Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Rudolph
Hi Melissa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was studying broadcasting and public affairs in graduate school in Washington, DC when I had a profound experience that called me to ordained ministry in the local church. I began as the pastor of a rural church in Kabletown, West Virginia when I was 23 while I went to seminary. I have been a pastor for nearly 24 years now and have served in mostly cooperative settings as an itinerant minister in the United Methodist Church. Now I’m the lead pastor of the North Carroll Cooperative Parish in Hampstead, Maryland where my husband John and I join several other clergy in serving 8 congregations. We have been here for 14 years serving together and raising our seven children.
I get to consult with other churches about cooperative parishes and created the Cooperative Parish Connection Mighty Network. I also have a call toward restorative justice through affordable housing and am a founder of the Preston Fairfax Group and Preston Fairfax Foundation to work in those spaces in the York, Pennsylvania area.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The earliest struggles I faced were people not accepting a female pastor and people doubting my abilities because of my youth. But, I’m persistent and have been very blessed to have lots of encouraging supporters in my corner. In my third appointment, 30 families left the church before I arrived because I was a woman—in a denomination that had ordained women for 50 years at that point! But, living out a vocation requires obedience even in the midst of challenges.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I like to think I specialize in helping people to transform and live out their unique gifts and callings in the power of God. I am known for tough love and being resilient. I am most proud of how I see this lived out in my children who are all very different. I could never force them to be just like me! They are their own people and I’m always in awe of how they are each wired. I think what sets me apart is that I don’t ask if things can be done, I just figure out how to do them or how to make them better. Tim Gunn used to say on Project Runway, “Make it work!” That’s how I approach challenges. I am also a dreamer who enjoys the opportunity to try things that haven’t been done that way before.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I’m definitely a risk-taker. I willingly try hard things and fail all the time because I can see the progress and growth that comes. We have a partnership with a church in Malawi. It was a risk for me to trust the pastor in that community and to raise money and go and see the project we have been a part of creating. But, a village is being transformed because in the midst of the pandemic we formed the relationships and trusted that the work would be completed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.prestonfairfaxgroup.com
