Melany J. Silas-Chandler, PhD, M.Div.
Rev. Dr. Melany J. Silas-Chandler is a theologian, educator, pastor, and visionary community architect whose life’s work embodies the integration of faith, scholarship, and justice. A proud Rochester, New York native, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Health and Society and a Master of Science in Counseling and Human Development from the University of Rochester, a Master of Divinity from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education from Syracuse University.
For more than 24 years, Dr. Silas-Chandler has served as a Professor at Monroe Community College, where she has shaped the intellectual and personal development of thousands of students. A trailblazer in culturally responsive health education, she developed and teaches innovative courses such as Death & Dying and Black Women’s Mental Health and Wellness—centering the lived experiences, resilience, and healing journeys of Black women. In recognition of her influence and leadership, she served as the 2025 Monroe Community College Commencement Keynote Speaker.
Beyond the academy, Dr. Silas-Chandler is the Founder and Executive Director of BreatheDeep, Inc., a nonprofit mental health and wellness organization she launched in 2021. In just five years, BreatheDeep has become a vital hub for community healing and trauma-informed education across Rochester and beyond. Under her leadership, the organization has:
• Trained and mentored dozens of youth Peer Ambassadors (ages 14–18), equipping them as mental health advocates and safe supports within their schools and neighborhoods
• Delivered hundreds of community-based workshops, wellness sessions, and trauma-response initiatives in partnership with schools, courts, churches, and municipal agencies
• Secured and stewarded over half a million dollars in grants and philanthropic support to expand culturally grounded mental health programming
• Established Project Restore and Project SOYL (Saving Our Youth Lives), initiatives focused on restorative healing, violence prevention, and youth empowerment
• Built strategic partnerships with the City of Rochester, local school districts, the justice system and community-based organizations to address mental health disparities in historically marginalized communities
Through BreatheDeep, Dr. Silas-Chandler has created sustainable pathways for healing that integrate education, prevention, spiritual care, and community advocacy—particularly in moments of crisis and collective trauma.
As an ordained clergywoman, Dr. Silas-Chandler serves as Pastor of Trinity Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, the only African American Presbyterian congregation in the region. Her pastoral leadership bridges theological depth and prophetic witness, grounding congregants in spiritual formation while mobilizing the church as an agent of justice and restoration. Her preaching and teaching ministry reflect a deep commitment to transformational discipleship rather than transactional faith—calling individuals and communities into courageous, Spirit-led action.
Dr. Silas-Chandler is also the Founder of MJS Productions, LLC, through which she has written and produced choreopoems and curated transformative conferences centered on healing, womanhood, and leadership. Through this platform, she has hosted cultural and intellectual icons including Cynthia Bailey, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Angela Davis—creating sacred spaces where art, dialogue, and advocacy intersect.
As Founder of Tucker & Blaire Publishing, she continues to expand her literary and spiritual legacy. Her recent works—including Sacred Ground Collective (The Book, The Journal, and The Reflection Cards), When God Asks for Something Big, and Still Becoming: A Prayer Book—invite readers into intentional reflection, spiritual courage, and personal transformation.
Her leadership has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Outstanding Alumni Award from the University of Rochester, the Women of Excellence Award from the Rochester Business Journal, Black History Month recognition from the City of Rochester, and Community Leaders Awards from numerous organizations.
Across every role—educator, pastor, nonprofit executive, author, producer—Dr. Silas-Chandler embodies a ministry of integration. She does not separate pulpit from policy, classroom from community, or scholarship from service. Instead, she builds bridges—between faith and mental health, between young people and their purpose, between trauma and healing, between vision and action.
Above all, she treasures her most sacred callings: being a devoted wife to her husband Rodney, a proud mother to their daughter Nyah Anita, and a sister and friend to those who journey closely beside her. Her life’s work is not simply about achievement—it is about impact. It is about building spaces where people can breathe, believe, and become.
