Prospect Welcomes New Pastor

Prospect United Methodist Church welcomed its new pastor, Melanie Stanley-Soulen to their congregation Sunday, June 22, 2014 with the Blast Off Vacation Bible School commencement and covered dish dinner afterwards.

Melanie is the wife of Stephen Soulen, pastor of First United Methodist Church, Monticello. They are the parents of two sons, David and Stan, and the grandparents of two year old Olivia Kate Soulen.

Melanie, who is from Opp, AL, became acquainted with Jasper County and surrounding areas in 1986 when Stephen was appointed to serve the Shady Dale Circuit. Having graduated from Candler School of Theology in 1983 with a Master of Divinity degree, Melanie served at Madison First United Methodist Church alongside Prospect’s former pastor, Dr. C. Layne Jenkins.

After their year in Shady Dale, they returned to Stephen’s home conference in Central Texas where they served together as associate pastors and then co-pastors.

Melanie then began working toward certification as a licensed professional counselor and trained for two years at Scott and White Hospital in Temple, Texas and then served as a chaplain at a residential treatment center for children and youth and as a chaplain in five nursing homes in Waco, Texas.

In 2000, Melanie and Stephen moved to Newnan. After serving an appointment as a pastoral psychotherapist for three years at the Pastoral Institute in Lanett, Ala., Melanie opened her own practice in Newnan at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

In 2007, Melanie was appointed to Luthersville and Allen-Lee Memorial UMC’s in the LaGrange District. She served Luthersville until 2011 and continued at Allen-Lee until June, 2013, at which time they moved to Monticello, where Stephen assumed the pastorate of Monticello First United Methodist Church.

Melanie says that she is very excited to be the new pastor at Prospect UMC and looks forward to serving a church that celebrates 170 years of ministry this year.