Laurie Mellinger doesn't like people to make a fuss over her.

But on Tuesday, she was the center of attention at a ceremony with lots of pomp and circumstance.

Mellinger, 49, of Lancaster Township, was installed as dean of academic programs in the spring convocation at Myerstown's Evangelical Seminary.

"Everybody will be there today," Mellinger said before the ceremony, "students, colleagues, friends, family, a couple of former professors. Oh, yeah."

Mellinger and her husband, Daniel, have two daughters, Elizabeth, 25, and Sarah, 22. She is the daughter of Eileen McGrew of Lancaster Township and the late James B. McGrew.

Part of the reason for all the fuss is that Mellinger is the first woman dean at the seminary, founded in 1953.

And there's more fuss to come for Mellinger, a member of Mountville Mennonite Church.

Later this month, she will be credentialed for ministry with the Lancaster Conference of the Mennonite Church USA in a service at her church.

"I'm being licensed for special ministry for my job here as dean, " she said. "The conference is putting its credentialing blessing on my work here. But it's full credentialing. I can perform all the tasks of ministry."

Would she want to be a pastor?

"That's waaaaaay up to God," she said. "At the moment, I'm committed here."

In a way, she already is a pastor.

"The work I do here is largely pastoral: teaching, proclaiming and advising students.

"We're building the kingdom of God here, and I'm participating in that. We're sending graduates all over the county, all over the world. It's just a great ministry to be a part of."

Mellinger is not new to the seminary. She received a master of arts degree in religion in historical and systematic theology there in 2000, began teaching as an adjunct professor in 2002 and became a part-time member of the regular faculty in 2003.

She assumed the duties of dean on July 1, after receiving a doctorate in spirituality from Catholic University of America in 2010.

The Hempfield High School graduate didn't set out in life to be in ministry.

She thought she wanted to be a child psychologist, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Millersville University in 1983.

Then she married and had a family. And she was a piano teacher "on the side" for 17 years.

She began playing piano at the Lord's House of Prayer, where she was a member at the time. She went on to lead a worship team and then all the worship teams.

"For all practical purposes, I was  the worship pastor, although they didn't call it that, from 1984 to 1998."

And that's what led her to  seminary.

"I sensed I needed more education to do that ministry well," she said.

While she was a seminary student, some faculty members said they thought she'd be a great teacher there. Two years later, the dean asked her to do just that.

"I did, and I was hooked!"

She continues to teach at the seminary.

"My area of expertise in teaching is spiritual formation, which means helping people grow in their relationship with God.

"The students meet me first in the classroom as someone leading them in prayer, praying with them and teaching them the ways the church has followed Jesus through the centuries. They see me as being a fellow journeyer."

As dean, Mellinger said she is really excited about starting a new master of arts degree program in Christian leadership  in the fall.

"We're hoping for final approval this month," she said.

She described the new course as "very contemporary, a hybrid," with three days on campus for each class and the rest online.

Mellinger said students will work with a leadership mentor and a spiritual director throughout the program,  designed to sharpen leadership skills for Christians in business who want to do spiritual formation and for people working in spiritual formation, such as pastors.

"It's very practical and innovative, and we're hoping that a lot of people are going to blessed by participating."

While economic hard times have not overlooked seminaries, Mellinger said Evangelical — with about 200 students, including 14 new students this month — "is looking forward with hope.

"We have the largest entering class this spring that we've had in years, " she said. "We're thrilled."