The Story of AVODA House

AVODA House began as an assignment from God long before the ministry became public.

For nearly a decade, the Lord prepared our founder, Melrose, through discipleship, study, and obedience for the work she and her husband, Juan, would later lead together.

1. The Vision

   A Return to the Table

   During the global pandemic, the Lord clarified the vision by returning us to the way the early church gathered: in homes, around shared meals, in prayer, and in discipleship.

2. 2022

   Ministering from House to House

   Melrose traveled throughout the United States, serving families in their homes.

3. 2023

   AVODA House Was Established

   The vision God had been unfolding for nearly nine years finally had a name. Trusting the Lord's leading, Melrose sold her belongings, closed her business, and followed the Holy Spirit to Arizona.

4. 2024

   Gatherings Across the USA

   AVODA House began in Arizona and Florida before establishing communities in Pennsylvania and South Carolina, while also reaching families in Texas, California, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and internationally in Mexico.

5. 2025

   Building as One

   As the Lord continued unfolding His plans, Juan joined Melrose in the work He had begun, and together they continue building AVODA House.

6. Today

   The Story Continues

   The work is still unfolding. Each new household, each new city, and each new season is another chapter God is writing, and we are still following where He leads.

Over time, through prayer and the leading of the Holy Spirit, a clear pattern began to emerge.

Many of the households we served were first responders, military families, public servants, and government leaders. Behind every vocation was a household carrying unique pressures, weighty responsibilities, and decisions few people ever see. Many of those conversations happened privately, around kitchen tables, over shared meals, and in moments of prayer.

As we walked alongside these families, the Lord gave us a deep love for the households behind those who serve. He also led us into law enforcement and legal studies, giving us a deeper understanding of the realities these families face.

What first looked like individual relationships revealed a distinct pastoral assignment: to strengthen the households behind those who serve on the front lines of America. Before anyone is entrusted to serve a city, a department, or a nation, their home is their first assignment.

We believe that as God strengthens these households, He also strengthens the communities they are called to protect.

As AVODA House matured, another assignment God had entrusted to us was also taking shape.

In 2023, the Congress of Kingdom Advocates for Freedom was established to equip believers with a biblical understanding of human rights, justice, civic discipleship, and engagement in society. In time, these two callings became one house.

Today, that work continues together through the AVODA Family Governance Initiative™:

One house, one mission: strengthening the households behind those who serve on the front lines of America.