About Kelly

Kelly is a local and international leader and encourager as well as an activist for positive change in the community.

Kelly Bean is Cultivator of Third Saturday organic community which has gathered in her living room for 24 years. She is co-planter of Urban Abbey, an egalitarian inter-generational intentional community in North Portland. Urban Abbey is forming with values of sustainability, earth-keeping, authenticity and reconciliation with a commitment to learn from and root in this ethnically and economically diverse neighborhood. A pastor, speaker, writer, mentor, activist and artist, Kelly is passionate about creating environments that seed deep community with diverse groups. Kelly has been creating and leading strategic networks for women in ministry for the past 10 years, four years with National Emerging Women Leaders Initiative and six years founding and leading Convergence, a network for women leading in the Way of Jesus. She is a member of the Parish Collective Portland steering committee. She is authoring a book with Baker Books, How to Be a Christian Without Going to Church, is contributor to a Fuller Seminary publication on the Church in Contemporary Culture and has written for E-Florescence, Mutuality and Idea-Lab magazines. She is co-founder and Executive Director of African Road, an International NGO partnering in friendship and collaboration with African leaders who are creating community collectives and working for transformation, empowerment and sustainability with people on the margins in their communities.

Kelly is pursuing a Masters in Ministry Leadership from George Fox Seminary and working to complete a certification in Mediation and Conflict Resolution from Marylhurst University.

Kelly’s most remarkable endeavor is learning from her three children: Elliot the ace guitarist and mild mannered creative (age 16), Kate the adventurer (age 22) and Emilie the kind hearted (age 26), and gorgeous grandson Gabriel (age five), along with Kelly’s marvelous Harley riding husband, Ken.

For additional soul enrichment Kelly paints, rides her sky blue bike called “Libby”, cooks, eats, feeds others, naps, reads, travels whenever possible, establishes cross cultural relationships, retreats for spiritual direction at Mt. Angel Benedictine Abbey, cultivates good friendships and learns from a broad constellation of wise mentors and spiritual friends.

Wild Rastafarian puppy Maggie and three stealthy cats- along with an occasional infestation of sugar ants and meals worms keep the household lively most of the time.