Westminster Presbyterian’s Associate Pastor for Youth and Families, Rev. Brittany MacMillan, took, you could say, a circuitous route to the ministry.

While she was always on a spiritual journey, she had a few stops along the way.

The Los Angeles native graduated from California State University at Northridge with a major in film. She is the daughter of a teacher (mom) and actor (her late father). Her dad, W.G. MacMillan, was a regular on “General Hospital” and appeared in movies, she said, where he seemed to play “either villains or judges.”

But while filmmaking might have been in her blood, it wasn’t in her heart, she found. She then turned to taking baking classes.

“I was going to be a chef,” she said with a grin. But the highly-charged environment wasn’t for her, she said, even though she continues to enjoy baking.

Going into the ministry was always in her mind, she said, and friends often suggested it.

She finally “made a deal with God,” she said, when she considered entering seminary.

“I said, ‘If you want me to apply, let me get in,’” she said, adding she made the application right before the deadline.

A short time later, she found she was accepted.

“And so I thought, ‘OK, here we go,’” she said with a chuckle.

She earned her degree at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., where she finally found her footing in ministry.

She began her ministerial life in Yellowstone National Park, in A Christian Ministry in the National Parks (ACMNP) program.

While she loved it — she went on to minister at Acadia National Park and Olympic National Park over a three year period — it was hard to pay the bills.

She completed a stint at an outdoor education camp before she finally accepted a position – at Westminster. While she thought a move from southern California to Austin might be more than a bit disconcerting, she has been pleasantly surprised.

“It’s a lot cooler than I thought it would be,” she said – and she wasn’t referring to the weather. “I really didn’t think I’d enjoy it this much.”

A lot of that has to do with her work with kids and families, which she has found she really enjoys. She also gets to preach once a month.

She is also enjoying her time working with the youth group, with whom she is planning a mission trip, and conducts youth Bible studies, helps out at family events, and assists with the deacon ministry of the church.

“I absolutely love working with the kids, “she said. “I think, ‘Oh my gosh, I actually get to watch these kids grow up. I think that’s really great.”

In the meantime, the 30-year-old enjoys reading, swimming and baking – and continues to get comfortable in her new town.

“I am really enjoying Austin,” she said, adding that her buzz phrase throughout her life has been, “Why can’t I do that?” she said.

“And I’m doing it,” she said.