Chuck Kelley's book, Surprised by the Father's Plan is now available. Please click here for more information.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California in a Latvian home in a Mexican neighborhood. My grandfather, Rev. Charles W. Singer, was a refugee pastor and mission founder. Though I attended church regularly, I didn't surrender my life to the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord until I was in high school in 1969. I then attended the Church of the Open Door in Los Angeles. The pastor was Dr. J. Vernon McGee, a most outstanding Bible teacher and visionary.


I enjoyed traveling with my grandfather on numerous ministry trips through the US and Europe. I was especially fascinated with Texas. During my high school college years, I participated in many short international ministry trips to destinations such as Mexico, Canada, France, Italy, Austria, Belgium, and Great Britain. I spent time learning about international ministry with several wonderful organizations: Campus Crusade for Christ, Operation Mobilization, Open Doors with Brother Andrew, Unevangelized Fields Mission and the Italian Gospel Mission.


I studied at BIOLA University in La Mirada, California for four years. I was especially influenced by Dr. Clyde Cook, who was my advisor and mentor. I completed my BA degree at BIOLA in 1977 with a major in intercultural studies and a minor in history. During college I loved working on and polishing my 1970 Chevy Nova which was one of the hottest cars on campus.


Also at BIOLA, I met Nancy Heidebrecht, a wonderful girl and excellent nursing student. For our first date I took her to a black gospel concert featuring Andre' Crouch and the Disciples. Three years later we were married in her home church in Fremont, California. Her father, Rev. Harry Heidebrecht officiated.


After BIOLA, I studied pastoral ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, TX. I then earned an MA in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary, writing my thesis on my grandfather's life and ministry with refugees and immigrants. The professors who influenced me most were Elliott Johnson, Haddon Robinson, Howard Hendricks, Don Regier and Charles Ryrie.


After serving in several music, youth and associate pastor positions in California, Texas and Oregon, I accepted the position as Senior Pastor of Kingwood Bible Church in Salem, Oregon, in 1984. In 1988, I became Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Corvallis, Oregon, where I served until 1995. In all I have worked in pastoral ministry for 21 years.


At the urging and help of my grandfather, I first visited Soviet Latvia in 1985. I was shocked at the conditions that the people lived in and, as a result, the course of my life changed. Since 1985, I have made 62 trips to the Republic of Latvia, during where I have engaged in extensive preaching, networking, pastor training, and citywide evangelism. In 1991, right before Latvia was freed from the Soviet Union, I served as the organizer for Hope '91, a major evangelistic and training crusade in Riga that featured the evangelist Steve Russo. More than 2,000 people took steps toward Christ, and more than 400 leaders were trained in a ten-course Mini-School of Christian Leadership. In 1992 and 1994, I also organized and directed successful Hope festivals and mini-schools in the cities of Riga and Ventspils.


In 1993, I led a multi-national expedition to a Russian-speaking Muslim republic to investigate strategies for future ministry by Latvians. As a result of later visits from Latvians based on that first scouting trip, several hundred Muslims took steps toward Christ and have formed a national church which today experiences significant persecution. In fact, that church has now been bull-dozed by the government.


In 1994, together with the help of Mike and Stephanie Parker, I founded Bridge Builders International, an organization committed to connecting people and organizations for joint ministry and mobilizing networks of Christians to use their talents to spread the Gospel. In 1996, my grandfather's ministry, the International Refugee Mission merged with BBI. Grandfather passed away the next year.


In 1999, BBI helped launch a new Latvian affiliate, Partners Foundation, which is led by Rev. Almers Ludviks, a highly respected Baptist pastor. I serve as Chairman of the Board. "Partners" is staffed by a highly talented and dedicated team of Latvian Christians. In 2002, BBI and "Partners" helped establish the Latvian Evangelical Alliance. I serve as the Director of Foreign Relations for the LEA.


In 1999, I served as the international director of Hope '99, a nationwide saturation evangelism effort in Latvia with evangelist Luis Palau and a team of 150 churches and ministries from fourteen countries. During Hope '99, the message of Christianity was presented more than 200 times in multiple settings to a combined live audience of more than 50,000 in 33 cities around Latvia, as well as on national television and radio. Former President of Latvia, Guntis Ulmanis, served as honorary patron of the festival and publicly stood to indicate his commitment to Christ at the closing service. In all, some 5,000 people took public steps toward Christ during Hope '99.


I very much enjoy networking and interacting with international leaders. I have attended and benefited from numerous major conferences and special events in the Philippines, South Korea, Cyprus, Italy, Sweden, Russia, England, Greece and Latvia. I absolutely love meeting new people and being exposed to new ideas and models of leadership and ministry.


I have been a guest lecturer at George Fox University, Multnomah Bible College, Dallas Theological Seminary, Western Baptist College, Western Baptist Seminary, Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, Tabor College, San Jose Christian College, Oregon State University, the University of Oregon, the University of Washington, Solasen Training Center in Sweden and the Latvian Baptist Theological Seminary in Riga.


I love to write and have written numerous articles for The Christian Leader, Discipleship Journal, Christian Herald and Impact. I am the author of "Church to Church: Building Ministry Partnerships Worldwide", a basic handbook used by Bridge Builders. I have just completed a book, Surprised by the Father's Plan, that tells the story of my family, life and BBI. It will be released in May 2005.


I enjoy reading and have an extensive library. My all time favorite Christian book is The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer. I have benefited greatly from the works of Francis Schaeffer, RC Sproul and Richard Foster. I also read technical journals related to computers and photography. I am an avid reader of art history.


I am a lover of art, especially painting. Whenever I have a day off and am close to a fine art museum or gallery I can be found soaking in as much beauty and insight as possible. I enjoy the Impressionists (Monet, Pissarro, Cezanne and Renoir), Expressionists (Van Gogh and Chagal) and the Fauvists (Dufy, Matisse, Derain and de Vlaminck). I have a deep respect for Latvia's great turn-of-the century masters (Rozentals, Purvitis and Liberts) and also contemporary artists, such as Aleksejs Naumovs, who is also my teacher.


Today, Nancy and I live in Philomath, Oregon, a small timber town near Corvallis. I also have a small apartment in Riga's Old Town. In my free time I enjoy my Macintosh G4 Titanium Powerbook, painting, photography, composing, arranging and playing piano music.





Last revised March 2005




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