REMEMBERING ELDER T. MARSHALL KELLY: CHANGING TIRES AND CHA N GING LIVES

Ihave known Elder Kelly all of my life. We were both from the same place: Cleveland, Ohio. I may also be one of the few people who remembers his mother. She had an identical twin sister, if I remember correctly (of course, that was so long ago! And I am at the age that I may not be remembering correctly)!

Elder Kelly sang with a quartet from Cleveland that was formed when they all were teenagers. The group consisted of T. Marshall Kelly, Charles Terrell, Mylas Martin and my cousin, James Hill. I think they must have sung together for about 60 years; I used to enjoy listening to them until time did to them what time eventually does to everyone. I had the sad privilege of going to the funerals of the other three quartet members. In fact, I gave remarks or did the eulogy for two of them. Elder Kelly was the last surviving member of the group and he sang at each of their services. As a church administrator, I attend a lot of funerals. Because I have served in the territory where Elder Kelly lived, almost inevitably, he was asked to sing at many of those funerals. It was almost as if Elder Kelly was the official Adventist Funeral Soloist.

Though it became increasingly apparent toward the end of his life that he did not remain as strong as he once was, that reality did not apply to his voice. That bass voice remained rich, even until the last time I heard it. This was one of a number of things very special about him.

Elder Kelly hosted a weekly radio program called “Think it Over,” every Sabbath afternoon for years. When I worked in the South Central Conference, it was my privilege to be a guest on that program on a number of occasions. He used a studio in Huntsville, and I would go there when we would tape the programs.

I was impressed with his professionalism and his voice. His conversational tones were as impressive on radio as they were when he was singing. He also had a way of making you feel that [despite the vast audience] just you and he were talking together about Jesus. I have no doubt that there will be people saved in the kingdom of God because of Elder Kelly’s radio program.

There are two things I remember most about Elder Kelly: First, we lost my father 23 years ago to cancer. He had one of the deadliest types of the disease—pancreatic cancer. As the one of four siblings geographically closest to my parents’ home in Huntsville, I spent a lot of time shuttling back and forth between Huntsville and Nashville to take care of my father during the final weeks of his life.

With the kind permission of then-South Central Conference President, Elder Joseph McCoy, I was permitted to work from my parents’ home in Huntsville (though there was no such thing as remote work in those days, he permitted me to work remotely) during the final two weeks of my father’s life. I slept on the floor next to my father’s bed, listening to his breathing become increasingly labored—knowing it would not be much longer before he wouldn’t be breathing at all.

During one of those trips to Huntsville, when I pulled up to my parents’ home, Elder Kelly met me at the door. He was coming from my father’s bedside. He had prayed with him and now he was leaving.

As I was pulling into my parents’ driveway, Elder Kelly and I noticed the same thing: One of my tires had just gone flat. My plan was to run upstairs to my father’s room and see if he needed anything and then come back and change my tire.

Typically, Elder Kelly asked, “Would you like for me to change your tire?” The short answer I gave him was “No, thank you, Elder Kelly. I’ll change the tire after I check on Dad.”

The longer, unsaid answer was: No, Elder Kelly, you cannot change my tire because:

1. You’ve reached the age of 70—and I haven’t;

2. You have on a shirt and tie—and I don’t;

3. And most of all you’re Elder Kelly—and I’m not!

I ran up the steps to my father’s room, (I was still young enough then to do that) took care of whatever he needed and returned to change my tire. Elder Kelly was gone. And my tire was changed. I should have known he would do that because I knew Elder Kelly. That’s just who he was.

Second, I had the wonderful privilege of being around the great preachers and church administrators of my time: The very first pastor I really remember when growing up was Elder C.D. Brooks. Later on, pastors at my home church included Elders H. L. Cleveland and Walter L. Pearson. My parents were good friends with Elder and Mrs. Charles Bradford. Toward the end of her life, my mother became good friends with Mrs. Celia Cleveland. Mrs. Cleveland helped convince her husband, Elder E.E. Cleveland, that even though he and I were on opposite sides of some major issues, that I really wasn’t so bad after all. He and I eventually developed a wonderful relationship (Elder Cleveland thought so highly of Mrs. Cleveland, with good reason, that except for Lucifer, she could have convinced him that anyone wasn’t so bad).

Elder Eric Ward was probably the best church pastor I was ever around. When I was an inexperienced, unordained 27-year-old, who no one had ever heard of and who pastored one of the smallest churches in the conference, he allowed me to preach for Divine Worship at the Oakwood College Church. Elder Charles E. Dudley, who hired me and every person who has served as president of the South Central Conference for the past 30 years, was the greatest church administrator I’ve ever known. Not only did I know him as an administrator, but because my sister married his son, I knew him as family.

Each of those great men of God influenced my life and ministry, and I am so very privileged that each of them touched my life. On some level, I wanted to be like each of them.

But while I wanted (in vain) to preach like and lead like all of those great men, the person I wanted most to be like was Elder Kelly. He was probably the kindest, most Christ-like man that I have ever met. I think that anyone who was ever around Elder Kelly knows exactly what I mean. He not only changed tires, but being around him changed people’s lives.

If you never had the privilege of being around him, today would be a good day to get to know the God Elder Kelly so obviously knew—so you can get to know Elder Kelly in the kingdom. I am sure he will be there. t