REV. TERRI S. STEED
Senior Pastor
Born the fourth and final child of Collin and Loraine Steed—a common man whose job for the majority of his life was a truck driver, and a simple woman who simply loved Jesus—They brought Terri up in a home where church attendance really wasn’t an option—and what a blessing that was!
At Midwood Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC, Terri learned that Jesus loved her and had given His life for her….and she cannot remember a time when she didn’t love Jesus with all her heart, in return.
She learned the Scriptures there and also learned to value, to follow and subsequently to love them, too—for the Scriptures provided her direction and more importantly, HOPE. She loved, however, Jesus more than anything!
As she grew, she also heard God’s voice calling her to ministry—but in that process, she also heard the church’s voice, which, she notes, is two different and distinct voices—informing her that women and ministry didn’t mix. In fact, according to the Baptist church, [and NOT God], the two things were oxymoronic. She still loved Jesus…anyway!
She entered Mars Hill College in the fall of 1984 and graduated 4 years later with a degree in Religion, a calling still heavy on her heart, and a full scholarship to attend Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC….and a love for Jesus Christ that continued to grow.
She entered and graduated from seminary 3 years later with a Masters of Divinity with Languages …with absolutely NO hope of doing ministry, yet with a dim glimmer of hope that she could continue her education an pursue a PhD which would then enable her to teach on the college/seminary level and perhaps satisfy the desire deep within her to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
She found secular employment while continuing to discern God’s ultimate will for her and it wasn’t until 1994 that she discovered UFMCC and it was there that she was able to merge her understanding of God, her calling, her sexual orientation AND her deep love for Jesus. MCC would be the place for the next 15 years she would come into her calling and finally stop running from the call and answer the call to preach—and fulfill her lifelong passion.
She was called to be the Sr. Pastor of MCC Charleston in September of 2007 and has continued to fall more and more in love with Jesus!
Besides Jesus, she loves her dogs, Penry and Jethro.
