Clergy + Staff

Melanie is passionately committed to the dignity of all persons, the ministry and mission of the church, and the care of the earth and all its creatures.

Melanie was ordained a transitional deacon in The Episcopal Church on February 23, 2019, at her home parish, Trinity Episcopal Church, in Greece. She began serving our parish as pastoral leader in April 2019. On October 4, 2019, Melanie was ordained to the priesthood and Bishop Singh appointed her as our priest-in-charge. On February 18, 2023, Bishop Lane installed her as our 24th rector.

Since 1992, Melanie has been a member of the faculty at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, including ten years as Dean of the Faculty. Throughout these nearly 30 years, she has taught courses in Christian theology, women in Christianity, gender studies, and the social witness of the church. In May, she will co-lead, with her colleague who is a professor of Old Testament, a fourth study pilgrimage to Israel/Palestine that pays particular attention to the daily realities of Palestinian Christians living under military occupation, as well as to the Holy Sites.

Melanie studied for the Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Peace Studies at Manchester College (now University) in North Manchester, Indiana. Her graduate studies were completed at Harvard University, having earned the M.Div., A.M., and Ph.D. degrees in the Study of Religion (Christian Theology).

She lives with her spouse, Deborah, who is Rector at Trinity Episcopal Church, on 20 acres just north of Naples, in the heart of the Bristol Hills. Their household includes two beloved miniature puddles, four dairy goats, 16 ducks, and five guinea fowl. She loves reading historical murder mysteries and novels, gardening and food preserving, hiking and swimming in their spring-fed ponds, movies, and international travel, including to South Africa to visit Debs’ family.

Roxanne Gaylord

Minister of Music & Church Office Manager

Roxanne began serving as our Co-Minister of Music in 2005. In 2108, she became our sole Minister of Music. Roxanne holds a degree in music education from the University of Northern Iowa and is a former teacher of piano and French horn. She has been a church musician for over 25 years. Her other music ministries include our youth Celebration Band and St. Thomas' Community Ringers bell choir—which perform on major holy days. Roxanne is also our Church Office Manager and leads our Sunday morning adult study group—Curious Christians.