The Reverend Melanie J. Lawrence received a Masters of Divinity from Lancaster Theological Seminary, Lancaster, PA, 1997, and received a Bachelor of Music degree from Heidelberg College, Tiffin, OH, 1981. She began her ministry with Pilgrim Church August 1, 1997.
She is currently involved outside of Pilgrim Church with: The Lakeshore Ecumenical Council, Southwest Association Bylaws task force, Michigan Conference Stewardship Council, Drug Free Schools and Community Life Committee (St. Joseph Schools).
While I clearly identify myself as a pastor, I also identify
myself as a person of faith, one who equips and empowers all the people
of God to be ministers in the all of life. It is a privilege to serve
and minister to people through this journey called life, in the times of
celebration and the times of grief, and of course, everything in between.
And I am blessed to be a part of this warm Pilgrim community, a
community of loving and caring people where faith is lived into action,
and where our relationships with God and each other are valued and
honored.
We of Pilgrim Church are diverse in many ways, and we find
strength in our diversity. It is not our goal to be of like mind
theologically, but to encourage each person to explore what they believe
and why. I encourage those in our midst to be open to each other, and to
God's Spirit in our midst.
Our congregational structure and nature empowers the community of faith to make it's decisions, with freedom to express who we are through our thoughts and deeds. While we are in covenant with the wider church, we are also free to be who we are in our context, embracing the richness and fullness of our heritage and tradition, yet inviting us to vision and experience the Spirit in fresh new ways.
Peace and blessing to you all, Rev. Melanie Lawrence
Here is an interview with Pastor Lawrence, from July 2000, reprinted from the St. Joseph Herald-Palladium.