She was 57, and after 20 years as an administrative assistant and manager for Pittsburgh environmental engineering firms, Sylvia J. Baker felt the call to do something else with her life.

Another 20 years has passed, and Sylvia — the Rev. Sylvia, actually — has been pastor of the Assembly of God Church in tiny Shanksville, Pa., since 1999. The fact that she describes her career transformation as “easy to do” makes it no less remarkable.

Although she had spent many years as an active church member, Sunday school teacher and lay leader, “I decided that I knew there was something else that God wanted me to do.” So she began taking distance education courses to become licensed as an Assemblies of God pastor. [Read more…]