Thomas L. Wenger, II

Thomas L. Wenger, II died unexpectedly on Monday, September 11, 2023 at Anne Arundel Medical Center. He was a beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend to many. His legacy lives on in the thousands of people he loved, served and counseled, as well as in the ministry of the church he co-founded and dearly loved, Trinity Presbyterian Church of Crofton, Md.

Tom was born at Lancaster General Hospital in Lancaster, Pa. on November 2, 1973 to Tom Wenger, Sr. and Joanne (Hammond) Wenger. The eldest of their seven children, his six younger siblings lovingly recall the way Tom could always fill a room with laughter, how he loved time with family and reminiscing together, how he established family traditions, and how he always watched over his younger siblings, particularly his 3 sisters, with protective care.

Tom met his beloved wife Holly (Sarich) Wenger when both were still in middle school at Annapolis Area Christian School. The pair married on June 7, 2003 at Annapolis Evangelical Presbyterian Church, which also hosts his funeral services on Saturday, September 16, 2023 at 12 p.m. Together, they have three children: Jessica Lynne (17), Thomas Hayes (15) and Emily Ann (13), whom he loved dearly. Tom loved to cook and together with Holly, their home was frequently a gathering place for family and friends, who appreciated Tom’s sense of humor, impressive memory, superb cooking skills, and boundless enthusiasm for and support of his family and friends.

Tom earned his bachelor of arts from Lancaster Bible College and graduated from Westminster Seminary California with an MA in Historical Theology. He was known for his encyclopedic knowledge of the Bible and biblical commentary and passion for sharing not only a knowledge of the Bible, but a love for the One about whom it was written. He published several articles and essays, including, “The New Perspective On Calvin: Responding To Recent Calvin Interpretations” in the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 50 (2007): 311–28. Tom was also a contributor to the Heidelblog. In 2014, he published, “What About Love? A Crucial Piece Missing From The Sanctification Debate,” and last year he published, “Old And Bald: Responding To Salvation By Allegiance Alone By Matthew Bates.” He also served as Vice-Chairman of the Heidelberg Reformation Association.

He was a favorite lecturer and teacher at a variety of schools, including Annapolis Area Christian School, Rockbridge Christian Academy, Metro Baltimore Seminary and others. He has fond memories of serving as a counselor for Beachmont Christian Ministries during his formative high school and college years and later served on the ministry’s board.

Tom is the founding pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church, located in Crofton, Md., which celebrates its 10th anniversary this January. Tom passionately preached that if you are in Christ, God can never be angry with you. His leadership was especially instrumental during COVID, which required that the church move to various locations to accommodate school closures and other restrictions. Through it all, Tom was a unifying figure because he steadily preached that the gospel of Christ is enough. Tom also had a heart for the church’s littlest members, who appreciated his kids’ sermons, high-fives and jokes.

In addition to his wife, children and parents, Tom is also survived by his six siblings and their spouses: John Wenger, Jami Bailey (Warren), Josh Wenger (Katie), Kadi McKinley (Jacob), Jodi Scheiterlein (Jake) and Timothy Wenger; and his sisters- and brothers-in-law: Suzanne and Brad Medairy; Laura and Tim Farmer; and Diana and Justin Letwinsky. He was the “favorite uncle” of his 30 nieces and nephews—On the Wenger side: Johnny and Willow Wenger; Addi, Kenzie, Mariah, Arya, Keira and Brandon Bailey; Travis, Teddy, Amy and Becca Wenger; Maci, Molli, Jakey and Eli McKinley; Alex and Aryn Scheiterlein. On the Sarich side: Ella, Graham and Hayes Medairy; Vivienne, Joel, Gloria and Camille Farmer; Sasha, Ace, Fletcher, Christian and Zoe Letwinsky.

Celebration of Life Service

Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Annapolis

Saturday, September 16, 2023

12 p.m.

710 Ridgely Ave.

Annapolis, Md. 21401

The service will also be live-streamed at:

https://www.youtube.com/@epannapolisextra336/streams

(Please note the link will not be available until after the service has started.)

Guests are invited to a reception following the service in a tented area on the church grounds.

In lieu in flowers, please consider making a donation to the Wenger family at:

https://gofund.me/254ac093