Doug began his pastoral ministry in Trenton, NJ at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) from 1971-1975 before becoming the pastor of New Life in Christ Church (NLICC) in Fredericksburg, Virginia, in 1975, where he served faithfully until his death in 2024. Doug started NLICC as an unaffiliated church but steadily led the church into the Presbyterian Church in America in 1998.

Rev. Dr. Douglas Warren Kittredge was called into the presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on February 10, 2024. His earthly journey was distinguished by a deep commitment to his God, his family, his church, and the global mission of the church, leaving an unmistakable impact on all who knew him.
Douglas is survived by his devoted wife of 54 years, Mary Jane, their four children: Douglas Charles, Rachel Marie Whitman (James), Andrew Mark (Sarah), Naomi Elizabeth Wilson (Chad); and 13 grandchildren: Juliet (Ryan), Tyler, Isabel, Lincoln, Elijah, Esther, Abigail, Jordan, Judah, Wren, Sybil, Margaret, and Faye. His legacy also lives on through his sister, Jeanette Stadick of Roselle, Illinois.
His academic journey laid the foundation for his ministry, beginning with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wheaton College in 1968, followed by a Master of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary in 1971, and culminating in a Doctor of Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 1988.
Doug began his pastoral ministry in Trenton, NJ at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) from 1971-1975 before becoming the pastor of New Life in Christ Church (NLICC) in Fredericksburg, Virginia, in 1975, where he served faithfully until his death in 2024. Doug started NLICC as an unaffiliated church but steadily led the church into the Presbyterian Church in America in 1998. As such, he transferred from the OPC to the “Delmarva” (Delaware, Maryland & Virginia) Presbytery (of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod) in 1975 and was received into the James River Presbytery (of the Presbyterian Church in America) in 1982.
Doug had the perseverance and the kind blessing of God to pastor NLICC for nearly 49 years. During his tenure in Fredericksburg, Doug and Mary Jane pioneered much of the community’s spiritual and educational development. They demonstrated a strong commitment to Christian education, helping to inspire the vision behind Fredericksburg Christian School, contributing to its early success, and serving on its board. Recognizing the needs of homeschooling families, in 2004 they led in organizing Christ Covenant School, a homeschool cooperative in Fredericksburg.
Doug’s commitment to the dignity of God-given life led him to support the establishment of pro-life ministries in Fredericksburg. His early support and vision were instrumental in bringing Bethany Christian Services and a crisis pregnancy center to the area.
His passion for equipping future church leaders motivated and supported the launching of the Fredericksburg branch of New Geneva Theological Seminary in 2002. Here he taught and mentored many men to licensure and ordination within the James River Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America.
Under Doug’s visionary leadership, several new churches were started, and he helped organize three city-wide evangelistic campaigns in collaboration with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Organization. He was pivotal in advancing the work of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at the University of Mary Washington by supporting the first full-time worker on campus.
Doug had a strong conviction of the church’s responsibility to reach the Jewish people with the gospel. He made numerous trips to the nation, fostering friendships with local churches and leading many groups on tours of the land to connect with Christian workers. In 2012, he helped start the Jerusalem Gateway Partnership, a missionary partnership aimed at establishing and supporting churches in Israel and surrounding areas. His written works, “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem” and “God’s Plan for Peace in the Middle East,” underscore his commitment to building the church in the Middle East.
However, the crown jewel of his ministry was undoubtedly New Life in Christ Church, which he began in 1975 with just 10 organizing families. The church has since grown significantly, impacting thousands worldwide through its ministry and missions’ arm. Doug was a torchbearer of historic evangelicalism, influenced by his childhood church (Park Street in Boston), his childhood pastor (Harold J. Ockenga), the martyrdom of the “Auca missionaries”, and his time at Wheaton. His evangelical commitments shone through in his conviction on the truthfulness of the Bible, his faith in the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and his efforts in evangelism and worldwide missions. Doug was certain that the local church of Jesus Christ would make a significant difference for the kingdom of God and was the driving force behind his lifelong ministry. He was a pastor at heart, caring to know and be involved in the lives of each person at the church. Countless people have testified of his caring pursuit like a shepherd to the sheep.
When Doug was young, still a young man, he had a chance to join his pastor and Billy Graham as Graham spoke at the Harvard Law Forum. It was a significant day in Doug’s life as Billy Graham challenged these law students to consider the claims of Christ even as they prepared for their career in law.
Doug remembers traveling with his pastor Harold John Ockenga and Billy Graham in a car. Ockenga introduced young Doug to Billy Graham and said, “This young man wants to be a pastor”. Graham looked squarely at him and said, “Is that right, you want to be a pastor?”  Young Doug answered, “Yes, sir.” Graham’s response is something that Doug would remember all his life, “You’ll do well.”
On February 10, 2024, Rev. Dr. Douglas Warren Kittredge heard those words again, but this time, not from Billy Graham, he heard them from His Savior, “You have done well. Well done, good and faithful servant, enter in the joy of your master. He has received the crown laid up for him in heaven, a crown of God’s grace that he will place down in worship at his Savior. Doug Kittredge, a sinner saved by grace, now lives in the abundant love and grace of God in glory.
Sean Whitenack is a Minister in the Presbyterian Church in America and is the Pastor of New Life in Christ PCA in Fredericksburg, Va.
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Justice Neil Gorsuch made a strong statement supporting our request. He wrote, “This case may be a small one, and one can hope that the error here is so obvious it is unlikely to be repeated anytime soon. But I would correct it. Bureaucratic efforts to ‘subject’ religious beliefs to “verification” have no place in a free country.” 

“For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.” (Psalm 112:6–8, ESV)
As you may remember, New Life in Christ Church (PCA) requested the Supreme Court to hear our appeal to overturn a ruling from the City of Fredericksburg. The lawsuit is related to a house we use as the home of our college ministry directors, near to the campus of the University of Mary Washington. First, the city denied our requests for property tax exemption, and we subsequently lost a lawsuit at the city level before the state Supreme Court denied our state-level appeal. The First Liberty Institute reached out to us and took our case, putting together a magnificent appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, assembling a large set of amicus briefs (letters written as friends to the court on our behalf), and putting together a top-notch legal team. We have been waiting for an answer since September. You can see the case here. You can also look back at the NLIC weekend email newsletter on 8/6/21 and 9/17/21 for our early communication.
We received the Court’s response on Tuesday [01/18/22], and we are disappointed to share that the Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal. The decision of the Fredericksburg Court remains and we will continue to pay property taxes on the house.
In the end, this is not simply about money. The property taxes will not sink the ministry. Yes, we would rather use that tax money for other missions-oriented reasons, but it is a bigger matter than just money. It’s part of a larger religious liberty issue. It is said that “the power to tax is the power to destroy.” If the state has the power to tax a church, as it is acting as a church, it has the power to destroy it. Our Constitution was written so that we could have true freedom of religion and be free to live our conscience before the Lord.
The root issue in our case was whether the government has the right to determine who is or is not a minister. We believe that is the function of the church. In the end, the City of Fredericksburg took that right, and set themselves up to decide who is properly described as a “minister.” We believe they don’t have that right. Can you imagine governments around the nation broadly applying the same reasoning to all the functions of the church? Can you imagine the state deciding who measures up to the qualifications of a minister or not? If that happens, churches are no longer free of the state, but subject to it. Our nation was established to guarantee the free expression of religious belief, and it has been established again and again through court precedent.
But not this time, and the Supreme Court, in refusing to hear our appeal, let the City’s decision stand.
We’ve heard that a very likely reason our request was refused was that the case was too small, too remote, and too unique of a situation for the Court to want to intervene with. Maybe that is so. We would like to think that small cases matter. Our small case mattered to us, right?
There was a bit of interest in granting our appeal though, and that is significant by itself. In order for an appeal to be heard, 4 of the 9 justices need to agree that it should be heard. I’ve heard only 1% of requests are granted and most requests are rejected without any support. In our case, Justice Neil Gorsuch made a strong statement supporting our request. He wrote, “This case may be a small one, and one can hope that the error here is so obvious it is unlikely to be repeated anytime soon. But I would correct it. Bureaucratic efforts to ‘subject’ religious beliefs to “verification” have no place in a free country.” (Source) We agree with Gorsuch. The error is obvious. This has no place in a free country. We believe this matters. Gorsuch’s dissent remains in the record and we hope it can be of some help to others in the future.
The Court, in dismissing our case, also dismissed the requests of numerous organizations by amicus briefs, including: the Attorneys General of 15 States; the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI); the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention; the ECFA; The Family Foundation and a number of other churches and non-profit groups. We had a great law firm represent us (First Liberty) and had top-tier national lawyers making our case. We appreciate their support.
We ultimately believe the government does not have the right to make that decision. It is the right of the church. It is a basic right in a free country. In God’s providence, we have been denied our right and the government has taken this right for themselves. I pray that Gorsuch is right that this will not be repeated soon (or ever). I wish that our case could have further solidified this freedom for other churches in the future. Until then, we must rest ourselves, our churches, and the freedoms of our nation into the hand of our good and Almighty God. Sure, we would rather have won the case, but it doesn’t change our call and mission.
It is disappointing but doesn’t destroy us. It reminds us of the need to give thanks for the freedoms we have and realize how quickly, and thoughtlessly, they can be taken away. Please keep praying for the church, for our college ministry, and for our nation.
Faithfully Yours,Pastor Sean
If you are interested, here are a number of articles about the case:

Sean Whitenack is a Minister in the Presbyterian Church in America and is Pastor of New Life in Christ PCA in Fredericksburg, VA. This article is used with permission.