Elizabeth Melvin, Cotswold Women’s Shepherd

Elizabeth was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She vividly remembers coming to know Jesus and understand the message of the Gospel at a Christian soccer camp (yes, there is such a thing) in first grade. Her faith grew steadily from then on, especially in high school when she was involved in her church youth group. She attended Wake Forest University, and her time involved in RUF brought her to a new and deeper understanding of grace and her profound need for it. She graduated in 2008 with a major in Psychology and a minor in Studio Art.

After college, Elizabeth participated in the Falls Church Fellows program in Falls Church, Virginia and then returned to Dallas. She taught 3rd grade in an inner-city Christian school. In 2013, she met her husband Parker at a Christmas party while he was visiting from Charlotte. They began dating, flying back and forth every few weeks, and were married a year later. After moving to Charlotte, Elizabeth taught 5th grade at Brookstone Schools until the birth of their first daughter, Rosie, in March 2017. Their daughter Molly joined the family in September 2019.

Elizabeth loves being home with her girls, checking out multiple books at the library and flying through them, power walking and talking, trying new recipes, squeezing time in for a creative project here and there, but her greatest passion is getting to the heart of things. Whether in one-on-one conversation or a group study, she loves discussing and understanding God’s redemption of our stories, especially in families of origin and relational dynamics.