By Susan Sullivan

After nearly 30 years with the Glenmary Home Missioners, Brother Curt Kedley is looking for a job in Sparta, the fifth Georgia city he has called home.

Brother Kedley joins Father Chet Artysiewicz and Brother Dennis Craig as part of the Glenmary team in the Georgia counties of Greene, Putnam and Hancock.

Father Artysiewicz and Brother Craig have established two mission parishes, Christ Our Savior in Eatonton and Christ Our King in Greensboro. Brother Kedley will be concentrating his energies in the Sparta area, though a mission parish is not feasible there at this time.

"My role is to be an evangelist to the African-American people here in Hancock County," Brother Kedley said. "I'm in a process of active listening. I've been spending a lot of time visiting the churches to learn who these people are, what their stories are and I hope to be invited into their lives on a deeper level."

Brother Kedley said his ministry will not be determined by his degree in sociology, his experience as a social worker, his time as a vocation counselor, his years as a home maintenance minister or other experience.

"My ministry will evolve from them and who they are," Brother Kedley said. "This is not a matter of putting up a shingle and opening the door. It's very exiting that the ministry will be defined by them. It may have a social dimension or address racism issues or unemployment or the lack of recreation facilities for young children."

"As a brother hopefully I can respond to the needs," he continued. "The process is one of invitation on their part to me. I've found a lot of curiosity about the Catholic Church and who I am as a brother. I'm asked why, as a white person, I want to live in Hancock County intentionally. It's very humbling."

Brother Kelley sees his presence as long term. He wants to find work in order to help support himself and as a way to be present in the community.

Brother Kelley was previously assigned to communities in Clarkesville, Gainesville, Manassas and Toccoa, GA. He was born in Monticello, Iowa, and finds that small town life is what he prefers, though he has lived in Washington, D.C., and in Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio.

"I prefer a rural environment," he said. "The assignment process involved a lot of consultation with the men in the field and with the Glenmary administration. Everything was contingent on the approval of the Archbishop of Atlanta. This is where I want to be."

Brothers have a unique ministry which can confuse those who have previously worked with priests, according to Father Artysiewicz.

"The ministry of brothers, especially in this setting, is a little bit of a puzzle to people," he said. "He is not here to be my 'go for'. One of his gifts is dealing one to one with people he gets to know at the parish level or outside it. He demonstrates the qualities of a good, human brother: a nice person, a person of deep values, someone you can count on in time of need. He will observe the needs and decide what to do to help."

Glenmary is the only Catholic mission society ministering exclusively in the United States. There are more Glenmary mission parishes in Georgia than in any of the 12 states where Glenmary priests, brothers and lay associates minister.