OUR STORY
Mark and Bernie Kelsey have spent over 46 years building and serving the local church, working with leaders and teams across a wide range of contexts and cultures. Through their long involvement in the C3 movement, they have helped build leaders and churches globally, carrying a deep passion to see people grow in Christ, churches become healthy and life-giving, and marriages and families flourish.
Their journey began in Sydney, Australia in 1980, where they became part of the early days of a growing church community. In 1989, with a pocket full of faith and three young children in tow, they moved to New York to plant the first C3 church in the USA—an experience that would shape their lifelong commitment to building people and strengthening churches.
Together, they designed and developed Xpress, a leadership intensive that has equipped hundreds of church planters, emerging leaders, and senior pastors around the world. This reflects their heart to invest deeply into people and help develop leaders who are healthy, grounded, and effective over time.
BERNIE KELSEY
Bernie is an engaging communicator with a unique gift for making people feel seen, valued, and deeply loved. She carries a strong heart for unity—in marriages, in families, and across the church—and is passionate about helping people take new ground in their lives and in their relationship with God.
MARK KELSEY
Mark brings a wealth of experience, combining clear, practical teaching with real-life insight. He is known for his clarity, wisdom, and ability to connect across generations – bringing both depth and lightness to his work (often with a well-timed pun).
Through FORMED, Mark & Bernie continue to write, teach, and equip leaders – guiding people through the process of spiritual formation and the thresholds that shape a life with God. Together they work closely with senior leaders and core teams, offering a relational, experience-based approach that walks alongside rather than from a distance.
Based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia, they are the proud parents of three children and love being grandparents to seven delightful and energetic grandkids.
LETTER FROM US
Dear Friend,
We have spent decades leading and building churches, working with teams across a variety of contexts and seasons.
We understand the complexity of leadership—the pressures, the decisions, and the responsibility of leading people well.
We also understand that healthy churches don’t happen by accident. They are built through intentional leadership, aligned teams, and a clear sense of direction.
FORMED exists to serve leaders and teams in that journey.
Our approach is personal, relational, and grounded in real experience. We don’t stand at a distance—we walk alongside you.
—Mark and Bernie Kelsey
