Someone to Know - Kerry Willis

Kerry Willis is pastor of Harrisonburg, Virginia, First Church of the Nazarene. He and his wife, Kim, have a son, Grayson, and daughter, Allison. The son of a North Carolina shrimp boat captain, Kerry has two brothers, Bill and Stephen. All Willis brothers are second-career pastors in the Church of the Nazarene.

What would surprise us about you?
1) I refuse to eat Chinese food without chopsticks.
2) I'm a rock and roll drummer. I have a drum set and have played since age 12. So if the drummer doesn't show up for church, guess who fills in (I'm like the fifth-string drummer)?

Greatest fear?
Skydiving.

Greatest single adventure?
Went spelunking with my then fourth-grade son.

How did the Willis brothers end up as pastors?
I was a professional photographer until 1994. Bill was a bank vice president. Stephen was a high school history teacher.

I believe Mom prayed us into the ministry. She had two repetitive prayers: 1) That God would help us reach the lost in a timely way, 2) That He would 'make something out of my boys.' I didn't realize He'd answer the second prayer with the first.

Do you have a mentor?
James Spruill, an evangelist, who was there when Grayson was born. My son was born with health issues and James prayed for him. A deep friendship grew from this.

What should we know about Kim?
She is Kerry's wife, not the pastor's wife. I want her to be who she is because she is so honest and refreshing.

How did you two meet?
High school. Driver's education class.

Are you involved in social media?
What's that?

I blog. But the only reason I blog is because there's too much bad news. So it's an encouragement blog.

Name something that your church overcame as group.
We have overcome the race barrier and ethnic boundaries. We live in a predominately white area. We have a Spanish pastor and congregation. Our third service is theirs and is held in the main sanctuary at 11:30 A.M. We shortened the other services so they would have the main sanctuary and room to grow. It's a rural area.

What is your church doing regarding outreach?
The number one secret is our ministry to men. That has been responsible for most of our growth. Connecting to men has been an emphasis-from car shows to men's retreats-where men can fellowship but aren't sitting in a circle singing 'Kumbaya.' Every year, 80 -120 men and sons go on retreats. The women were already doing this ministry. Now, men serve from nursery duty to coffee duty in the café.

What elements have worked to help your church expand?  |
I have a great team around me. I'm not intimidated by great people. We have longevity with the staff. I don't see them as associates but as partners. I want God to use the people around me to their maximum, and for God to utilize their gifts.

The church is comprised of generous people. Our church has a name, it's 'Generosity.' It is not about wealth, but rather a spirit of generosity. We don't guilt people into this| we glad them.

What's on your iPod?
Jim Cole, Kathryn Scott, Rich Mullins, the Eagles, and America.

So you like 70s music?
Yeah, that's the only music there is, honestly.

What makes you laugh?
Everything. People who take themselves too seriously.

Life model?
Oswald Chambers.

You take annual discipleship journeys to the Holy Land. Why?
Since I was in the Sunday School kindergarten in the flannelgraph days, I've always wanted to go there. I go for personal growth and take people with me. I'm a visual learner. The saturation in the land of the Lord makes preaching and teaching three-dimensional. To stay fresh in the pulpit and my own spiritual health.

Favorite place in the Holy Land?
One (of many) is to spend an evening in Gethsemane. That is the place of full surrender, and a place to re-surrender (Mark 14:36).

Annoying habit?
My wife says I snore.

Dream destination?
I'd like to walk my daughter down the aisle someday at her wedding.

Best attribute in your wife?
Loyalty. Trustworthiness.

Holiness Today, 2011

Please note: This article was originally published in 2011. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.