Willis B. Kelly
First Baptist Church, Albertville
Marshall Baptist Association
Favorite Verse: Jeremiah 33:3
Favorite Hymn: “More About Jesus Would I Know”
Hobbies: Hunting, fishing and watching University of Alabama football
Family Status: Married to Mary Lois; sons, David, Jonathan and Samuel; daughter, Miriam; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren
Willis B. Kelly, of Albertville, believes a minister should be busy in ministry. At 88, he fills in for pastors and in the past 20 years has been interim pastor for 16 churches in three associations. Earlier in his ministry he was a full-time pastor at three churches. Kelly served on boards and committees for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions and the Alabama State Baptist Convention and holds responsibilities with Marshall Baptist Association.
Q: What influences in your life pointed you to Christ at the beginning of your faith journey?
A: I grew up in a Christian home. My grandfather, Will Kelly, was a Baptist preacher for 45 years. My grandfather, Sam Lindsey, donated land twice to build churches. I accepted Christ at 12 years of age at a revival meeting.
Q: When and how were you led into your ministry?
A: That was when I was 21 years of age, driving a bus to church. I was a junior deacon and Sunday School superintendent. But I sensed God wanted me to do something more.
Q: What does your ministry demand?
A: It meant that, if you were going to preach and serve the Lord, giving your best every day of the week and being faithful to the calling the Lord commissioned you to do.
Q: What do you get from your ministry?
A: You get the satisfaction and joy of knowing you are involved in the greatest work on earth — that’s helping to build God’s kingdom. It is an eternal ministry you are part of.
Q: How do family members support you?
A: They support us and always have — 100 percent. All of our children were present Jan. 17 for the 62-year celebration (of my ministry) at First Baptist Church, Albertville.
Q: How do you see yourself involved in this in the future?
A: I don’t want to live any longer than I can be useful in God’s kingdom. Whatever time I have left on this earth, I hope to stay active and busy with so many things you can do. If we don’t win people to Christ, we’re going to miss our calling.
Q: What difference will this ministry make for you in the future?
A: I hope this ministry will allow me to say when I am ready to depart this life that whatever I have contributed brings me joy, and after I’m gone somebody will know I lived. I hope my ministry will leave a legacy to say to young preachers, “When the days are tough, that the tough get going.”
Q: What difference has Jesus Christ made in your life?
A: He has made all the difference. He has been with me in the local church, all the way to Korea and back and all these churches we have served these 60 years. If anything good happened in our ministry, God did it. To Him is all the honor and glory and praise.
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