Our Pastoral Staff
Rev. Danny Walker, Lead Pastor
Danny graduated from Duke Divinity School with a Master’s of Divinity and has been serving in the Indiana United Methodist conference since 2000. Before seminary, he spent two years working as a youth leader for Wesley-Rankin Community Center in a Latino community of Dallas, TX. The combination of serving the church, attending seminary, and working in Dallas has shaped Danny greatly, specifically in perceiving God’s kingdom come, God’s love for a people called church, and God’s love for the all the world. In 2004, Danny and Amber entered the blessing of marriage. They have two wonderful boys, Eli and Josh.
Cell phone: 765-894-0597
Rob Probus, Discipleship & New Connections Pastor
Rob works with the staff and leaders of the congregation to help Avon UMC to make new, maturing, and fruitful disciples of Jesus Christ of all ages. This includes overseeing small group ministry, while supporting children’s ministry, youth ministry, and outreach efforts, as well as doing whatever pastoral stuff is needed. He is passionate about being an apprentice of Jesus, a husband, a father, and a leader. He feels driven to guide the church to fulfill her potential, including Christ’s commission to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). He and his wife, Erin, met and began dating as juniors in high school, then attended and graduated from Ball State University together and were married in the summer of 2002. In 2003, God led them to Mooresville First UMC shortly after moving to a nearby community. Their involvement quickly increased over the years as God was preparing Rob to become a pastor. Eventually, he joined the church staff in Mooresville as a part-time Worship AV Director, while owning and operating a small media ministry company. They remained active members of the congregation for eleven years. Rob answered the call into pastoral ministry in May of 2013, then went through the process within the United Methodist denomination to become licensed as a local pastor. He joined the Avon UMC staff in December of 2014. Rob and Erin are blessed with two energetic, thoughtful, and creative sons, Zane and Levi.
robprobus@avonumc.com
Cell Phone: 812-345-6972
Ed Melendez, Contemporary Worship and Music Pastor
An impassioned follower of Jesus Christ. Ed is originally from California by way of Montana. Ed uses his God-given gifts as a leader, musician, composer, and arranger to passionately seek God. Through God’s providence, Ed has found himself involved in several opportunities that would involve the ministry of music and worship.
Ed believes the central aim of worship is to glorify and lift up our Sovereign God with Scripturally-filled praise. He loves bringing excellence to everything God makes available to him. Ed believes in the power of prayer, worship, and in the beauty of bringing God’s people to the foot of the cross. Ed loves his ever-growing family and shares his life’s journey and ministry with his amazing, beautiful bride, Sharon.
edmelendez@avonumc.com
Cell Phone: 719-243-6691