Britney To Become Baptist Minister ?

GLORY be! Pop babe Britney Spears wants to be a Baptist minister.

The “born-again” singer has stunned her family and friends by announcing she’ll take to the pulpit when her music career is over.

And Brit, 27, who has recently recovered from a psychiatric nightmare, is already revealing her evangelical zeal on her Circus world tour.

As well as banning booze and smoking backstage – as the Daily Star Sunday revealed last week – she has ordered her support act The Pussycat Dolls and her entire army of back-up singers, dancers and musicians to undergo drug tests before the 34 American gigs.

And she has insisted her sons Sean, three, and Jayden, two, are led away when she changes into skimpy outfits.

Britney, who earlier dabbled in Kabbalah and Scientology, has told her inner circle she’s determined to live a “clean life” and return to her Southern Baptist roots.

She intends to go back to her home town of Kentwood, Louisiana, when her singing days are over to become one of that church’s few female ministers.

A pal said: “Brit’s always believed in God and she was brought up in a family of church-goers. But her spirituality was re-awakened in rehab.

“She was introduced to a 12-step programme which advocates turning your life over to a ‘higher power’.

“She fully understands the mayhem she’s wreaked in the past, costing her custody of her kids and almost wrecking her career.

“She hopes that becoming an ordained minister will not only allow her to make spiritual amends to herself, it will also allow her to help and counsel those who need it.”

A source close to Britney’s ex-husband Kevin Federline said: “Britney now compared with Britney 18 months ago is like the difference between night and day.

“But her parents are pretty aghast at the idea of her becoming a preacher. They’re hoping it’s a passing phase.

“It’s difficult to knock someone who wants to enter the church and is pretty much living like a saint – apart from when she’s peeling off her clothes on stage!

“But the idea of her taking holy orders has caused real consternation.”

In the meantime, the singer is making sure her young sons’ eyes are shielded from any signs of sin.

The pal said: “It’s time for them to leave her shows about 45 minutes in – when she switches to a costume featuring nipple tassels.

“They’d been loving the show in Tampa, Florida.

“But Britney’s mom Lynne knew to quietly lead them away during a brief interlude, before her daughter reappeared with the black tassels.

“There’s no way Brit wants her kids to see her dressed like that, with guys in the audience making obscene gestures and remarks.”

That could impress the Baptists who boast a huge following in America’s “Bible Belt”.

A spokesman for them said: “We would welcome anyone to train for the ministry, so long as their motives were in keeping with church beliefs and practices and their desire to serve was honest and true.”

Source: Daily Star