Ready To Use My Own Name – Kelly Jadon

My name is Kelly Jadon. I grew up in small-town America: Goodrich, Michigan—a place where your school’s principal had also had your father and mother under his charge. A little taste of heaven: I knew everyone, and they knew me. Goodrich was a safe and happy place to raise children.

My grandmother made a significant impact on my life. She was very active in the United Methodist Church—her encouragement to my mother ensured that I received infant baptism, Sunday School classes and Vacation Bible School activities. Leona Frantom, my grandmother, wore the mantle in my family and I have fond memories of her standing next to me during a Christmas Eve Service.

As a teen, Holy Spirit opened my heart to receive Jesus at a Holy Ghost church in Flint, Michigan. Continuing my spiritual life, I joined a local church in Goodrich, Lakeview Community, which is associated with the Brethren In Christ. Pastor Robert Verno baptized me in a lake that summer. I was 16. At age 17, I went forward after a call by the pastor for those who would go and serve the Lord.

My college years were spent at Spring Arbor University, which is Free Methodist, located in Spring Arbor, Michigan. During that time I went to Hamamatsu, Japan with Life Ministries and taught English as a second language (ESOL). My degree is a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration on poetry and a certification in secondary education.

In 1991 I received the “Who’s Who Among Teachers” Award. In Florida, I taught several years of high school English.

After graduation, I married my husband of 27 years, Rafat Jadon, who is from Nazareth, Israel. My husband attended a private Baptist school in Nazareth and was baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church (over Mary’s Well in Nazareth). Our two children, David and Noel were also baptized there.

Rafat and I met and married in the United Church of Christ, New Port Richey, Florida.

Our Son, David, is at the University of Florida’s Law School. He is active in the Christian Legal Society. David is a graduate of Florida State University and spent a year teaching debate and math before continuing with law school. Our daughter, Noel, is a teacher’s aide and athletics coach at Morningside Academy. Noel excelled at the state level in weightlifting and track in high school. She is also a student at Indian River State College.

Both of our children attended Morningside Academy.

Morningside Academy in Port St. Lucie, Florida, is the school run by our church, Morningside Ministries, under the leadership of Senior Pastor Dr. Thomas Crawford. Morningside Church is affiliated with the Evangelical Friends Church. I have worked at the school as a substitute teacher when needed since 1996.

I currently write a local column titled “Hometown Heroes” which is syndicated online through Digital Journal to Google News and other news sites, reaching an international audience. My writing reflects the work of ordinary people doing extraordinarily good things.

Additionally, I am certified as a Competent Communicator through Toastmasters International. I serve as Vice President of Public Relations for Treasure Coast Toastmasters, and am a regularly featured speaker and have been on radio, see “Events” at www.KellyJadon.com

As an Online Publisher, I created a website which delivered news content to online and print newspapers and university libraries (McClatchy-Tribune, Gale Cengage, Google); carried more than 400 noteworthy authoritative professional contributors. My personal content was syndicated to online news outlets (Google News, BlogCritics, Fox News, Reuters, etc.) and print newspapers.

Part of my personal content included interviews: Mandisa, Andy Andrews, Donny Poole, etc…

I am a member of the American Academy of Poets. My poetry has been published in literary journals and heard at the University of Colorado and on the radio. I have published the book, To Taste the Oil: The Flavor of Life in the Middle East, (Into the Deep Books, 2014) which has been written to be used as an outreach to the Muslim peoples, raise the plight of the Christian in the Middle East and those living in diaspora, and to edify the church. (A complement book has been written of 70 poems to introduce Christ to the new-believer community; currently, I am writing a book of story poems about the types of Christ in the Old Testament, showing how they foreshadow Jesus, titled He Is Alive! Muslims love stories and poems and they are not afraid to hear about Jesus and other Biblical persons, with whom they are somewhat familiar.)

In addition, I hold certifications from Christian Leaders Institute, Laubach Literacy and the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program. I have worked on a masters in Educational Leadership at the University of Southern Florida (Tampa).

Since I was a very young girl, I have wished to serve the Lord. About eight years ago, the Lord began to call me to new service. A mentor laid hands on me and baptized me with Holy Spirit. I am extremely thankful for Christian mentors I have had along the way, my home church—Morningside, and for the wonderful training I’ve received through Christian Leaders Institute. CLI is preparing leaders around the world. I intend to use my certification and education at Christian Leaders Institute to enhance my speaking, writing and teaching as an evangelist.