Ronald Kelly retires

PASADENA—Ronald Kelly retired as church controller July 22 ending 45 years of full-time work for the WCG.

Pasadena employees gathered July 20 to honor Ron and his wife, Norva. Ron came to Ambassador College as a student in 1956 and worked for the WCG and its affiliates ever since. In addition to his most recent job as controller, he served in the field ministry, as a faculty member at Ambassador College, dean of students and manager in Editorial and Church Administration.

They pastored churches in Sacramento and Oakland, California, Dallas, Texas, and Denver, Colorado.

Norva came to Ambassador in 1954. After graduation she taught second grade at Imperial Schools until their marriage in August 1960. After Ron and Norva were called back to headquarters in 1982, Norva served in Mail Processing, as a travel consultant in the former Travel Department and as an administrative assistant in Church Administration until November 2004.

Kelly started work part-time in 1956 as an Ambassador student in the Landscaping Department and later worked in Mail Processing and the Letter Answering Department. He was ordained in 1960 and began work full-time as a minister.

He went on baptizing tours to Germany in 1964 and 1968. In 1964 Ron and Norva moved to help start the new Ambassador College campus in Big Sandy, Texas. He served as dean of students from 1964 to 1976 and then became deputy chancellor in 1976.

When the Big Sandy campus closed in 1977, he became vice president of student affairs at the campus in Pasadena.

He went back into the field ministry in 1978 to serve as Denver pastor, and area coordinator.

When the Big Sandy campus reopened in 1981, he served as dean of students and professor of theology. In 1982 the Kellys were transferred back to Pasadena to work in the Editorial Department and write for church publications.

In 1990 he became department manager of Editorial Services in Pasadena. After the death of Herbert Armstrong, Kelly became one of four presenters on the World Tomorrow television program.

In 1995 he was named department manager of Family Ministry, and in 1996 director of Pastoral Development. He was named controller in 1998.

At the Eagle Rock, California, worship service, Sunday, July 31, Pastor Dennis Pelley presented flowers and a plaque to the Kellys. Norva received a 50-year baptism plaque from the congregation, having been baptized in 1955.

The Kellys have five children: Ronda and her husband, Marty Perry; Kara and her husband, Dan Zebrowski; Randel, who is a high school guidance counselor in Denver; Shari and her husband, John Campa; and Michelle and her husband, Bruce Suckling. They have 10 grandchildren. Seven live in Southern California, and three live in North Carolina.