Kelly graduated from Gettysburg Seminary. He served as chaplain, religion teacher, and Dean of Residence for the boarding school at Oregon Episcopal School in Portland, Oregon. He is the senior pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota and former director for Redeemer’s non-profit entity, Redeemer Center for Life -- programs including services of affordable housing, after-school, youth development programs and support to families providing foster care for African/African American children.

Kelly has served on the executive board of Trustees for Gustavus College, Plymouth Christian Youth Center, Cookie Cart, and national board for Lutheran Volunteer Corp and the Wheat Ridge Ministries Foundation.

Kelly is a Princeton Theological Benjamin E. Mays Fellow with the Fund for Theological Leadership and 2006 recipient of the Luther Seminary Race, Church and Change Award. In addition Kelly was awarded Portland Public School’s Volunteer of the Year 1992, Mayor’s Citizen of the Year for Portland, Oregon, and 2003 recipient of the Tom Hunstad Award for distinguished leadership in Youth and Family Ministry.