In a ceremony filled with gratitude and joy, Kelly Kessinger was ordained to gospel ministry by the Seventh-day Adventist Church on July 18 at Grace on the Hill at Vallejo Drive church in Glendale. Kessinger’s ordination followed years of service in the Adventist Church and a deeply personal journey that has shaped her ministry.
“The most memorable moment of the ordination service for me was when I was kneeling and the pastors had their hands on my shoulders and were praying for me,” Kessinger said. “I felt a heaviness and a responsibility, but also a sense of joy and peace, like I was where I was supposed to be.”
Kessinger is the interim director of Mission and Spiritual Care for Adventist Health Simi Valley, where she leads the chaplain team and the Palliative Care Department. Known for her calm demeanor and thoughtful approach, Kessinger is the mother of four adult children, grandmother of two, and a trusted source of comfort for patients, families, and healthcare professionals navigating some of life’s most difficult moments. “I consider the hospital my church, my congregation,” she said.
Sacred, humbling space
Kessinger’s journey into chaplaincy began in 2019 when she completed her first unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and discovered a profound calling to walk alongside people experiencing crisis, illness, loss, and uncertainty. Chaplaincy offered an opportunity to provide compassionate support at some of the most vulnerable moments in a person’s life, and Kessinger quickly recognized this was where she could make a meaningful difference.
What began as a professional calling soon became something even more personal, following the death of her husband, Robert, in November 2020. As she and her family navigated the challenges of loss, Kessinger gained a firsthand perspective on the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and loved ones facing serious illness. Her experience deepened her commitment to ministry and her understanding of suffering, grief, and hope.
That perspective has helped guide her work creating safe spaces for conversation, reflection, and healing. “I love most aspects of chaplaincy,” Kessinger said. “I love patient visits, going into their rooms and sitting with them, encouraging them, supporting them. The hospital setting can be a tense environment at times and it can be a sad environment but listening to the stories and experiences of patients or grieving family members we help them find a sense of purpose and hope. It’s a sacred space, and to be invited into that space is humbling.”
Called to ministry
“Throughout my journey, I have been supported by so many individuals,” Kessinger said. “I especially want to thank Pastor Chad Stuart who mentored and encouraged me, my CPE supervisor Tony Andrews, Adventist Health Chief Mission Officer Sam Leonor, and Angela Li from Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries for her steadfast support and encouragement of Adventist chaplains.”
Kessinger has a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry from Andrews University, a Master of Divinity degree from Regent University, has completed four units of CPE, and has ecclesiastical endorsement from Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries. She was a church plant leader for the Central California Conference for seven years and has extensive experience in healthcare chaplaincy.
Kessinger’s ordination was a collaborative effort involving the Southern California Conference, the Pacific Union Conference, and the North American Division. Representatives from Adventist Health, the Southern California Conference, and the North American Division participated in the service, recognizing Kessinger’s calling to ministry and her ongoing impact at Adventist Health and on the broader church community.
Whether offering comfort at a bedside, supporting a grieving family, or encouraging a weary caregiver, Kessinger’s ministry is a proclamation of the gospel, a contemporary expression of the healing ministry of Jesus for people in need of hope.