a local pastor and served at John Mann UMC in Winchester for a few years before she came to Fairview-Refuge UMC in 2016. She completed her theological studies at Wesley Seminary in Washington DC. 

Pastor Laetitia believes that the Bible is the infallible Word of God. She has a passion for souls and believes what John Wesley taught his pastors, that they had “nothing to do but save souls”. She lives with her family in Lake Holiday and just loves the quietness and beauty of the lake and mountain area.