Baptist Church Embraces Its First Female Minister

"We just decided that we were not going to be controlled by someone else's bad biblical interpretation," said Henry Green, pastor of Heritage Baptist and a member of the church's selection committee. "The bottom line was she was the most qualified person for the job. We didn't hire her to make a statement about women being able to serve in ministry." Green said the church had considered other women for openings in the past.

Seeley acknowledged that years ago a woman's ordination would have been a long shot, and Green said that churches are more inclined to ordain women today. Broadneck Baptist Church in Annapolis, which Heritage started in 1982, Green said, has a female head pastor, Melanie Vaughn-West.

At Heritage Baptist, parishioners are proud of their first female minister. Her work shepherding the church's young people and teaching them about the Bible has impressed them most. The children, especially, are happy when Seeley is around.

"I think she's great," said Courtney Maddox, 16. "She's really fair; she pushes us. She cares about us learning the scripture and the Bible."

Seeley said she hopes that she can be an example for girls like Maddox.

"At least they can see," she said, "that ministering is an option."

Extra Touches

In the weeks before her ordination, Seeley spent her time preparing for Easter.

At the church, she cleared out a multipurpose room, placed a television and VCR in the center of the room and filled the rest of the space with fluffy pillows and lighted candles.

She dimmed the lights and turned on a movie about Jesus's last days. A group of children sat calm and attentive, even enthralled.

The movie was good, the children said later. But it was how Seeley presented it -- the dark room, comfy pillows and flickering candles -- that made the evening, once again, awesome.