Celebrate Women's History Month with Captain Melinda Tripp
This week, we’d like to introduce you to Captain Melinda Tripp. She is currently the Corps Officer at The Salvation Army of Rock County, Beloit. She has been an officer alongside her husband, Jacob, for eight years. They have been in the Wisconsin and Upper Michigan Division for their appointments, so far. The couple has served in Wausau and Madison before being appointed to Beloit.
When she was younger, she would attend Youth Councils. This was a time where teens and young adults from across a division would come together for worship and fellowship with their peers. She first heard her calling to become an officer when she was just 13-years-old. She said she ran far and fast away from the calling, but God had other plans. She returned to Youth Councils as an adult and new mother where she was leading the group. This time she heard the calling and she embraced it.
Captain Melinda followed her calling, which lead her to the Beloit Corps today. As the officer at the worship and community center, she wears many hats.
“My favorite role is pastor and teacher. I especially love being able to stop in the middle of the day and pray with someone just needing someone to hear them and know they are cared for,” she said.
If there is anything else she loves almost as much as ministry, it would be creating a spreadsheet. She gets to utilize her talents and love for spreadsheets when she is conducting everyday business-like writing grants, planning activities, and organization.
From building relationships with community members or speaking about the needs of her community and how The Salvation Army can help, Captain Melinda said she feels blessed with all of the ministry opportunities she has.
“When God lays a message on my heart, I typically cannot wait to share it,” she said. “One of the best things about preaching is that in the preparation process, the Holy Spirit is working in my heart and life as the message comes together.”
When asked what is it like to be an officer, Melinda described her life as “beautifully-messy; exhausting yet fulfilling; heartbreaking, yet heart-filling; and so much more!” She wants the world to know that she and her fellow officers love deeply and fiercely and want nothing more than to bring people into the loving presence of Jesus.
“The roots of the organization are founded in justice and mercy,” She said.
There are two verses of scripture that Captain Melinda lives by. The first being Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
The second, Deuteronomy 6:5, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."
She uses both verses to remember what is truly the most important when many things are demanding her time and attention.
Each week, during March, we want to share the women who help spread the word of our Savoir and help those during their darkest times. Look for more stories featuring our female officers coming next week!