We are grateful for our two new Messy Church USA Regional Coordinators. Please take a minute to read about their full and ministry filled lives, give God thanks for their willingness to say yes to this new role and pray for the churches in their regions they will serve.
Maryland
We are happy to announce that Melanie Rodriguez of Columbia, Maryland has said “YES” to becoming the regional coordinator for the state of Maryland. Melanie and her family have been involved at St John Lutheran Church since 2004 and in that time has served as Sunday School Teacher, Lay pastor and more recently the organizer for their Messy Church.
Prior to her involvement at St John’s Lutheran, Melanie served in lay ministry at several Roman Catholic and Episcopal Churches so she brings a breath of experience to her new role. In addition, Melanie organized and led a homeschool cooperative, as she homeschooled her own children, that eventually grew to include over one hundred and fifty students. It all started with teaching a science class to a group of homeschool girl scouts!
Melanie has also worked for two different public library systems, specializing in children’s programming for all ages. In that work she mentored volunteers, parents and caregivers in presenting stories to young children. Since her ‘retirement’ from homeschooling, she has been working with the Refugee Youth Project mentoring individual children and families during her involvement in an afterschool program. Currently, she working at improving her Spanish Language skills.
Melanie us excited about using her organizational and networking skills to share the story of Messy Church in a wider context than her local church. You can reach Melanie at [email protected].
Tennessee
The Rev. Will Conner is serving the state of Tennessee as one of our newest regional coordinators. Will is a proud father, husband and pastor in The United Methodist Church where he serves in the small town of Decatur, Tennessee. Will leads two traditional Churches, is the director of the Meigs Country Cooperative Will also serves as the past chair of alumni board for the Candler School of Theology where he earned an M.Div. in 2012. Additionally, Will is a volunteer with the local chapter of the Boys and Girls Club.
Since Will discovered the world of Messy Church in 2018, he has been passionate about exploring fresh ways to connect new people with the life changing love of Jesus. His church discovered Messy Church as a key way for them to do this very thing. Will enjoys connecting other faith communities with Messy Church and is eager to serve by helping connect new and existing Messy Churches in Tennessee. If you are looking for a great community introduction to Messy Church, check out Will’s video on the Decatur Church website.
Will enjoys spending free time riding bicycles with his family. Life is about to get a little crazier and more joy filled, because Will and his wife, Hope, are eagerly expecting their third child in January.
Contact Will at [email protected]
