Mel Turner

New Hope Baptist Church
Fayetteville Georgia
Family Pastor and Pastoral Counselor

Background

Mel was born in Shreveport, Louisiana.  He spent his formative years nearby in Minden, Louisiana. Mel is well into his third decade of marriage to his college sweetheart and the love of his life, René.  They have two grown daughters, Kristen and Courtney.  Therefore, they are well into the “empty nester” phase of life.  Mel and René live in Stockbridge, Georgia.  When they are not busy working, they enjoy taking in dinner and a movie as well as spending time on a sandy beach, reading useless pieces of fiction and occasionally staring lovingly into one another’s eyes.

Credentials

Mel received his Master of Divinity Degree in Biblical Languages from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Building Construction from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). He has done further studies at the doctoral level in Marriage and Family Counseling through Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Mel has also completed 4 units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) through Emory Healthcare.

Experience/Expertise

Mel specializes primarily in the area of marriage therapy.  He enjoys helping married couples work through issues such as unhealthy communication patterns, infidelity, lack of personal boundaries, sexual dysfunction and unresolved emotional issues from the past.  Mel also has years of experience leading marital therapy groups, couple’s retreats and communication seminars.  With years of experience as a staff minister and lead pastor, Mel has also established a subset of his counseling practice.  Many ministers, pastors and their spouses have found a “safe place” in Mel to talk about and successfully work through the unique stressors that negatively impact a marriage due to the rigors of vocational ministry.

Church Ministry

Mel serves as the Family Pastor and Pastoral Counselor at New Hope Baptist Church, Fayetteville Georgia.  Each Sunday morning, Mel and René are privileged to lead a Sunday School class with the moniker, Passages of Marriage.  This group is dedicated to exploring every aspect of marriage from a biblical perspective.  Whether the topic is improving intimacy, resolving issues from the past, or looking at the impact of social media on marriage, the Turners make sure that the group stays true to its given tag line: “Real Marriage . . . God’s Way!”

Favorite Quote

“Birds like worms. I don’t like worms, I like strawberry ice cream.  Birds don’t like strawberry ice cream, birds like worms!

Contact

New Hope Baptist Church
Family Pastor & Pastoral Counselor 
404-388-0451
melturner@mindspring.com