A Pastor And Her Food Truck

When you google “pastor,” the results you get – at least in the news section – are typically not very positive.

And that’s a understatement.

Obviously, scandalous news sells better than “hey, look at the great things this person is doing,” but the sheer volume of pastors being arrested daily for awful things is, well, awful.

So, when you come across a piece of good news it tends to stick out and when you’re a foodie like me who’s also served in full-time ministry and you come across a headline about a pastor and her food truck, it’s a must click.

And I’m glad I did because it’s an awesome story.

Or at least I think so.

Maybe it’s just because I love food trucks, but whatever.

Margaret Kelly is this pastor’s name and she leads an Evangelical Lutheran congregation in St. Paul, Minnesota. Turns out Rev. Kelly has a background as a former French chef. About a year ago she (along with her congregation) decided to combine her culinary talents with her love for people in order to create a food truck that would serve free calzones to the homeless in her community.

(Scott Takushi/St. Paul Pioneer Press)

As the article from The Bemidji Pioneer puts it, Kelly created “a church on wheels that drives to where people are, offering free food and prayer to the poor, homeless and near-homeless.”

Yesterday I said the church needs more pastors like Frank Stevenson who are willing to take a stand for equality. Well, the church also needs more pastors like Margaret Kelly who can help the church find creative and unique ways to meet the needs of their community.

So, do yourself a favor and read the entire story about Rev. Kelly and her culinary mission.

You’ll be glad you did.