Conference-Related Ministry Profile
by Javier Márquez
Editor’s Note: Destiny’s Daughters was approved by Mosaic’s board as a Conference-Related Ministry and will be welcomed at the 2026 Fall Delegate Assembly
Destiny’s Daughters Inc., is a therapeutic and spiritual mentoring organization based in Harrisonburg, Virginia.Under the passionate direction of its founder and CEO, Dr. Melody M. Pannell, this ministry combines Anabaptist theology with social work and restorative justice to offer holistic healing to young Black women and their communities. In a world marked by deep social disparities and health inequities, this ministry seeks to transform the lives of young women and girls through faith, justice, and community love.
The roots of Destiny’s Daughters date back to September 1990. After serving as a summer camp counselor for 10- and 11-year-old girls, Dr. Pannell felt a clear calling from God to start something new at her local congregation, Seventh Avenue Mennonite Church in Harlem, New York.
“I felt called to start a ministry to address the social disparities and spiritual formation of young girls in my Harlem community,” shares Dr. Pannell. “We addressed racial discrimination, poverty, and health inequities that were impacting the community, teaching the Gospel from a social justice theological perspective.”
Dr. Pannell, who is a scholar, healthcare administrator, and mental health clinician, has grown this work into other areas, including at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) beginning in 2004, at Virginia Union University (VUU) in 2010, created branches in Harlem, Washington D.C., and upstate New York in 2013-2018, and more recently has incorporated as a non-profit organization.
Since 2020, the organization has expanded to Bridgewater (VA) College, Immanuel Mennonite (Harrisonburg, PA), Far Rockaway (NY), and internationally in Kenya. It is currently reactivating and establishing branches at Hampton University, the University of Virginia (UVA), Philadelphia, and Maryland.
Destiny’s Daughters Inc. envisions its members flourishing as servant leaders equipped to overcome social gaps, build resilient communities, and foster spiritual formation. Its mission is to cultivate courageous women leaders by educating, equipping, and empowering young women and girls to recognize their purpose through liberating love and holistic healing.
“Our mission is unique because it is deeply intergenerational. Our oldest member is 49 years old and our youngest is 15; we even have daughters of the original girls from Harlem who are now part of Destiny’s Daughters,” explains Dr. Pannell.
The ministry operates under a discipleship model where past participants are the leaders of new branches. The work is grounded in Scripture passages such as Jeremiah 29:11-13 (“For I know the plans I have for you…”) and Isaiah 61:1-3 (“…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes…”).
With 56 years as a Mennonite, Dr. Pannell has dedicated over two decades to racial healing, reconciliation, and cultural awareness in the church and academia. The decision to join Mosaic reflects a deep alignment of values:
“I am drawn to join Mosaic because its priorities of being missional, intercultural, and formational strongly align with my own,” affirms Dr. Pannell. “I see Mosaic Conference’s commitment to embrace the uniqueness of our cultures and empower every person to be their authentic self. It is my desire to be in fellowship with the body of Christ and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.”
As an evangelical, interdisciplinary ministry present in schools, universities, churches, and community centers, Dr. Pannell asks for the prayerful support of the community:
“We ask Mosaic to pray for our leaders, our members, and the environments where we hold our activities,” requests Dr. Pannell.
“We ask for protection for every participant, provision for the resources to implement our programs, and the passion to effectively carry out our mission. We ask you to pray that God brings a sense of healing and hope to the social inequities troubling the communities we serve, and that God be glorified in every step of Destiny’s Daughters, Inc.”
Javier Márquez
Javier Márquez is Associate for Community Cultivation and Leadership Development. He is an Anabaptist Colombian pacifist and poet. He is based in Bogota, Colombia.
Mosaic values two-way communication and encourages our constituents to respond with feedback, questions, or encouragement. To share your thoughts or send a message to Javier, contact him at jmarquez@mosaicmennonites.org.
The opinions expressed in articles posted on Mosaic’s website are those of the author and may not reflect the official policy of Mosaic Conference. Mosaic is a large conference, crossing ethnicities, geographies, generations, theologies, and politics. Each person can only speak for themselves; no one can represent “the conference.” May God give us the grace to hear what the Spirit is speaking to us through people with whom we disagree and the humility and courage to love one another even when those disagreements can’t be bridged.
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