Rev. Dennis Kelly, Pastor

Pastor Dennis Kelly began his ministry at Ascension on October 13th, 2009.  Dennis graduated from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL with a Music Performance major and received a M.Div. degree from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. He has also done additional graduate work in Pastoral Counseling at Chicago Theological Seminary, Garret Evangelical Theological School and the Center for Religion and Psychotherapy at Chicago. 

Dennis was ordained in 1982 and has been a parish pastor for over 27 years. He comes to Ascension after serving for two years as Interim Minister at Christ the Lord Lutheran Church in Elgin. He previously has served three congregations in the Chicago area: Resurrection (Franklin Park), Holy Cross (Libertyville), and Trinity United (Waukegan).

Dennis has been married for over 29 years to his wife Mary who is a Special Education teacher at Antioch High School. They have one adult child, Katherine (Katie) Bowers who lives in Kenosha with her husband Charles and daughter Kamryn. 

Mary and Dennis enjoy a variety of cultural events and places, including concerts at Ravinia and visits to the Chicago Botanic Gardens. They also enjoy biking on trails throughout the Chicago area and working in their yard. However, their #1 joy is watching their grand-daughter grow!

As a parish pastor, Dennis believes that a community of faith gathers together to be nurtured by Word and Sacrament and sent into the world to share the Good News of God’s vision for the world as shown to us through Jesus Christ. This on-going cycle of gathering and sending has the power to transform lives, strengthen families and communities, and make a difference throughout the world.

Dennis draws inspiration for his life and ministry from a saying by Goethe:

 “A person should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.”