Pastor Joe Kelly was born and raised in the Baltimore Hill community, which is located north of Huntsville, Al. He attended the former Farmer’s Capital, Mt. Lebanon, and Council Training High Schools. He also attended John C. Calhoun Community College and J.F. Drake State Technical School. He formed a business known as Kelly’s Tire Service in 1974 which later became Kelly’s Truck Tire Service. His tire repair service was the 2nd black-owned service in the city of Huntsville at the time. After working thirty-nine years with his business, he retired and is currently employed at Best One Tire & Service located in Huntsville.
Pastor Kelly served on the Trustee Board, Steward Board, as an Usher, and Church Treasure at Acklin Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME) located in the Berkley community for many years. He accepted his call to ministry in 2010, was licensed and later ordained and became a member of the Huntsville District, North Central Alabama Region of the CME church. He was appointed pastor at Acklin CME Church in 2014 and pastored faithfully and diligently for ten years. Pastor Kelly was elected Pastor of the Year by the North Alabama Southern Tennessee Gospel Choice Music Awards and is the first inductee in its Hall of Fame. He also worked with the Commissioner of district 5 assisting with upgrading homes in the Berkley community in the early eighties. Presently, he donates regularly to several charitable organizations, specifically the homeless in the Huntsville area.He is known at Acklin and throughout the Berkley community for aiding wherever needed and frequent visitation to those who are sick and shut in. Also, his members are constant recipients of his good sense of humor. He is married to the former Penelope “Penny” Wade, and they are parents of two daughters and have six grandchildren.