Pastor Melanie J. Wells has a practical and authentic approach to teaching the word of God. She believes that as people learn more about Christ and His plan for their lives, they will be empowered to demonstrate His love to those around them. Elevation Ministries was born out of a desire to make God’s word relevant in a world that needs direction, accountability, and grace. Pastor Wells is passionate about building individuals’ lives through the daily application of scripture, development of strong families, and equipping people to change the world around us.

Pastor, teacher, and community advocate, Melanie J. Wells, grew up in the church and has been actively involved in ministry since her childhood. The youngest child of Otis and Gladys Sellers, Pastor Wells was born and raised in Winston- Salem, North Carolina. She graduated as salutatorian of her high school class and received a full academic scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC).

During college, she rededicated her life to Christ and seriously committed to a life that honors the Lord. It was during this time that she became aware of the purpose Christ has for all of us and began to develop a desire to reach those who do not know the Lord. This passion to reach other young adults led her to be one of the founding members of the, Alpha Epsilon Omega, Inc., the first Christian sisterhood on UNC’s campus. In the summer of 1996, she completed a mission trip in the inner city of Tampa, FL. This was her first encounter with Apostle Derrick L. Wells and Holy Bible Christian Ministries (HBCM). During this summer, she participated in street ministry, fed the homeless, and partnered with local women’s shelters. Following this experience, the Lord spoke to her that Apostle Wells was her shepherd.

After graduating, Pastor Wells moved to Tampa and began to support the development of HBCM by serving in the evangelism, music and fine arts ministries, as well as the administrative and leadership teams. Under the direction of Apostle Wells, Sister Wells grew in grace and was ordained as a minister in 2000 and as an Elder in 2006. In the fall of 2006, she was one of the first members to transition to DMV area to plant RAWWWNation Ministries. Elder Wells continued to serve in leadership and became the director of the dramatic arts ministry, Voices of Promise, and served as a co-director of the women’s ministry. The move to Maryland proved prosperous in many ways as Pastor Wells met her future husband, Michael and began leading singles ministry with him. After 20 years of support to Apostle Wells’ ministry, Pastor Melanie Wells was selected to start a new ministry. Elevation Ministries was launched in Baltimore, MD on February 14, 2016.

In addition to serving in ministry, Pastor Wells holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Chemistry and a Masters of Public Health. She has nearly twenty years of experience in the nonprofit and public health sectors. Pastor Wells is also a non-profit executive, community advocate, public speaker and entrepreneur. She has 20 years of experience in the public health and non-profit sectors serving medically vulnerable communities in North Carolina, Florida, the District of Columbia (DC) and Maryland. She has managed a portfolio of federally supported projects related to HIV/AIDS, cancer, minority health, and health disparities issues. In Pastor Wells’ current role as the Director of Administration for a local medical association, she oversees operations, talent development, and supports the Board of Directors.