Mel Walker is the president and co-founder of Vision For Youth, Inc., an international network for youth ministry – and he is the Vice President for Communications & External Relations at Summit University (formerly Baptist Bible College & Seminary) in Clarks Summit, PA. Mel is a frequent speaker (both nationally and internationally) at youth, church leadership, family life, and parenting conferences. He speaks to thousands of students, church leaders, and youth workers each year and has organized and led several regional, statewide, and national youth and youth ministry conferences and events. Mel is a graduate of Baptist Bible College (AA & BRE) & Seminary (MMin), and has done graduate work at Iowa State University and Faith Baptist Theological Seminary.
Mel & his wife, Peggy, are the parents of 3 grown children: Kristi (a missionary in Germany), Todd, and his wife, Janine, (a Vision For Youth missionary), and Travis, along with his wife, Kaci (serving as a youth pastor) – and now have six grandchildren. Mel & Peggy are active in Heritage Baptist Church in Clarks Summit, PA, where they lead the college-age young adult ministry.
After serving as a youth pastor in Michigan for several years, Mel then taught youth ministry courses and served in various administrative roles at Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny, Iowa, and then at Baptist Bible College & Seminary in Clarks Summit, PA. He also ministered for several years as the director of student ministries for Regular Baptist Press in Schaumburg, Illinois – where he led in their complete revision of the youth Sunday School curriculum. He currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at Baptist Bible Seminary and Word of Life Bible Institute in Germany. Mel is the co-editor of 2 major anthologies of youth ministry (Pushing the Limits: Unleashing the Potential of Student Ministry, published by Thomas Nelson; and The Greenhouse Project: Cultivating Students of Influence, published by Word of Life). He also wrote 3 books, published by Regular Baptist Press on the subjects of youth discipleship, mentoring, and evangelism; and a devotional booklet for VFY for students on developing Biblical convictions. His newest book, Inter-Generational Youth Ministry: Why a Balanced Approach to Youth Ministry is Essential for the Church was recently released.
He is currently a member in the Association of Youth Ministry Educators and has been included twice in the Outstanding Young Men of America publications. He is also a past recipient of the Outstanding Faithfulness in Youth Ministry Award.