Rev. Stacey Piyakhun

Lead Pastor

stacey@melissaumc.com (she/her)

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Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. - Proverbs 3:5-6

This verse aptly summarizes Rev. Stacey Piyakhun’s journey to Melissa UMC. Although she and her sister grew up in the United Methodist Church, Stacey’s path to ministry included a number of detours, scenic overlooks, and a traffic jam or two.

At age 17, after meeting her future husband Keith while working at a sporting goods store, Stacey attended West Texas A&M where she earned a Bachelors of Music degree in 1998. While she had plans to get married, become a band director and then settle in as a stay-at-home mom to daughters Emma and Kayla, God had other plans.

Constantly called to interweave and share her love of music and children, Stacey taught elementary music before becoming a UMC youth director in 2001. These roles and a few of life’s mandatory rest stops ultimately paved the way for her to pursue her true calling. In 2009, Stacey completed her Masters of Divinity at SMU. She served congregations in Frisco and Plano before moving to Melissa UMC as a part of First United Methodist Church of McKinney.

Endlessly encouraged by Keith (whom you will usually find in the AV booth), Stacey is “blessed by a partner in ministry and a best friend that shares my greatest joys and my deepest sorrows.”

While Stacey enjoys sharing her gifts of leadership, teaching and compassion with the Melissa UMC family, she also finds joy in downtime spent with family and friends, traveling, training her dogs, and watching bull riding at the rodeo.