Who We Are 

The Rev. Dr. James (Jim) Melson is the Executive Director of the Cornelius Corps (www.corneliuscorps.org), a ministry based in Richmond, VA that focuses on spiritual formation and racial justice/reconciliation. Jim is an ordained pastor in The United Methodist Church. He served for 19 years as the pastor of local churches in the Virginia Annual Conference before founding the Cornelius Corps in 2001. The Cornelius Corps was based in Washington, DC until 2020 when Jim moved to Richmond, VA.
Jim is a graduate of Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA (1978 BA in Greek and Religion, Phi Beta Kappa) and Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, VA (1982 D.Min.). Jim has been married to his wife Vickie since August of 1977.
They have two daughters, Katie Melson of Pittsburgh, PA. and Kristie Melson of Richmond, VA. They have five grandchildren.

Michael Castrilli is the Executive Director at the Association of Inspectors General (AIG), an international nonprofit whose vision is to advance integrity and accountability in government through independent oversight. Prior to AIG, Michael was the Senior Program Director of Financial Literacy at Working In Support of Education (W!se). Michael led W!se’s nationwide Financial Literacy Certification program for high school students and educators. Michael is the co-author of the book, Parish Finance: Best Practices in Church Management (Paulist Press, 2016). Michael began his work with the Cornelius Corps in May 2015.

Michael holds a Master of Public Administration. from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, a Master of Divinity from the Washington Theological Union, and a Bachelor of Arts in education from the University at Albany.

Rev. Trenda Jacocks was ordained to the gospel ministry in 2015 by Parkwood Baptist Church after completing her master’s degree in 2014 at the John Leland Center for Theological studies in Christian Leadership. (MCL). Her former background as a seasoned servant leader, public-school advocate, pre-school administrator, mother and grandmother, military spouse, lay-leader and community organizer led her into her calling as a Pastor and to serve with Cornelius Corps
Serve since 2014.

Her 30 year background as an educational advocate for communities and organizations helps her serve as Pastor for Community Life at Parkwood. She loves connecting and networking people and ministry. Her mission is collaborative and communal. Upon graduation from seminary 2014, Trenda began an internship in the area of spiritual formation and racial reconciliation with The Cornelius Corps where she served as Past President of the board this past year. Trenda leads workshops and retreats as a team leader and organizer, connecting community and individuals to their personal calling and spiritual formation practices.

Prior to seminary, 2010, Trenda served in leadership at a large local church in Northern VA as Director of Community life and then in 2018 at Convergence Church, (Art and Faith) Alexandria, VA in roles as a Spiritual and Pastoral Advisor, and on the Leadership Team until 2022. For over 30 years she led Bible studies and mothers/parenting educational groups and still leads a group from her home weekly. Trenda is an appointed public trustee board member to the Washington Theological Consortium Board of Trustees where she shares her gift of ecumenism. Trenda is also part of the DC Baptist Convention Roundtable amd Cohort group.

In 2019, Trenda and her husband sought active mission ministry with Selamta family project ministry to orphans serving in Addis, Ethiopia. Her husband served as a medical doctor and Trenda as a pastor.

She loves hiking, reading, traveling and writing poetry with her husband, adult children, and dear grandchildren. She feels blessed to live and serve in mission and ministry with the military community as well in northern VA with her husband of 39 years, who is a retired US Army Special Forces Family physician and Flight Surgeon, active government leader and professor at numerous medical schools. Prior to residing in Fairfax Station, VA, The Jacocks family served in military communities and churches in Hawaii, Germany, Kansas, North Carolina and various locations in Virginia and Maryland.

Adrienne is a recording gospel artist, worship leader, conference/retreat speaker, discipleship leader, mentor, and visual artist who actively lives her life where faith, art and justice intersect. In the early years of her reconciliation ministry, Adrienne was mentored and worked extensively with Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil. At that time, the demands of family shaped her reconciliation ministry towards local leadership and activism. As fate would have it, Adrienne is currently working with Dr. Brenda again as an Associate for Salter McNeil and Associates.

November 2020, Adrienne was appointed as Wilton Police Commissioner. In the wake of the social justice protests of 2020, she was offered the position in recognition of her high profile and ongoing servant leadership in the community. She is a Board member of KEYS, a non-profit committed to providing free music programing to over 650 students in the Bridgeport CT school system, which has limited funding for arts programming. She serves as Board Member of the Greenwich Center for Hope and Renewal, a faith-based counseling agency.

Together, Adrienne and her husband Steve work in Racial Reconciliation through consulting with church leaders and the community at-large. Prior to Covid, as community organizers, they have worked within Fairfield County hosting monthly dinners to establish safe space for conversations about race in America. These conversations collectively were designed to forge a path forward to help move the nation from racism to gracism, as a new generation of gracists emerge.

Adrienne and her husband Steve are longtime residents of Wilton, CT., where they raised their three sons, now all adults.

The Reverend Audrey Britt James currently serves as Minister of Administration and Church Operations at Saint Paul Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. where she oversees church operations which includes coordination and implementation of the church vision. Rev. James received her license to preach the gospel on December 5, 2005, and was ordained on July 24, 2016, under the leadership of Pastor Darrell Macklin.

Rev. James is a native of Washington, D.C. She graduated from Bowie State University in 1976 (BS Political Science) and received her Law Degree from Antioch School of Law, Antioch University, Yellow Springs, Ohio, in 1986. In June 2014, Rev. James received a master’s degree in Christian Leadership (MCL) from The John Leland Center for Theological Studies, Arlington, Virginia.

Reverend James is an anointed teacher and administrator. She collaborates closely with her Pastor to establish an integrated approach to the Bible by realigning church operations and ministries to incorporate Kingdom building principles that will enhance the church’s understanding of their role in the kingdom of God for the glory of God. She is gifted in explaining the kingdom perspective and in filling in biblical and spiritual gaps so that the believer can make the necessary connection to see the big picture. Rev. James has taught youth and adult bible study, teacher, and minister development courses.

In addition to her gift of teaching, Rev. James is gifted in leadership. She has written various leadership training manuals and conducts Christian Leadership training for ministry heads and ministers within her local church, and at various conferences. Rev. James has also trained pastors and ministers in New Delhi and Odisha India.

Reverend James is the current board president for The Cornelius Corps.

Rev. James is married to her loving and supportive husband, Paul R. James. They reside in Washington, D.C. and have three children and eight grandchildren.

Rev. James absolutely loves the Lord and is committed to serving Him faithfully.
Her favorite scripture is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

To God Be the Glory!

Greg has more than 25 years of full-time, bi-vocational and volunteer ministry experience. While employed as a structural engineer Greg was called to serve as the pastor of a new church plant in Washington, DC, where he served for over 15 years. 3 Strands Community Church actively served with young adults, young families, and people experiencing homelessness in the DC area.

Throughout those years, 3 Strands Community Church supported the ministry of Cornelius Corps and partnered with Jim Melson for multiple retreat events and online workshops. Greg earned his Master’s in Christian Leadership from the John Leland Center for Theological Studies.

Greg now serves as the Pastor of Youth and Young Adults at Parkwood Baptist Church in Annandale, Virginia. Greg experienced most of his on-the-job training with youth and families alongside his wife, Molly, as they raised their two children, Addie & Ben, now in college.

Steve has a calling to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry” (Eph. 4:11-13) and for helping the church move towards greater maturity and unity across social diversity in Christ. Steve is passionate about racial reconciliation, often working together his wife Adrienne. He is also active in multiple ministry threads in diverse church and para-church settings.

Steve’s passion for reconciliation centers holistic, relationship-oriented discipleship in community. In reconciliation ministry, he uses a focus on history to help others engage in the present realities to build a better future, together.

Steve has extensive executive leadership experience in business, non-profit, church and para-church settings, and currently serves as a Program Associate with Cornelius Corps.
He graduated with a Masters of Divinity Degree from Alliance Theological Seminary in 2013. Ordained in 2016, he is currently pursuing a doctorate in global leadership of the Christian church at Asbury Seminary.

Steve and his wife Adrienne reside in Wilton, CT where they raised their three grown sons. He enjoys serving the local community and is currently a Trustee of the Wilton Historical Society. Since 2013, Steve has been President of the James. T. Reedy Sr. Scholarship Fund, which helps under-served scholars from Reading, PA reach their academic and vocational goals in college and beyond.

Tom Nealley has been a member of The Cornelius Corps boards since 2009. He was introduced to the work of The Cornelius Corps through the partnership with Crossroads UMC as Tom served many years as a tutor in the Washington DC public schools. Tom currently lives in Richmond, VA, and is a co-founder of encourageous, an organization focused on leadership, measurement, and visualization for local church leaders. He has served in executive director roles with large United Methodist Churches in Pennsylvania and Virginia, in many roles in UM District and Conference Agencies and projects. Before that, he worked in executive leadership, sales, and marketing roles in small and large companies. Tom has a passion for the local church and its future and has formed the ricketybridge mission group using the principles of the Cornelius Corps to advance 21st-century spiritual formation, technology, and learning systems in the local church context. In 2023, he published the book Leading with Diligence: A Way Forward for 21 st Century Church Leaders.