About Melanie Dobson

Pastor. Professor. Spiritual Director. Author. Guide.

For over twenty years, I’ve walked alongside individuals and faith communities seeking deeper belonging, spiritual wholeness, and faithful discernment. Whether in the pulpit, the classroom, or in spiritual direction, my calling is to help people and communities listen—to God, to one another, and to their own deepest wisdom.

I serve as an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, a professor of theology and ethics and Methodist studies, and the director of a Spiritual Direction Certification Program that equips leaders for deep listening and discernment. My work is rooted in the rich traditions of early Methodist class meetings, Ignatian and Quaker spirituality, monastic wisdom, and contemplative practices—all of which shape my teaching, writing, and guidance for faith leaders.

I am the author of Belong: Group Spiritual Direction for Friendship and Communal Discernment, a book designed to help congregations move beyond isolation and division toward authentic spiritual community. My passion is helping churches and leaders rediscover communal discernment—not as a process of voting or debate, but as a sacred practice of listening and moving forward together.

My academic and spiritual journey has taken me from rural churches to large congregations, from seminary classrooms to global ecumenical gatherings. I’ve led pilgrimages, taught courses in ethics, theology, and leadership, and helped shape the next generation of ministers. Along the way, I also became a certified spiritual director and a registered yoga teacher, integrating mind-body-spirit practices into my work.

In all of this, my mission remains the same:
To cultivate spaces of belonging, deep listening, and faithful discernment—for individuals, churches, and communities seeking a more connected, grace-filled future.

Credentials & Experience

✅ Ordained elder in the United Methodist Church (Western NC Annual Conference)
✅ Th.D., Th.M., M.Div. from Duke University Divinity School
✅ Associate Professor & Chair in Methodist Studies at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary
✅ Director of the Spiritual Direction Certification Program at LTSS
✅ Published author in theological and spiritual formation fields
✅ Certified Spiritual Director (Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation)
✅ Registered Yoga Teacher