Pastor, Wife Celebrates 40 Years Of Worship

Area Services

When Pastor Charles and Karen Kelly drove into Scobey 40 years ago, a strange feeling came over both of them.

“Driving down Main Street, we both felt it was home,” Charles explained. “The atmosphere was such that we felt we were coming home.”

Feeling at home in northeastern Montana was quite a statement since Charles was born and raised in South America by missionary parents and he performed a sixmonth missionary outreach in Bolivia, South America.

Their first service at the Scobey Alliance Church attracted only seven people. Charles laughs that the turnout was better than he had during a brief church-planting attempt in Butte when not a single person showed up.

“So, seven was pretty good,” Charles said.

Karen added, “I said don’t worry we will plant trees and have a nice garden. Everything will be fine.”

Everything did turn out fine, even though life took them a different path than they were expecting. The Kellys originally thought they would stay in Scobey for only a year and then return to missionary work. Their plans, however, changed when a little boy in the community needed their help.

“He started coming to our house,” Charles remembered. “We formed a bond. I couldn’t see saying goodbye we’re off to a mission field. That changed everything for us.”

The Kellys became foster parents and adopted the boy. In following years, they adopted two more children.

“Clearly, God had other plans for us,” Charles said.

The couple is thankful that the church supported them and prayed for them during the adoptions.

“People continuing accepted and encouraged us,” Charles said of support throughout the years. “We’re extremely blessed.”

Karen added, “Scobey is a good place to live.”

They said that after about two years, they purchased their house in Scobey and then residents felt the couple was going to stay. Recently, they purchased their burial sites to make the commitment even stronger.

When they arrived to the area, Charles served as pastor of the Scobey Alliance Church and Whitetail Community Church. In 2006, Whitetail Community Church closed. A short time later, the Flaxville and Pleasant Prairie Lutheran churches found themselves without a pastor and asked Pastor Charles to help them keep their doors open. Now, he conducts services in one of those two churches at 8:30 a.m. on Sundays and then does the service in Scobey at 10:30 a.m.

About 45 members attend the church in Scobey and about 25-30 attend the other two churches.

A blessing came to the Scobey church about a year and half ago when the local Methodist church decided to close and donated its larger church to Scobey Alliance. In addition, the Methodist church provided about $70,000 for building improvements.

The new facility, which features a gymnasium, is home to a kids’ club program for elementary students. This year, 59 students are involved in that program.

A recent supper and lesson for high school boys attracted 22 students on a Wednesday night. The high school girls’ group of about 25 students meets in the former church building at the same time.

“The most exciting part of our work these days is the youth outreach,” Charles said.

Between 59 students for kids’ club, 22 for high school boys, 25 for high school girls and nine for junior high boys, that’s a total of 115 students being reached.

“We see that as our high point. All the children come and it’s wonderful,” Charles said.

Parents take turns providing meals for the high school students. The Kellys note it’s a true community supported ministry.

“They love it,” Charles said of the community. “They like to see their kids come.”

Even though, a reception was held last Sunday to honor the Kellys for their 40 years of service, Charles doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon.

“It’s just getting better all the time,” he said. “It’s been a very satisfying time here.” They are thankful that Scobey became their home. Their feelings were correct when they drove into town those 40 years ago.

“God has been so good to us. We’ve found him to be faithful every step of the road,” Charles said.

Karen stressed her faith in God. “He’s the one who builds a church. It’s not us.”