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by Melissa Lauber
UMConnection Staff

When Francis Asbury, the first bishop of Methodism, traveled the unpaved roads of the New World, his saddlebags bulged with books. Today the church travels the information superhighway, but its reliance on the written word remains.

Edward W. 'Mike' Kelley Jr. takes this legacy very seriously. As a board member of the United Methodist Publishing House, it has become his ministry to advance the cause of Christianity by 'disseminating religious knowledge and useful information.'

Not only is the Publishing House the oldest continuing enterprise of the church, originating in 1789, it is also 'the only agency whose principal task is the operation of a multimillion dollar publishing, distribution and retail establishment,' pointed out Kelley, a member of Metropolitan Memorial UMC in Washington and vice president of the publishing house's board of directors.

Overseeing the $114 million enterprise and enabling it to flourish in a fragmented and transitional market is an art, Kelley said. It is also one of the few ministries that must operate with a profit, which goes to support a portion of the pensions of United Methodist clergy.

Kelley revels in the strategies of commerce. He arrived in Washington, D.C., from Houston in 1987 and served for 15 years on the board of governors of the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States that is responsible for the nation's financial structure. Today he serves as director of three financial organizations.

Much of Kelley's identity involves being an entrepreneur, 'finding ways to meet people's needs in beneficial and unique ways.'

His role on the board of directors of the Publishing House allows him to combine the three interests that have always claimed his time and attention: Christian service, education and the free enterprise system.

While some may sense a tension between capitalism and Christianity, Kelley doesn't see the conflict. Acknowledging that all human institutions have failings, he speaks out as a champion of commerce.

'Business, when done properly, adds value to people's lives, it serves needs. And the competitive system requires you to do a very good job,' he said. 'When you think about it, every organization is created to provide a product of one sort or another. Hospitals provide health. Churches provide opportunities to share one's spiritual life and grow in discipleship.'

Recently, Kelley has also been pondering what kind of product Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., has to offer. In 1997, he was named to the seminary's Board of Governors. In 2001, he was made chairman of that body.

Like all well-managed organizations, the seminary is constantly discovering its place in a world that is continually unfolding itself, said Kelly. He boasts at the excellence with which the school prepares people to answer their callings to ministry.

Education is essential, Kelley said. 'Christian education plays an enormous role in my life. I don't believe it is possible to be effective in faith if you don't know something about it.'

When he lived in Houston, Kelley attended the 7,500 member St. Luke's UMC. There, he discovered the importance of Christian education by teaching Sunday school. He started with the primary grades and advanced as his children grew older, eventually becoming the church's director of Christian education.

Looking back over the many books that have shaped him, Kelley chooses William Barclay's series on the New Testament as the most influential in his life and ministry.

Kelley uses the best lessons from Christianity and business on the boards on which he serves.

Within the church, good governance and oversight are not always instinctive skills, he said.

To help church leaders understand the intricacies of leadership, Kelley recently advised the Publishing House board in a speech: 'Too little involvement represents an abdication of responsibility, while too much can be an impediment to efficient progress,' he said.

'Become fully informed. Ask hard questions,' he continued. 'Provide counsel. Participate in discussions. Express opinions. Evaluate performance. The key to me is to be thoughtful, sensitive and respectful of the appropriate roles and responsibilities of others. Each of us brings to this special stewardship calling our own package of skills, experiences, beliefs and personality.'

At the Publishing House, the board and staff are struggling with questions about how to position themselves for the future. 'We are asking, 'Are we taking enough risks, are they the right risks?'' Kelley said.

These are questions that business leaders and theologians might answer differently. But Kelley is finding an answer that melds both worlds.

God, Kelley believes, has given him a series of gifts in the variety of positions he has held. The blessing 'implies that I will respond with my abilities in the best way that I can,' he said, adding, 'This is also great fun.'