Special Announcement - Pastor Melissa

Bishop and Cabinet appoint Director of New Ministry Strategies

April 5, 2023 – The Texas Conference bishop and cabinet has appointed Rev. Melissa Maher to serve as Director of New Ministry Strategies, beginning July 1.  

In the role, Rev. Maher will facilitate the start of new faith communities and work alongside pastors to strengthen church connections. She currently serves as the lead pastor for Mercy Street, a faith community of Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Houston. 

Bishop Cynthia Harvey said that Maher has the ideal expertise to guide ministry forward.  “We are at a pivotal moment in the history of the Texas Conference, where renewal and creativity are necessary as we move forward to reach more people for Jesus Christ,” Bishop Harvey said. “We must find new ways of developing faith communities with creativity and innovation.”

Since the beginning of this year, the Texas Conference has started seven new faith communities, with plans to add another in June. Each group meets in a creative space, from a barn to a Presbyterian Church.  

Maher looks forward to facilitating the work of church planters and reaching new people outside of the church walls.  

Rev. Morris Matthis, Director of New Faith Communities and Superintendent for the Central North District, said Maher will walk alongside pastors, as they discover innovative ways to reach their communities.  

“Melissa has a wealth of ministry experience that will serve her well in this new role,” Matthis said. “She brings a fresh voice and vision for starting new churches and strengthening existing ones.” 

Dr. Elijah Stansell, Superintendent of the Central South District, applauds Maher’s appointment. “Many of the congregations in the Texas Annual Conference reside in communities facing gentrification, ethnic transitions and social unrest,” he said. “Melissa’s experiences with Mercy Street, where partnerships for social change were a key element, will be a valuable asset for pastors engaged in these changing congregations.” 

Maher said the Texas Annual Conference is in a critical moment, a time when the next chapter of Wesleyan witness will be determined.  

“We are in a stage where we are listening and holding space for one another and deciding what is next,” she said. “In our theology, the Spirit hovers over grief and chaos. There is a nurturing that happens, then a new creation. The church is in a brave moment -- and something new and exciting will come out of it.”