The Rev. Melanie Mullen (she/her)

Experienced in culture change, conflict resolution, movement building, community discernment, and scaling ministries. Proven track record of effective leadership and growth facilitation within the church. Focus on leadership formation and integrating spiritual and civic aspects. Dedicated to advocating for joy and making valuable contributions to the church.

I bring gifts to the church so that we develop leaders, foster collaboration, and follow Christ.

• Director, Department of Reconciliation, Justice, and Creation Care, 06/17 - present, The Episcopal Church, Office of the Presiding Bishop, New York, NY, Leads the Department of Reconciliation, Justice, and Creation Care, implementing the Jesus Movement priorities of the Presiding Bishop., Built a department responsive to the Presiding Bishop and Episcopal community visions of an intersectional justice approach across advocacy and engagement portfolios in the church., Cultivated national and international advocacy and turned it into broadly accessible formation and community witness opportunities.
• Downtown Missioner, 06/12 - 05/17, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Richmond, VA, Lead a historic southern congregation’s missional, civic, and reconciliation ministries., Founded anti-poverty and interfaith programs and coached leaders in project planning and organizing for a long-term campaign.
• Interim Missioner for Youth Ministries, 06/12, Episcopal Diocese of Washington, Designed a diocesan study of youth programs and support for ministry workers.

• LUTHERAN VOLUNTEER CORPS • Development Director • 2007 - 2009

Raised $375,000 in annual gifts for ELCA’s national service-learning institution.

• THE NATIONAL LAW CENTER ON HOMELESSNESS & POVERTY • 2002 - 2005

Donor relations, grants, and press management for the authors of the landmark McKinney-Vento legislation.

• CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING • 1996 - 2009

More than $10 million raised for the Congressional Black Caucus, PACs, and electoral campaigns in Louisiana, Virginia, North Carolina, and Connecticut.

• NoVA Pipeline & Solidarity with Standing Rock, Co-Organizer, 06/16
• Pastors and Workers & Poor People’s Campaign Assembly and March on Washington, 06/19 - 05/24
• Standing Together Virginia Interfaith Dialogues, 06/17
• TEC Talks – Creation Care at General Convention, 06/18

• Center in the Atrium, Art and alternative weekly worship community., Richmond, VA
• Laundry Love, Richmond cross-economic and racial divides, local expression of laundry mat adoption, a ministry of proximity.
• Eco Preaching Workshops & Eco-grief Chapel Demonstrations
• Reparations Summit

• Diocese Convention Addresses, Racial Justice, Creation Care and Reconciliation
• Keynote Address, ECW Virginia 127th Fall Meeting, (2017)
• Theologian in Residence, Episcopal High School, Alexandria, VA. (2022)
• UN COP Faith Pavilion –Mapping Episcopal Climate Action (2023)
• One Book, One Diocese Discussions of “Poverty, by America; Diocese of Chicago, (2024)
• “Creation Care and Reconciliation Across Divides” International Rural Churches Association - Rural Ministry Conference Keynote, Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa. (2022)
• Texas Impact, "Women's Advocacy Priorities" Austin, TX, (2023)

• Nonprofit Management Certificate, Trinity University, Washington, DC, 05/05
• Mid-Atlantic Pastoral Excellence Network - Lilly Foundation, 06/16 - 05/18
• Bowen Family Systems Theory Instructed Practice Group, 05/15 - present

• National Acolyte Festival Sermon, 10/07/23, Washington National Cathedral
• National Acolyte Festival Sermon, Washington National Cathedral - 10/7/2023
• The Feast of Absalom Jones – Gulf Coast 2019
• “Eco and Civil Rights History for Z-enials”; St. Paul’s School, NH, 2023
• America’s Best Storytellers – Virginia Invitational Festival, 2014

• Climate Change: What’s Love Got To Do With It?, 11/29/22, Diocese of New York
• From Many One Curriculum Introduction to the Four Questions for Community Building, 03/11/21
• “Discipleship and Justice: An Asset-based Approach to Politics, Social Justice and Transforming Community”; Episcopal Lutheran Young Adult Campus Ministry Conference - June 18, 2019, Boston University,
• Grant Seeker Education Workshops - UTO – Bishop Staffs and local community organizers, coaching on the ins and outs of seeking Creation Care and other ministry grant resources.

• DART Center, Board, 06/21 - present
• Interfaith Power and Light, Board, 06/21 - 05/25
• Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, Board, 06/16 - 05/17
• RISC (Richmond Strengthening Community)- Board, Economic Committee 2013-2016
• Episcopal Service Corps - Executive Council and Chair 2009 - 2016
• VTS Reaccreditation Assessment Committee - Association of Theological Schools 2012
• NoVA Pipeline & Solidarity with Standing Rock - Co-Organizer, 2016
• Virginia R-2 Task Force Historical Resolving of Civil War Anomalies in Diocese Convention, 2014 - 2015
• Virginia TEC – ACNA Church Post-Conflict Dialogue Team, Conflict Resolution, and Reconciliation Practice:2014- 2017
• Diocese of Virginia Reconciliation Committee 2016-2018
• EDOW Reparations Committee 2023-2025

• Called to Transformation Workshop
• Pew to the Public Square
• Protest Chaplains Tool Kit
• Love God, Love God’s World
• Lesson 11 – Sacred Ground – What’s Next

• Faith, Race, and the Lost Cause: Confessions of a Southern Church, Christopher Alan Graham, Melanie Mullen, University of Virginia Press, 06/23
• How Bread Can Divide or Dignify, We Cry Justice: Reading The Bible With The Poor People’s Campaign, Liz Theoharis, 06/21
• Graham, Christopher Alan. Faith, Race, and the Lost Cause: Confessions of a Southern Church. Foreword by Melanie Mullen. University of Virginia Press, 2023.
• Mullen, Melanie. "How Bread Can Divide or Dignify." In We Cry Justice: Reading The Bible With The Poor People’s Campaign, edited by Liz Theoharis, 2021.
• Mullen, Melanie. "Give Us This Day." In We Cry Justice: Reading The Bible With The Poor People’s Campaign, edited by Liz Theoharis, 2021.
• Mullen, Melanie. "Church to Go." SOJOURNERS Magazine, March 2014.
• Bartenstein, Liz, Mullen, Melanie, and Levey, Brian. "Answering Jesus’ Call: Downtown Mission." Vestry Papers, November 2013.

·  Spicer, John. Beating the Boundaries: The Church God Is Calling Us to Be. Morehouse Publishing, 2016. Chapters 2-4: “Nine Stories of Beating the Boundaries: St. Paul’s and Center, Richmond, Virginia.”

·  Gross, Edie. "New mission program takes church outside the walls and into the city." Faith and Leadership, Duke University, 15 July 2013.

·  Streever, David. "Richmond Woman At The Heart Of National Efforts Towards Racial Reconciliation.” RVA Magazine, 12 Mar. 2018.

·  Eco Justice Fellows Make Local Impact

·  Called to Transformation Workshops address aftermath of hurricanes

·  Episcopal Church announces hiring of its first gender justice staff officer

·  Episcopal delegates leave UN climate change conference disappointed yet hopeful

·  Poll chaplain training shows Episcopalians how to be a ‘peaceful and prayerful presence’ on Election Day

·  Webinar focuses on teaching Episcopal churches to build community partnerships in rural America