Kerry Willis is Vision Pastor of Harrisonburg First Church of the Nazarene in the Heart of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Kerry is still enjoying Harrisonburg, his first pastorate, and is now in his sixteenth year. The Harrisonburg First Church has experienced growth in all areas over these past fifteen years. Kerry attributes this spiritual success to prayer, unity, and team work among the staff and the laity. Pastor Kerry sees himself as the vision pastor and head cheerleader of the Harrisonburg Team. Known lovingly to his members and friends as “PK”, “Pastor Kerry” thinks the best titles for him as “senior pastor” are lead encourager, player-coach, glad servant of Jesus Christ and the ears-wide-open guy.

Pastor Kerry attended Nazarene Bible College in Colorado Springs, Colorado before coming to Harrisonburg. He has received the Virginia District “Pastor of the Year” plague from Eastern Nazarene College. Kerry graduated from the Church of the Nazarene K-Church Project for large churches and sees himself as a life-long learner. Kerry has spoken at revivals, retreats, leadership conferences, camp meetings, and Mission-related gatherings in the United States, Germany, and the Middle East. He has led learning lectures and laboratories for USA Canada, M-7, K-Church, PALCON, and General Assembly. Pastor Kerry was recipient of the “Pastor’s Leadership Award” given by the National Coalition of Men’s Ministries. He was most recently elected to be a member of the General Board of the International Church of the Nazarene at its General Assembly in 2009.

On a more personal note, Kerry enjoys life with his wife of 29 years, Kim, and their two children, Grayson, 22, and Allison, 20. The son, grandson, and great-grandson of commercial fishermen, Kerry calls the Outer Banks of North Carolina “home” and continues to carry on the family trade -- He’s a “Fisher” of souls. In his latest book from Beacon Hill Press titled Relational Leadership – What I Learned From a Fisherman About Leading a Church, Kerry writes, “I am most grateful to be the son of a fisherman and a fisherman for The Son.” The author that has impacted Kerry’s life the most is Oswald Chambers.. The two greatest influences on Kerry are his praying mom, Melba, and his shrimp boat captain dad, Billy. Both of Kerry’s younger brothers are also Nazarene pastors in Virginia.

Kerry’s holy hobby is leading yearly discipleship journeys to the Holy Land. He feeds birds (especially hummingbirds), collects duck decoys, lighthouses, and stories about the U.S. Lifesaving Service. Kerry says he enjoys playing the drums, playing at the guitar, riding bikes with his wife, pitching baseballs with his son, eating Chinese food with his daughter (always and only with chopsticks, of course), and napping alongside his beagle – The Oreo Pup.

Kerry believes the one thing that people are most desperately looking for is to see ordinary people in extraordinary love-relationships with Jesus Christ and one another. Yes, they will know that we are His fully devoted followers by the way we love one another. In other words, people are looking to the church for one thing – real relationships overflowing with perfect love, and prevailing hope that includes them! These seven words from Colossians 1:27 are powerful: Christ in you (us), the hope of glory.” As Kerry sees it, the mission of the church is best understood in six words: Know God. Grow Together. Go Serve. In one simple word, the profound vision of the church is “UNITY!” There’s no vision above being an answer to the prayer of Jesus in John 17 -- that we would be one.