Rev. Kelsey Beebe, MFA Dance, MDiv

Pastor Kelsey Beebe (pronounced bee-bee) believes firmly in an all-loving God, embodied Christ, and ever-moving Holy Spirit that connects us all. She is a trained dancer, yoga instructor, as well as an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. All of these aspects of her identity weave into her ministry, as she hopes to help people find ways to connect to God’s love and embody Christ’s spirit in the world. Pastor Kelsey is a passionate social justice advocate and believes that all people - without exception - are beloved children of God. She has been with us as our pastor since late November 2019, and was installed as the settled pastor for Union Grove Congregational and Raymond Community Church on September 20, 2020. 

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest in Tacoma, Washington, Pastor Kelsey has a deep love for the ocean and mountains, and is grateful to be living so close to Lake Michigan. She grew up in the United Church of Christ, as her mother was a UCC minister before passing away in 1996. It was at 9 years old that Kelsey first said she wanted to be a pastor.

Pastor Kelsey’s undergraduate work was done at Saint Mary's College of California, just outside San Francisco. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a minor in Theology and Religious Studies. From there, she received a full scholarship to Pacific School of Religion. Ten days after graduating with her BA, Pastor Kelsey entered two graduate programs, earning a Master of Fine Arts in Dance (Saint Mary’s College, 2016) and a Master of Divinity (Pacific School of Religion, 2017), graduating both programs with honors. During her graduate studies, Pastor Kelsey also earned four yoga teacher certifications. She has performed, preached, and led retreats across the United States and internationally, and was featured in Dance Magazine in Spring 2014.

While in California, Pastor Kelsey served as the Minister for Youth, Families, and Community Life at Orinda Community Church in Orinda, CA. She also worked at Saint Mary’s College of California, eventually working her way to Assistant Professor teaching Dance Science & Anatomy, Ballet, and Contemporary Modern Dance.

In January of 2018, Pastor Kelsey moved to Missouri with her soon-to-be husband, Rev. Kevin Beebe. They served churches there for two years before Pastor Kevin received a call to a Spirit Alive! Church in Kenosha, WI.

In addition to pastoring Raymond Community Church and Union Grove Congregational, Pastor Kelsey is also the Executive Minister and President of the non-profit, Dancing Pastor Ministries. She is also the host of the Lady Preacher Podcast, which you can find on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Outside of movement and ministry, Pastor Kelsey loves donuts, being by the water, and nothing gets her laughing harder than a good dad-joke. She also believes pints of ice cream are meant to be finished in one sitting. She lives in Kenosha, WI, with her husband Rev. Kevin Beebe and their cat Velcro.