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For God And Country: Pastor's Wife Serves In Navy Reserves

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By GEOFF FOX

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 3, 2008

ZEPHYRHILLS - Becky Minton's duties on a recent Wednesday night - moderating First United Methodist Church's teen night - weren't difficult.

"These are a quarter," she told a teenage girl eyeing a pack of Starburst.

"And these are 50 cents," she said, her open palm directed at an array of Fritos, Doritos and assorted snack chips.

The girl eventually picked sugar over salt.

Minton's life isn't always so simple, though.

The preacher's wife and mother of two has been a Navy reservist for 21 years, on active duty for eight of them.

Her duties sometimes have taken her away from husband Ken, the pastor at First United Methodist, daughter Sara, 21, and son Brandon, 18.

From October 2005 to June 2006, she was on active duty, stationed at NATO headquarters in Norfolk, Va. That was during Brandon's freshman year of high school.

In September, she'll head to Washington, D.C., for a week of training.

"Currently, I'm in human resources, so I'm helping the front office with rewriting manuals and augmenting instructions for when someone gets plucked out of the job they're in and sent to Afghanistan," she said. "The Navy has a big presence over there because there aren't enough people in there from the other branches.

"We're just cycling through everybody so fast that we need more bodies."

When the Navy calls, Minton leaves behind many responsibilities.

Being a minister's wife means she's involved in almost every facet of church life, from coordinating activities to greeting families and serving on myriad committees.

Since landing at First United Methodist about a year ago, she has immersed herself in her husband's ministry. She sings in the choir and coordinates youth night activities, always with a smile.

Before Zephyrhills, Ken led Methodist churches in Lakeland and Jacksonville.

Those experiences have helped the family deal with Becky's Navy duties.

"As a minister's family, you get moved around a little bit anyway," Ken said. "Our kids have learned to adapt to changes pretty well."

When the kids were younger, he was often left to care for them alone while Becky was off on various Navy assignments.

"But when you're involved in a church, especially when the kids were really young, they always had about 400 grandmas around, willing to take care of them," he said. "When I was working with a pastor in Fort Lauderdale, his family practically helped raise Sara."

Being away from family hasn't been easy for Becky, though.

"It was tough when they were younger," she said. "I remember when my son was real little, my mother-in-law had been changing his diaper while I was away. When I came back, I looked at him, and it was like he could recognize my voice but not my face.

"I never expected to be in this long when I started. I graduated college and got commissioned in the Navy and got married in one weekend."

During the Wednesday-night teens gathering, her duties included overseeing a teenage boy playing ping pong with a young girl and a group of teens playing "Guitar Hero" in an adjacent room, while keeping an eye on others chatting in a corner and watching Christian music videos on a large television.

The evening's free time followed a dinner and Bible lesson.

Not all of the kids were church members, Minton said.

"There just isn't a whole lot to do in Zephyrhills," she said.

Her husband said Minton had been a real asset to the church's mission.

"She's jumped right in and been a wonderful partner in everything we do here," he said. "We've only been here a year, but we're getting real familiar with the community."

He said he's never been nervous about Becky's Navy assignments, even when there was a possibility a few years ago she would be sent overseas.

"She's always been in a good command with good people," he said. "I've never worried for her own safety."

Reporter Geoff Fox can be reached at (813) 779-4613 or gfox@tampatrib.com.

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