Reverend Sheleta Evette Fomby has a long and distinguished record of Kingdom service in the Body of Christ. She is currently the Co Founder and Co-Pastor of the New Life Church, Inc. in Laurel, Maryland, serving in partnership with Rev. Omari K. Hughes.

She formerly served in various multi-campus roles at Reid Temple AME Church under the dynamic leadership of Rev. Dr. Lee P. Washington and Rev. Dr. Matthew L. Watley. In this role, she held various executive leadership roles and responsibilities that benefited the membership, including Director of Discipleship and Development, Director of Church Life, Women’s Ministry, and Dir. Small Groups Ministry, Congregational Care Minister, Managing Minister of Evening Worship, and a host of other critical components within the life of the Reid Temple AMEC organization.

Reverend Fomby is the former Senior Pastor of the Hemingway Memorial AME Church in District Heights, MD, in the Second Episcopal District. Her historic appointment marked the first time a woman was elevated as pastor in this congregation. Under her leadership, the church has experienced a congregational revitalization and expanded kingdom witness.

Rev. Fomby is a native of Washington, D.C., and received a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources from the University of Maryland. She then completed her Master of Divinity at Wesley Theological Seminary, focusing on African American Church Studies. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary with an emphasis on risking faithfully to engage in the work of de-centering Whiteness and nurturing an anti racist community as Christian formation.

Rev. Fomby is currently a participant in the TMS Global Thrive Program. This cohort pairs African American and Ghanaian pastors for mutual growth and learning through cross-cultural dialogue and immersion experiences in each other's communities.

Rev. Fomby has been a collaborating participant in the Cultivating Courageous Resisters Organization. This national faith based project convenes socially conscious women of color. Through deep collaborative approaches, CCR shares collective justice engagement models, creating and curating resources, focusing on strategic methodologies for addressing current justice issues to serve the present age.

Rev. Fomby has nobly served her country; she is a 5-point military veteran of the United States Air Force, serving active duty during Desert Storm Shield. Upon completing my military service, she received an honorable discharge with various honors of distinction for decorated military service. Rev.

Fomby is the founder of Sequoia Ministries based in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Sequoia Ministries is a non denominational ministry dedicated to sharing the Gospel and extending the love of Jesus Christ through clear and relevant biblical preaching and teaching, worship gatherings, and Christian fellowship. Through this ministry, she has proven to be fully committed to liberating lives, encouraging hearts, and inspiring hope through the faithful
proclamation of God’s word.

Rev. Fomby received the Lord Jesus Christ at the age of 16 at the New Covenant Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., under Bishop A. Norris Smith. She received ordination as Itinerant Deacon in the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church in April 2007 and Itinerant Elder orders in April 2009.

A gifted, creative, astute preacher, Rev. Fomby has been recognized as one of this generation's emerging voices. She has been privileged to proclaim the Gospel in churches, retreats, and conferences domestically and internationally. In addition, Rev. Fomby’s sermons have been included in These Sisters Can Say It, edited by Darryl Sims and Dr. Cynthia Hale. Rev. Fomby’s preaching gifts have garnered many prestigious invitations, including serving as the George A. Crawley Women in Ministry at the historic 102nd Hampton Minister’s Conference.

Rev. Fomby has a heart for seeing people reach their full potential in Christ. She firmly believes that she has come this far by faith, leaning on the Lord. It is not clear all that God will do through her, but she is indeed a voice for such a time as this. She is encouraged daily by Philippians 1:6, “…being confident of this very thing that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”