Black History Month 2024 Highlights: Sarah Kelley, Charlottesville Pastor and Activist

We end Black History Month on a high note with an honorable feature, Apostle Sarah A. Kelley, a Charlottesville Pastor and Justice Activist.

Born in 1941 at the University of Virginia, Apostle Kelley is the Pastor/Prophet and Founder of Faith, Hope, and Love International Healing and Deliverance Center here in Charlottesville Virginia. She has impacted many lives here in Charlottesville and beyond. Throughout her 40 years in Ministry, she has dedicated her life to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all who she comes in contact with.

With a heart for justice, she has worked with many justice organizations including IMPACT and the Charlottesville Clergy Collective, which she resided as president over. She was recently interviewed by the Daily Progress on her work with social justice and how she continues to work towards a better tomorrow in the area of justice for all. With much childhood trauma and hurt, she now shares her testimony and what God has done for her with others, inspiring them in the process. 

She has been steadfast and abounding in much through her work for the Lord- being diagnosed with throat cancer twice and going through two major back surgeries in the same year. She is an overcomer, who keeps going in what she has been called to.

Those around her call her a modern-day Moses, as she has paved the way for many African Americans and women. When the odds were up against her, she continued to press forward, and open doors for generations to come Here is a list of all the things that Pastor Kelley has been the first African American and/or first female in:

1. First African American Nurse at Martha Jefferson Hospital, hired as a Cardiac Specialist and helped improve their Cardiac Unity
2. First African American and Female Computer Programmer at the UVA Medical Center
3. First African American and Female hired on the Professional staff of Virginia Highway Department as a Computer Programmer
4. First African American Female Computer Programmer at Centel Telephone Company
5. First African American in the Chaplaincy Program at the UVA Hospital
6. First African American performer at the LIONS Club in Charlottesville that performed at Lane High School
7. First African American student at ECPI Branch of Charlottesville
8. First Female to be Licensed and Ordained and later Consecrated as Bishop and Affirmed as Apostle at Galilee Baptist Church
9. First Female at Galilee Baptist Church to be a Founder and Pastor of Faith, Hope, and Love International Healing and Deliverance Center, a Non-Denominational Church, along with starting the “Another Chance Ministry”
10. First African American Speaker in the Charlottesville Branch of the Women’s Aglow, and served on the General Board, Chair to Publicity Committee, and Instructor of the Bible Class
11. First Female Minister to preach at Albemarle Regional Jail, and also worked there as a Medical Officer
12. First Female President of the Charlottesville and Vicinity Ministerial Conference for a Four-year term
13. First Female President of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective
14. First Child and Grandchild
15. First Nurse and Minister in her family
16. First in her family to graduate from College and Bible College

Apostle Kelley continues to preach, teach, tell her story, and share God’s love with all. She has recently joined the Abundant Life Board of Directors to continue her heart for justice and mercy.

Sources:

https://www.faithhopelovehealing.org/about.html