The Rev. Dr. Melissa J. Sites grew up on a farm in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia. Her grandmother and great-grandmother were church musicians, and her sister and mom are/were school teachers.  Raised Presbyterian, she worshipped at St. John’s Zion Parish, Beltsville from 1994-2021. Her formal studies have included English literature, music, poetry, and women’s studies. She completed the 4-year EfM course in 2018, and was ordained a deacon November 12, 2022. Deacon Melissa earned a certificate in Contemplation and Creation Care from Sewanee in 2021, and serves as co-chair of the Creation Care Task Force for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.

Deacon Melissa lives in Greenbelt with her husband, Ian Blackwell Rogers, a classical stage actor and early childhood educator.  Their son, Jamie Rogers-Sites, is a musician and visual artist.  Melissa is the Executive Director of College Park Arts Exchange, where she is dedicated to building community through the arts. Some of her other ministries include performing, teaching music, and writing. Hobbies include walking her dog every day, writing a daily poem (often based on nature observed during the walk), living the Reduce/Upcycle lifestyle, practicing different musical instruments and writing songs, and learning Biblical Hebrew.