Me?  I’m the Rev. Melinda Teter Dodge.

I live in Long Beach, California, and I serve the Being the Church Movement, Long Beach.  Our movement is comprised of three churches (California-Heights, Grace and Los Altos United Methodist churches) and many other seekers and non-church afflicted folks throughout our communities.  I love Jesus, and I live my life trying to follow his teachings in all that I do and all that I am.  Somedays I’m much better at that than others.

I’m writing this blog mainly because I need a space to share thoughts, dreams, musings, ideas and to engender streams of communication.  (that sounds cool, right?)

Now here’s more than you probably want to know:

I’m the product of a addiction-riddled, broken home.  I went to college at a snooty, private four-year liberal arts college on the east coast.  I will always be grateful that I was awarded a scholarship to go as it began a long, long recovery process.  After that stint, I was a theatre rat for awhile and earned an M.A. in Dramaturgy.  I got to travel the world and produce opera.  No, I’m not kidding, and yes, it was amazing.  But, then I experienced a call to ordained ministry, and my path changed — pretty radically.  I shifted gears, returned to school, and got a M. Divinity from the Claremont School of Theology.  I even got a special award for homiletics and liturgics — words I didn’t even know existed before I went there.

These days, I’m a wife and mama and pastor — and I work to be who God created me to be, acknowledging my own struggles and joys along the way.  I’m a coffee-swilling, goat-loving, mediocre crafter (but who’s to judge??), multi-linguist, reader of almost anything, off-the-charts extrovert, feminist, and lover of Jesus (wait: did I already say that?  I also repeat myself because I talk too much).  I love, love to travel and creating spontaneous adventures along the way.  I love God’s church and I scream in frustration at it, too.  Oh, wait, I am also an Ordained Elder in Full Connection in the United Methodist Church.  That took over 12 years, so I’m pretty jazzed about it.