For 15 years, Melinda led Alpha Australia through massive growth, quietly turning a British faith course into a major force in Aussie churches. But what makes her story so compelling isn’t just the stats or the strategy. It’s the faith, the obedience, and the heart to serve the whole Church, across every denomination.
Melinda’s journey with Alpha didn’t begin with a grand vision. In her words, it started with, “Not much, to be honest.” A whisper from God. A leap of faith. And a deep belief in unity and evangelism. She’d been pastoring a church where 70% were first-generation Christians, people who didn’t know women “weren’t supposed to” lead churches. It was fertile soil for faith. That same posture of openness and obedience carried over into her leadership of Alpha, where she streamlined the program, contextualised it for different denominations, and kept it laser-focused on serving the local church.
Simple Tools, Massive Impact
Melinda simplified Alpha’s approach: “You eat, you watch, you chat.” But behind the simplicity was an enormous strategic effort. She simplified the training, reshaped the language for different church cultures, and always asked: how does this serve the church better? As she said, “Discipleship only makes sense for me within the framework of a church.”
Her focus wasn’t on Alpha as an organisation, it was on the Church. And when COVID hit? Alpha was ready. In fact, online Alpha grew the reach even more. Thousands who might never have walked into a church found Jesus in Zoom rooms across the country.
Crossing the Great Denominational Divide
One of the most beautiful parts of Melinda’s legacy is her ability to build bridges. Whether it was with the Pentecostal churches she knew well or the Catholic parishes she grew to love, she brought grace and curiosity. She learned the language, respected the culture, and led with love. That’s how Alpha ended up being embraced by up to 15% of Catholic parishes in Australia.
She says, “We never change what we believe, but we do adjust the language.” That kind of cultural intelligence and Spirit-led leadership saw Alpha not only span the denominational divide, but thrive across it.
A Million Souls, One Vision
From the early days, Melinda had one goal, to see a million guests go through Alpha in Australia. Not just for numbers’ sake, but because every number is a name, and every name is a person Jesus loves.
She says it best: “If Alpha’s doing our job, no one should know we exist—because the credit is the church.”
And that, friends, is a legacy worth celebrating.
Listen to the full conversation of Melinda Dwight.
Share your stories of evangelism on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn), listen to The WIN WIN Evangelism Podcast, or email us at team@evangelisminaustralia.com.
