Melanie Weldon-Soiset

Melanie Weldon-Soiset loves languages and books. Her parents tell her she delighted in speaking her own secret language as a baby, and Melanie’s teachers often had to tell her to “shush!” during class. Thankfully, this native Georgian found a productive way to engage her linguistic interests by studying Spanish and Comparative Literature at the University of Georgia. Melanie also loves opposites, and tries to find deeper paradoxes in them. Perhaps this craving to connect disparate things contributed to her calling to China. Along with her husband Brian, Melanie moved to Hangzhou, China in 2011 to study another language, Mandarin. A passion for paradox drives her Methodist thirst for theology, so Melanie earned her Master of Divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., in 2010. She put this degree to good use as the Director of Christian Education at Western Presbyterian Church from 2010-2011. In Shanghai, she flexed her MDiv muscles as the Teaching Pastor at a nondenominational church of 2000 immigrants. With members from over 100 nations and six continents, the church provided daily challenges and joys in multicultural ministry!

After almost five years in China, Melanie returned to the United States, and to D.C., in 2016. She is thrilled to serve as the Fellowship Program Director at Sojourners, and is simultaneously pursuing ordination as a Deacon in the United Methodist Church. Her hobbies include preparing fusion recipes, poetry writing, and contemplating apt alliteration while walking on nearby greenways.