M. KAY DeMOSS
Senior Editor-Writer, Michigan Area
It’s a unique position only a few have held in The United Methodist Church. Not only does the Clergy Assistant to the Bishop stand close by Michigan’s episcopal leader, he or she is a spiritual companion to pastors and congregations across the entire state.
As the Rev. Dr. William Dobbs moved from this office here in the Michigan Area on July 1, the Rev. Melanie Lee Carey is taking her place at the ATB Desk. Melanie says, “Many people have asked me, ‘What is your job description?’” Her answer: “I serve at the pleasure of the bishop, assisting in what she is working on. Each bishop uses the ATB in his or her own individual way.”
So rather than focus on the what and the how of the role of Bishop’s Assistant, we focus first on the who. Who is Melanie Carey and why are her gifts especially needed at this time in the history of our annual conferences? Growing up years
Melanie’s roots stretch east to Hartford, Connecticut and Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Her move to Michigan happened in the 3rd grade when her father was transferred. The oldest of four siblings, Melanie enjoyed the family’s time in Chelsea. Growing up across the street from a large farm, she was a member of 4H, raising lambs and riding horses. “I remember playing for the grand opening of the McDonald’s in Chelsea and praying for the cows that would give themselves up for hamburgers,” she laughs. Though reared in a rural setting, there was a global aspect to Melanie’s life. “In 5th grade my parents hosted exchange students from all different parts of the world,” she recalls, seven in all. “I grew up in a home where there was always someone with a different world perspective and that influenced me a lot.” She then was an exchange student herself, spending time in Cartagena, Colombia. Her ties with Latin America were further strengthened when the family adopted a seven-year-old brother from Guatemala. God calls in college
Several experiences during Melanie’s years at Kalamazoo College made her aware of God’s call upon her life. Her season of Career Development was spent working with Central American refugees in El Paso, Texas. “I worked at Annunciation House during the height of the crisis years in Central America,” she notes. Her junior year abroad was spent in Madrid, Spain and research for her senior project took place in Costa Rica working alongside rural women who were starting agri-businesses.
“My call began to evolve during my time in El Paso,” Melanie explains. “I had thought about working in the medical field or for government humanitarian programs.” But she became disillusioned when she saw the noble ideals of organizations were often unable to reach and engage people. She came to understand that “the church, at its best, can really connect at the grassroots level.”
That understanding had developed through her family’s involvement in United Methodist congregations in the Detroit Conference … North Lake, Dexter and Chelsea. “My parents were very active. I had been part of Sunday school, youth group and choir,” Melanie recounts. After graduation from college Melanie was an intern at Dexter UMC working with the Rev. Jack Harnish and she also did visitation for Chelsea First. The Rev. Saul Trinidad, pastor at El Buen Pastor in Detroit, also hired Melanie as an intern. “I wanted to test my call before going to seminary,” she says, “and I loved the work!” Her next step was Union Theological Seminary in New York City, which further expanded her horizons. “It was an amazing time and place for study. I got to meet many students who had worked with Nelson Mandela.” Years of experience
Elder’s Ordination followed in 1993. Melanie served three local church appointments—Hudson First, Livonia Newburg (assoc.), and Ypsilanti First — before becoming Superintendent of the newly formed Detroit Renaissance District in 2011. She lists several personal ministry markers from that time …
“In Livonia I was excited to be with youth discovering who God really is. A pastoral passion of mine is helping people find and define their connection with God.”
“As we developed ministry with the Latino community in Ypsilanti, I learned the importance of sitting and listening with people before making decisions about what to do.”
“As a District Superintendent I discovered that a church cannot afford to do just what it did last year and be OK.”
Her time in the Renaissance District deepened Melanie’s understandings about leadership in other ways that will serve her well in her new role. “It was my job to help bring the Detroit East and the Detroit West districts together,” she reflects. Now she will be working with the new design team, with West Michigan and Detroit conference members, to create a new conference. “I look forward to helping nurture a culture where we are all willing to try new things,” Melanie says. “It’s time to strategize around new ministries,” she adds. “We need to vision then step out with courage.” Her experience tells her that not all visions and strategies work but “if we know what we are doing isn’t working, we have to have the guts and the faith to try something new to go where God is leading us.”
As she ventures forth as the next Assistant to the Bishop, Melanie is thankful that she grew up in the home that she did. “The church today really needs to reach out to that demographic of people who are growing up multi-lingual, multi-ethnic, and multi-cultural,” she asserts. “Because I grew up in a multi-cultural setting, I have deep passion around bringing people together across all cultural spectrums.” This means dealing with racism, economic privilege and exclusion. “We will be left behind,” Melanie concludes, “if we are satisfied being a dominant culture church with a few pockets of diversity.”
She looks forward to teaching the skill set that addresses these critical issues. Life goes on
Until spring of 2016 Melanie will be commuting to the Area Ministry Center in Lansing from Ypsilanti. Her husband, Jon, is an attorney specializing in housing and public justice. Son Nick is entering his junior year at the University of Michigan, majoring in sports marketing. This fall daughter Grace will launch into her senior year of high school. Meanwhile, the Area Episcopacy Committee will be buying a parsonage in the greater Lansing area in anticipation of Melanie’s move up state.
In days ahead, when she is not assisting Bishop Deborah Lieder Kiesey, Melanie will be preparing for the 2016 General and Jurisdictional conferences. She was elected to that global assembly at the Detroit Conference this year. She also was a delegate in 2012. Looking forward to the gathering in Portland Melanie says: “I hope we can find a way forward on issues that have plagued us and held us back, particularly around human sexuality. We have to figure out a way to remain united while working around issues about who is included and who is not.” She is hopeful but adds, “The United Methodist Church will not be taken seriously if we keep going on the path that we are on now.”
Scrapbooking, enjoying the company of friends, traveling to visit family and reading will be tucked into the gaps of her schedule. Two recent reads that Melanie recommends: Searching for Sunday (Rachel Held Evans) and Unbroken (Laura Hillenbrand).
The Burning Questions feature has retired, along with Dr. Bill Dobbs. Watch the July 15th edition of MIConnect for the introduction of the Rev. Melanie Carey’s blog.
(photos courtesy of Facebook)
Last Updated on July 8, 2015