“From Retail to Ministry: Molly Levin Beck’s 50-Year Journey of Faith and Service”
Molly Levin Beck graduated from Duke Divinity School in 1975 but initially worked in retail for 38 years, including positions at various stores and eventually Cokesbury Christian Bookstore, before responding to a call to ministry. After Cokesbury closed in 2013, she began serving part-time as minister of congregational care at Millbrook United Methodist Church, where she had been a member since 2000. During her time at Duke, she formed lasting relationships with faculty members such as Harmon Smith, who showed extraordinary care when her father passed away in 1974, Robert Cushman, and Roland Murphy, who, in short order, knew students’ names and faces. Levin Beck’s journey reflects a gradual response to a call she made to God in high school, taking decades to fully embrace ministry while developing gifts of compassion through retail management and customer relationships. She now serves as a Stephen Minister, focusing on pastoral care through hospital and home visits, prayer, and the ministry of listening. Her story illustrates how diverse life experiences, including managing store closures with sensitivity, prepared her for meaningful ministry work that centers on caring for people during difficult times.
