Reverend Sheleta E. Fomby is a passionate and powerful woman of God who preaches phenomenally and serves the church unrelentingly. She has a long and distinguished record of Kingdom service in the Body of Christ.

Rev. Fomby founded Sequoia Ministries in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. As the visionary behind Sequoia Ministries, Inc., she is deeply committed to fostering spiritual growth and equipping early-stage women in ministry through vocational leadership development in pastoring, preaching, and church planting.  Through this ministry, she has proven fully committed to empowering lives and supporting the voices and vocation of women in ministry.

She has been a pastor of two congregations, the founding co-pastor of New Life Church, Inc. in Laurel, Maryland, and Hemingway African Methodist Episcopal Church in District Heights, Maryland.  Rev. Fomby formerly served in various multi-campus roles at Reid Temple AME Church, Glenn Dale, MD, under the dynamic leadership of Rev. Dr. Lee P. Washington and Rev. Dr. Matthew L. Watley. In this role, Rev. Fomby held various executive leadership positions, which benefited the membership, including Director of Discipleship and Development, Director of Church Life, Women’s Ministry, Director of Small Groups Ministry, Congregational Care Minister, Managing Minister of Evening Worship, and a host of other key components within the life of the Reid Temple AMEC organization.

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

Rev. Fomby has participated 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.  She is an Exemplar in the Christian Theological Seminary’s Compelling Preaching Initiative under the direction of Dr. Frank Thomas.  Revered Sheleta E. Fomby serves on the Prince George County Maryland Faith Advisory Council.

Rev. Fomby has nobly served her country as a 5-point United States Air Force military veteran. Upon completing her military service, she received an honorable discharge with various honors of distinction for decorated military service.

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 an 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 a leading voice for this generation. She has been privileged to proclaim the Gospel in churches, retreats, and conferences domestically and internationally. 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 University Minister’s Conference.  In addition, she was honored to be the Morning Preacher at the 109th Hampton University Minister’s Conference.  Rev. Fomby was inducted into the prestigious 38th Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College.

Rev. Fomby has a heart for seeing people reach their full potential in Christ.
She believes she has come this far by faith, leaning on the Lord.   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.”