Melanie earned a Master of Theology degree with an emphasis in Spiritual Formation from the Divinity School at Duke University. While at Duke, she worked at Duke Hospital Center on Aging; went on pilgrimage to East Africa, creating and producing a documentary film on the Christian Response to Genocide in Rwanda; served as Chaplain at a feeding ministry in Harlem, New York; and developed curriculum for The United Methodist Home for Children in Raleigh, North Carolina. Melanie served for ten years as Director of Ministry with Children in the Leadership Ministries Division of Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church. She was responsible to The United Methodist Church for providing nationwide training and resourcing, doing research and networking for leaders and teachers engaged in ministry for children, including faith formation, weekday ministries, worship, Safe Sanctuaries®, and advocacy. She most recently served as Assistant University Chaplain at Furman University. In August 2023, Melanie began serving as Director of Bridges to a Brighter Future, a college access program at Furman University.

Melanie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Clemson University, and taught in various capacities in the public school system in Greenville, South Carolina, including pre-K through eighth grade, theatre and technology. She served as a Family Literacy Specialist with at-risk families through the Even Start Federal Literacy Grant, and was Director of Recruitment and Admissions for the South Carolina Governor’s School of Arts and Humanities. For three years, Melanie served at Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville, South Carolina in the roles of Religion and Ethics Instructor, and Director of Diversity and Inclusion. 

Melanie’s most recent publications include Growing Spiritually With Our Children - An Ecumenical Guide for Parents and Ministers, “I realized I was not alone”, an article in Medical Teacher Journal, What Every Child Should Experience: A Guide for Teachers and Leaders in United Methodist Congregations, Children’s Ministry Guidelines for both the 2013-16 and 2017-20 Quadrennium, Growing Everyday Disciples – Covenant Discipleship with Children (lead author and editor), and Guidelines for Weekday Preschool Ministry Programs in United Methodist Churches (co-author and editor). Melanie also wrote the family component for A Disciple’s Journal – Years A, B, and C by Steven Manskar. 

Service and Certifications

Melanie most recently served on the Diversity Guidelines Committee for the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES). She served previously on the Gammon Theological Seminary Board of Trustees, The United Methodist Native American Comprehensive Plan Board, and UM Sexual Ethics Task Force, and also convened the UM Interagency Children and Families Task Force. She is a lay member in the South Carolina Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. Melanie is honored to be a Furman University Riley Institute Fellow and an Outstanding High School Educator from University of Chicago. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and a Rotarian. She volunteers at The Rudolph Gordon School, a public K-8 STEAM school in Simpsonville, South Carolina, and holds certificates in MotherRead®, HighScope®, The Way of the Child®, Children Worship and Wonder®, and DEI in the Workplace. 

Melanie loves spending a ridiculous amount of time with family and friends! She enjoys 70’s sitcoms, documentaries, traveling to unusual places - down the street or on the other side of the globe, dark chocolate from Ethel M’s, writing about life, evenings on the screened porch, laughing, and rocking out to The Motown Sound, Bach, Tina Turner, Jimi Hendrix, and a little Charles Wesley!