The Black Belt Pastor

Rev. Dr. David P. Melvin is Pastor of Mossville United Methodist Church in Peoria, IL. He also serves as adjunct faculty at Illinois Wesleyan University and Eden Theological Seminary, where he teaches courses in Biblical Studies, Hebrew, and Greek. He earned his Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Baylor University, and he also holds an M.Div. from Eden Theological Seminary and an M.A. in Jewish Studies from Washington University in St. Louis. In addition to being a pastor and professor, he is a black belt in Shito-ryu karate and has also trained in Shotokan, Shuri-ryu, and Tae Kwon Do. Dr. Melvin weaves together his work as a pastor and professor with his love of karate in order to minister to a wide range of people through preaching, teaching, and martial arts.