About Melanie

I was born number five of six children to the late Harmon and late Agnes Rogers at General Hospital in Paterson, NJ. After being educated in the Paterson Public School system, I attended Rutgers University, Cook College, as a Landscape Architecture major. I left Rutgers in my third year and married the love of my life and number one supporter, Jimmie Lewis Miller. We are the proud parents of four children, Jimmie Jr., twins, Jerome and Jason, and our baby girl, Jetaime. We also raised a nephew, Lamar. We are the proud parents of two daughters-in-law, Terri and Sherry, one niece-in-law, Jessica and the grandparents of nine.

I was raised in the Methodist church in Paterson, NJ. My husband and I joined Greater Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church with our family in 1987. Rev. Dr. Edmund H. Whitley, Sr., was our pastor. I accepted my call to ministry in The A.M.E. Zion Church under the late Rev. G. Bernard Crawford. The late Bishop Milton Alexander Williams ordained me Deacon at the 2003 Philadelphia-Baltimore Annual Conference. The late Bishop Richard Keith Thompson ordained me Elder at the 2004 South Florida-Alabama Conference, alongside my husband, Rev. Jimmie Miller. At the time, Rev. Miller was the pastor of Zion Temple in Gainesville, Fl.

I earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Occupational and Technical Studies from Old Dominion University (ODU), Norfolk, VA in 1994, a Masters of Divinity (MDiv) in Theology from Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, Richmond, VA in 2004, a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Higher Education from ODU in 2009, and a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) in Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation from Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Atlanta, GA in 2019.

As a life-long learner, I have acquired the following certifications and licenses as a result of my studies: International/Global Certificate in Understanding & Serving Our International Community, ODU, 2008; Hampton Roads CPE Center, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Hampton, VA, Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Level 1, 2005; Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, Corporate Certificate Program in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Jan. 2023; Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ, Continuing Education, Sustaining the Preaching Life Cohort Study, 2022; and Postgraduate Professional License, Technology Education, Commonwealth of Virginia, Grades 6-12, 1994 - 2010.

From 1994 through 2004, I taught Technology Education with a focus on Engineering and Architectural Drafting and Computer-Aided Drafting. I served as the CADD Department Manager for the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security, Technical Security Division, which afforded me the opportunity to travel to Peru, Russia, and Micronesia.

In 2009, I was commissioned as a Chaplain in the rank of Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and stationed in Twentynine Palms, CA with Marine Wing Support Squadron 374. As a Chaplain, I served as the moral and ethical advisor to the command as a religious leader representing The AME Zion Church. I served as the Education Services Specialist for Navy Recruiting District New York for a couple of years before serving in the US Navy Reserves. During that time I received the Civilian of the Quarter award three times and the Eastern Region of Navy Recruiting Civilian of the Year. As a reservist, I served with Surface Readiness Command Pacific Forces, San Diego, CA, which afforded me the opportunity to serve on the USS Harpers Ferry, the Chapel of Hope at Point Loma, DESRON 15, and the USS Stethem, Yokosuka, Japan. In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, I served as Chaplain for Officer Training Command in Newport, RI for Officer Candidate School and Officer Development Schools. In 2021, I received active duty orders as the first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Chaplain Programs Officer for Chaplain recruiting for the Navy. June of 2022, I was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. My recognitions and awards include a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and Fleet Marine Force Pin.

The organizations I hold membership include Harriet Tubman Home, Inc. - Board Member, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., NAACP, Zion Clergywomen Network-Executive Board member, National Naval Officers Association (NNOA), Military Chaplains Association (MCA).

My accomplishments include writing several articles for the Star of Zion, Missionary Seer, and several journals. I serve as a mentor and career coach for men and women around the world. I have traveled the globe to include five continents, 41 nations, and 42 United States of America.

HOBBIES:

My hobbies include: reading, arts and crafts, puzzles, cruising and writing.