Melanie Bockmann
Worship Pastor
Melanie moved to Orlando with her husband, Tim, in December of 2022 to serve WholeLife as worship pastor. (Considering Tim’s profession as a disaster recovery specialist…well, a home base in the hurricane capital of the US seemed like a suitable job location for him, as well.) Melanie and Tim are originally from the Seattle area, and have three grown sons who live with their families in Washington state and Colorado.
Melanie obtained a Bachelor of Arts & Sciences in Psychology from the University of Washington and a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary with an emphasis in biblical languages, followed by a Master of Arts in Religion from Vanderbilt University. She is a pending dissertation defense away from a PhD in Religion with a major in Homiletics & Liturgics and a minor in Religion, Gender, & Sexuality, also from Vanderbilt. The 36 boxes of books her long-suffering husband helped her move to Orlando are undeniable evidence of her nerdery.
Prior to going back to school and then joining the WholeLife pastoral staff, Melanie was a senior copywriter at an advertising firm and a freelance writer. In addition to writing marketing and advertising copy, Melanie wrote an award-winning media column for youth and authored four books published by Review & Herald (now Pacific Press).
Melanie’s idea of relaxing includes power tools, remodeling, and refinishing projects, figuring out how to do a variety of amateur undertakings on YouTube, and organizing and fixing things. Melanie also enjoys observing Florida wildlife (which is the main reason she agreed to join Randy, Ken, and Jeff on the weekly podcast #ThisIsWholelife).
As the worship and liturgy pastor, Melanie loves the creative challenge of imagining worship services oriented toward a limitless God. As a preaching coach, Melanie loves being part of the theological explorations and homiletical expressions of WholeLife’s many gifted preachers. As a person with a heart for inclusion and diversity, Melanie is committed to continually tearing down barriers that stand in the way of people pursuing God and welcoming every person into love, acceptance, and participation in the community and worship life of the WholeLife family.
Melanie obtained a Bachelor of Arts & Sciences in Psychology from the University of Washington and a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary with an emphasis in biblical languages, followed by a Master of Arts in Religion from Vanderbilt University. She is a pending dissertation defense away from a PhD in Religion with a major in Homiletics & Liturgics and a minor in Religion, Gender, & Sexuality, also from Vanderbilt. The 36 boxes of books her long-suffering husband helped her move to Orlando are undeniable evidence of her nerdery.
Prior to going back to school and then joining the WholeLife pastoral staff, Melanie was a senior copywriter at an advertising firm and a freelance writer. In addition to writing marketing and advertising copy, Melanie wrote an award-winning media column for youth and authored four books published by Review & Herald (now Pacific Press).
Melanie’s idea of relaxing includes power tools, remodeling, and refinishing projects, figuring out how to do a variety of amateur undertakings on YouTube, and organizing and fixing things. Melanie also enjoys observing Florida wildlife (which is the main reason she agreed to join Randy, Ken, and Jeff on the weekly podcast #ThisIsWholelife).
As the worship and liturgy pastor, Melanie loves the creative challenge of imagining worship services oriented toward a limitless God. As a preaching coach, Melanie loves being part of the theological explorations and homiletical expressions of WholeLife’s many gifted preachers. As a person with a heart for inclusion and diversity, Melanie is committed to continually tearing down barriers that stand in the way of people pursuing God and welcoming every person into love, acceptance, and participation in the community and worship life of the WholeLife family.