News

Gordon Joins GBOD

(August 13, 2007, GBOD) -- Melanie C. Gordon of Greenville, South Carolina, recently joined The United Methodist General Board of Discipleship as its new director of younger children's ministries.

She is responsible for resourcing the church in ministries with children under age six, including weekday ministries, daycare, preschool, and parents' day out programs; and will be the primary staff person for FOCUS, the quadrennial national event for workers with children.

"Each year we celebrate with great anticipation the coming of Jesus in the form of a tiny baby, and during those days of preparation comes a renewal of hope for the children entrusted to us by God," said Gordon, reflecting on what she hopes to bring to the position.

"What more awesome a gift than the privilege to share with our children our Christian tradition through rich experiences grounded in Scripture.

"It is with great joy that I take on the task of continuing the focus on children set by GBOD of providing resources, training and support for congregational leaders of children's ministries," she said.

Melanie was formerly a chaplain resident with the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.

While a student at Duke Divinity School, Melanie served as an intern with the Methodist Home for Children, developing values-based literacy curriculum for pre-K; and with the Metropolitan Community United Methodist Church in New York, where she served as chaplain, leading daily devotions, providing pastoral care to the homeless, redeveloping the feeding program and serving as worship assistant.

She created and produced a documentary film on the Christian Response to Genocide in Rwanda — The Esther Project©, and instituted the Divinity School Improvisational Comedy Group — Axe of the Apostles.

Prior to attending seminary, Melanie taught in various capacities in the Greenville County South Carolina School District, served as a family literacy specialist with at-risk families, and was director of recruitment and admissions for the South Carolina Governor's School of Arts and Humanities.

Gordon holds a bachelor of arts in elementary education from Clemson University and a master of church ministries degree with an emphasis on spiritual formation from Duke Divinity School.

She is a certified candidate for deacon's orders in The United Methodist Church and a member of the South Carolina Annual Conference.

The General Board of Discipleship’s mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, The General Board of Discipleship is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, call the Media Relations Office toll free at (877) 899-2780, ext. 7017.