Phebe Lewald McPherson, the first woman to be ordained a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland who served an Odenton parish, died of pancreatic cancer Feb. 6 at her Annapolis home. She was 74 and formerly lived in Baltimore.

Born in Richmond, Virginia, and raised in Ridgewood, New Jersey and in Sherwood Forest in Anne Arundel County, she was the daughter of James Lewand, a wholesale food manager and his wife, Ellamay. She was a Goucher College graduate and attended Union Theological Seminary in New York City and Seabury-Western Seminary in Chicago.

She was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church in 1977, the first woman ordained in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.

After serving St. Bartholomew’s in Ten Hills and Memorial Episcopal Church in Bolton Hill, she became the rector of Epiphany Episcopal Church in 1987. In her 35 years at Epiphany, she oversaw expansions of the buildings, grounds and the worshiping community.

“Throughout her ministry, her passion was racial justice,” said her husband, the Rev. W. Bruce McPherson.

Epiphany’s current rector, the Rev. Joshua Rodriguez-Hobbs, said, “Her faith was infectious. Phebe had the vision for this parish. She believed in racial reconciliation and intentionally created a multiethnic and multi-racial parish. We reflect the diversity of the Odentown community.”

“Phebe saw the best in whomever she was talking with. She then drew that best out,” he added.

He said that Rev. McPherson researched the history of Epiphany church and noted that it was constructed to serve what was then called Camp George G. Meade, a World War I military training camp.

“She led a multimillion dollar campaign for our church,” said Rev. Rodriguez-Hobbs. “Phebe made it happen.”

She had the aluminum siding removed from the church and restored the building to its original arts and crafts style design — despite the church’s original construction as a temporary building to be demolished after the end of World War I.

In 2006 she received a doctorate from Virginia Theological Seminary. Her doctoral thesis concerned racial reconciliation in the church. In 2007, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley named her a member of the Governor’s Commission on the Legacy of Slavery in Maryland.

“Phebe was a theater major in college and her Christmas pageants at Epiphany were legendary,” her husband said. “She wrote a play called ‘Givin’ It Up,’ which illustrates the way in which sincere and loving relationships overcome all racial and ethnic divisions.”

Survivors include her husband of 27 years, Rev. W. Bruce McPherson, a former rector of St. David’s Church in Roland Park; a son, Samuel Coe, of Verona, New Jersey; two stepchildren, William McPherson, of Berwin, Pennsylvania and Amy McPherson, of Severna Park; a sister, Jenny Corckran, of Sherwood Forest; and seven grandchildren.

A memorial service was held Monday at Epiphany Church in Odenton.

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