Get to Know

A native Yooper, Pastor Kelly grew up just down the road from Pelkie in Lake Linden, MI.  She attended Northern Michigan University and earned her BS degree in English, Secondary Education.  Kelly also studied theology through Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, IA and graduated with her Masters of Divinity in May 2020.  

Kelly holds a certificate in Youth and Family Ministry from Wartburg Theological Seminary and served the church for over twenty years in Youth and Family Ministry, serving congregations in Manistee, MI and Hancock, MI.  She also served in Outdoor Ministry at Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp in Crystal Falls, MI; Lutheran Memorial Camp in Fulton, OH; and Camp of the Cross in Garrison, ND before discerning a call to ordained ministry.  These ministries continue to be a passion of hers, and she currently serves on the Board of Directors at Fortune Lake.       

Kelly shares her home with her cats, Hoolu and Dazzle.  She enjoys spending time with family and friends, artistic endeavors, music, and the beauty of the outdoors.  She feels blessed to call the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the Copper Country her home.  

Mission United Lutheran Church is Kelly's first call as an ordained minister.