About

Michael Craft is a Christian, a husband, a daddy, a ‘papa’ (grandpa), a buddy, a lover of the marginalized, a counselor, and a teacher. He has been a pastor since 1989, and is currently ordained with Calvary Chapel. Michael has a sincere passion for God, a passion for people, and a passion for creating a platform to bring the two together.

Michael grew up as a pastor’s kid. He met his wife, Kelli, in a college study group, where he fell madly in love. Michael lived on a tour bus and played bass guitar for the Christian Rock group, Destiny in the late 80s. He married Kelli Dotson in August of 1990. Michael earned his undergraduate degree in pastoral studies/theology by attending schools in Southern California and Central Oregon. He was a crazy youth pastor for eight years and then started a church just outside of Kansas City, Missouri. Michael continued his education, working towards his Master’s degree, at a Messianic Jewish Institute in Kansas City where he learned to love, read and teach the Bible in new and transformative ways.  He is also currently enrolled in Andersonville Theological Seminary working on finishing his Master’s degree. The church he pastored grew bigger than he could have ever imagined and began making a loud noise for the cause of Christ in the small suburb.

As the church grew, Michael felt his passions for people and helping them come to walk in genuine relationship with God and others come alive. These years were a highlight. Michael’s wife then became very sick, and after a brain-surgery, multiple trips out of state to specialist doctors, and a rough season of on-and-off hospital stays, Michael needed to resign his position and move his family to a different climate for his wife’s benefit and on doctor’s orders. Michael and Kelli moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2013, where Michael was hired to serve on the staff of Calvary Worship Center, as an Equipping/Executive Pastor, overseeing: missions, children’s ministries, youth, young adults, a satellite campus, benevolence, and the counseling department.

Michael was then invited to be the Senior Pastor at The Alpine Chapel in the beautiful town of Telluride, Colorado. For five years the church experienced incredible growth and became known for their love of God, their community, and the in-depth, passionate, verse-by-verse teaching Michael did each and every week. He is now honored and humbled to be called the Lead Pastor at Palmyra Grace Church in Palmyra, Pennsylvania.

Michael and Kelli have three sons (Conor, Kolten, and Caleb), two daughters (Michaela-Rayn and Merci),  three daughters-in-law (Amy, Diana, and Jocelyn), one son-in-law (Jonah), five granddaughters (Lovely, Ember, Luna, Posie, and Elah), and five grandsons (Ki, Honor, Zadok, River and Israel). Michael and Kelli’s oldest son, Conor, is on staff at The Alpine Chapel as the Next Generation Pastor. Their second son, Kolten, is an incredible website-designer (check out some of his awesome work here: Web Design Kansas City). And their third son, Caleb, is in full-time ministry at Rev 5 alongside his awesome wife Jocelyn. Michael and Kelli’s oldest daughter, Michaela, is a wonderful full-time mama and married to Jonah Hoe who is a young adults pastor in Mountain Home, ID. Their youngest daughter, Merci, adopted from Haiti, is currently in a gap-year between high-school and college at Rev 5 . This means that Michael and Kelli are now empty-nesters!

While all of this is factually true, it somehow misses describing an actual person. Michael loves to give hugs, ride his Harley Davidson motorcycle, watch old movies, scream during NFL football (“Go Chiefs!”), listen to classic Christian rock, grill outdoors, eat, hang out with each member of his incredible family, and much more. He has some Scripture tattoos, a ssssslight ssssslur, and uses the expressions “dude” and “awesome” a bit too much.

To listen to Michael’s ‘Burning Hearts‘ podcast click HERE. (To hear on SPOTIFY click HERE. To listen on Google Podcasts click HERE.)

Click here to view Michael’s YOUTUBE PAGE.