Rev. Dr. Vera E. Miller, Pastor

     Rev. Miller has been pastor of Genesee Baptist Church since May 26, 1996.  She has the distinction of being our first female pastor, as well as the first African-American pastor. 

     Pastor Miller, a full-time high school science teacher in the Rochester City School District, believes that one of the most important purposes the Church can serve is to teach the religion of Jesus to children and youth. We see her love of young people reflected in the increased participation of youth in the church service.  Her ministry has seen the formation of a Young Adult Group, as well as performances by Children’s and Youth Choirs on a monthly basis. The chancel steps are again so filled with children during the Time for Youth that sometimes there aren’t enough places for them to sit.

     Our congregation has been blessed by Pastor Miller’s ministry in so many ways, not the least of which is the beautiful music which fills the Church Sunday after Sunday:  It might be the Gospel Choir, raising the rafters with praise; or the Chancel Choir, singing the more traditional hymns; the Youth Choir and the Children’s Choir; or children playing their instruments.  Sometimes it is just the angelic voice of the pastor herself, whose balcony-rendition of “The Lord’s Prayer” at the close of one service brought hastily-wiped tears of joy down the cheeks of those who never cry.

     See “Cherishing Our History” for more information about Pastor Vera and the history of Genesee Baptist Church.

Pastor Vera earns Doctoral Degree: On Wednesday, March 23, 2005 Rev. Vera Miller went before the Doctoral Candidacy Committee to defend her dissertation. We are pleased to announce that this committee accepted her defense and she will graduate from the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School (CRCDS) doctoral program with a degree of Doctoral Ministry in Transformative Leadership. The graduation will take place on Saturday May 14th at 10 O'clock am at the Third Presbyterian Church, 4 Meigs Street, Rochester, NY.

The title of the dissertation: Ordained Abuse: How Scriptures have Been Used to Inflict Abuse Upon Parishioners in the Church.

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