Pastor Cliff grew up in Pensacola and Tampa, Florida, and attended college at the University of Florida and then Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Chicago. He has one son, Matthew, who graduated from Western Carolina University in 2009.
Pastor Cliff has been serving churches in central Florida since 1983. During his ministry he has given special attention to and received advanced training in the areas of counseling, preaching, spiritual growth, and evangelism. He notes his strongest spiritual gifts as leadership and faith.
After graduating from H. B. Plant High School in Tampa, Cliff began his undergraduate career at DePauw University in Indiana. After three years at DePauw, he decided to move back to his home state and finished his undergrad work at the University of Florida. It was in Gainesville that Rev. Melvin's call to ministry was confirmed and before long, he was packing and moving to Chicago for training at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
Upon graduation in 1983 he returned to Florida, where Cliff was assigned to First UMC in Gainesville. Cliff's son, Matthew, was born in Gainesville and, of course, bleeds Gator Orange and Blue. In 1986, Rev. Melvin was assigned to Tomoka UMC in Ormond Beach. After six exciting years of growing a new church, came the move to First UMC of Sanford, where Pastor Melvin served until his assignment at Pasadena Community Church in 1997. Pastor Cliff served as Senior Pastor at the Palm Harbor UMC from 2006 to 2010. He moved across the state in July 2010 to serve as Sr. Pastor at Christ By The Sea.
Cliff works out regularly at the local gym and trains in cycling and swimming in preparation for his participation in triathlon and distance cycling. He also enjoys golf, mountain biking, and fishing.