Belong
Group Spiritual Direction for Christian Friendship and Communal Discernment (Belong)

The Rev. Dr. Melanie Dobson is an assistant professor and the Lefler and Wohltmann Chair in Methodist Studies at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS) of Lenoir-Rhyne University. She directs the two-year Spiritual Direction Certification Program at the seminary, a non-degree program open to anyone interested in deepening their spiritual life and learning the practice of spiritual direction. Dobson also directs the Methodist Studies program and supports connections between students, the South Carolina Annual Conference, and the seminary. She teaches courses in Methodism, Christian Ethics, Spiritual Practices, Leadership and Mission, and Theology. Her scholarly interests include intersections of theology, health and healing, spiritual direction/practices, and racial justice. Dobson became an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church in 2005 and is a Western North Carolina Annual Conference member. She has served as a pastor in rural, suburban, and urban contexts and in churches of all sizes, from small to medium to mega. She trained at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and is a certified spiritual director. Dobson also is a registered yoga teacher and incorporates yoga into her ministry and community service.