Mr. Kelly Emde

Staff Minister

Kelly Emde was born in Webster, SD on January 19, 1964. He and his family moved to Renville, MN where he was a member of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church. He graduated from Renville High School in 1982. He worked as a branch manager for Minneapolis Federal Employees Credit Union in Farmington, MN from 1984 to 1987. He then went to the Mike Munroney Aeronautical Academy in Oklahoma City, OK to become an air traffic controller. Upon graduation he was assigned to Fargo, ND Air Traffic Control Tower.

During his time in Fargo he was first a member of Ascension Evangelical Lutheran Church in Moorhead, MN and then with the development of an exploratory in West Fargo, ND, he became active in the new mission of Shepherd of the Valley Evangelical Lutheran Church. He served as Shepherd of the Valley's first president. In 1997 Kelly transferred to Sioux Falls, SD Air Traffic Control Tower and became a member of Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church. During his time in Sioux Falls, Kelly was an usher, school board member, treasurer and delegate to Great Plains Lutheran High School for Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church. In 2002 Kelly transferred to Milwaukee Mitchell Air Traffic Control Tower. He was a member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, where he served as an usher team leader and elder chairman.

Kelly retired from air traffic control in 2007. He moved to New Ulm in June of 2008 to attend Martin Luther College for synod certification in Staff Ministry. In July of 2008 he became a member of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Ulm. Kelly graduated from Martin Luther College in December of 2010. He was called to serve as Staff Minister of St. John's in April of 2011.