Putting Faith into Words: Dr. Shelly Melia’s Calling to Teach, Write, and Speak

Putting thoughts to paper, Dallas Baptist University professor Dr. Shelly Melia has served as a co-author, editor, and contributor to four books. Taking a step further, she has stepped onto conference stages as a spokesperson, strengthening her ability to inform and motivate audiences to think deeply about a variety of topics.

Dr. Shelly Melia grew up in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where she came to know Christ at 16 years old while attending a Youth Disciple Now event. She later earned her bachelor's degree from Oklahoma Baptist University and married her late husband, Brian, shortly after graduation.

Continuing her education, Dr. Melia completed two master's degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary before pursuing her Ph.D. at B.H. Carroll Theological Seminary. For over 25 years, she served as a children's minister in Oklahoma, Florida, and Texas.

While completing her Ph.D., Dr. Melia was encouraged to apply for an adjunct professor position in the children's ministry program at DBU. As God opened doors, she began teaching courses as both the Children's and Family Ministry Program Director and Associate Dean in the Graduate School of Ministry, where she continues to enjoy mentoring students and ministers in their own educational journeys.

In the beginning stages of her writing journey, Dr. Melia learned that her work did not need to be perfect the first time she sat down to write. Instead, she realized that simply writing a thought down was a good start, and then she could go back and edit, condense, and clarify later.

Throughout her years in children's ministry and as an adjunct professor, Dr. Melia has used her education and experiences to contribute in a variety of ways to four books, each with unique takeaways.

Dr. Melia's first published contribution was in 2020, when she authored the chapter "The Role of Faith or Spirituality in a Child's Response to Grief and Loss" in the book Bridging Theory and Practice in Children's Spirituality. In this book, she began openly sharing about her own life experiences and incorporated work from her dissertation. "It gave me the opportunity to contribute to a topic I was passionate about because my family had experienced it," Dr. Melia said. Over the years, this chapter has continued to be one of the most meaningful projects that she has been able to contribute to.

Children and Salvation, which was released in September 2025, is another book where Dr. Melia served as editor and author of the chapter "The Urgency of Child Discipleship." She shares how this book supports many students in their academic work as they try to engage children in conversations about salvation and baptism. Written by fellow theologians and practitioners in the Southern Baptist Convention, Children and Salvation is currently being used as a textbook source at DBU, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Her recently published work titled Reimagining Church as Family was released in January 2026. Dr. Melia authored the chapter, "Engaging and Equipping Single Parents," which helps pastors and ministers to better understand the needs of single parents. While Dr. Melia never expected to become a single parent, God gave her the voice and strength to share her story and encourage churches to function as a family for single parents and their children.

One of her most recent projects, Reaching Generation Alpha, is set to release in June 2026. Dr. Melia co-authored the book with Shane Pruitt, who serves as National Next Gen Director for the North American Mission Board. She shares that this book serves as a guide to understanding the mindset of Generation Alpha in order to reach them more effectively with the Gospel.

Taking the skills she learned from writing, Dr. Melia began using her voice to inform, guide, and challenge new audiences. As she was finishing her Ph.D., Dr. Melia was asked by Mary Ann Bradberry, a lifelong mentor of hers, to speak at the Texas Baptist Church Weekday Education Association summer conferences.

After receiving guidance from Mary Ann on writing a conference plan, Dr. Melia's opportunities to speak continued to increase. To date, she has spoken at church volunteer trainings, associational and parenting events, and national conferences such as the ETCH Family Ministry Conference.

In addition to her writing and public speaking, Dr. Melia serves as a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in grief and resilience and shared her personal journey with grief in a GriefShare Update. Through this opportunity, she served as both an expert and a parent of grieving children in a series of videos designed to encourage others in the midst of grief.

In each of these unique opportunities, Dr. Melia's goal is to communicate effectively and authentically with her audience. She works to make her content engaging, thought-provoking, and practical so that her audiences walk away with something meaningful. "I want it to make them think," she says. "I want them to have a desire to learn more because of what I present."

Despite the challenges that may come from the beginning stages of writing or speaking in front of a crowd, Dr. Melia encourages those who are passionate about writing, contributing to a book, or wanting to pursue public speaking to approach it with discipline and consistency. She encourages to constantly seek God's guidance, commit your work to Him, stick to a plan of action, and watch how it will all come together in the end.

Currently, Dr. Melia attends First Baptist Church in Burleson, Texas, where she teaches a kindergarten Sunday School class and is involved in a women's life group. Her three children, Nathan, Lexi, and Braden, now live across the United States as they pursue their own passions and careers.

As she continues to encourage others through her teaching, writing, and public speaking, Dr. Melia attributes her accomplishments to God's ultimate plan and purpose for her life. She has seen how God has graciously stood by her and opened doors to opportunities that she would have never imagined possible and trusts that He will continue to do so in the future.