About the Author

Robert David Kalis
1931 ~ 1994

Robert David Kalis was born March 22, 1931 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He was the pastor of Emmanuel Pentecostal Church in Elizabeth from 1959 -1994. He was ordained to ministry on March 14, 1961 through the Ridgewood Pentecostal Fellowship, Rev. Hans R. Waldvogel, ordaining minister. Robert did his ministerial training in the Ridgewood Faith Home traveling to Europe assisting in several Evangelistic Campaigns.
He was an avid reader and continued his education continually under the tutorship of Rev. Gordon P. Gardiner, renown historian and editor-in-chief of "Bread of Life" publication. As a contributing editor, Robert did a series of articles regarding hymn stories.

As a life-long avid Bible student, Robert wrote 5 years worth of Sunday School lessons for use in his own Church Sunday School. The last six years of his life he, along with his wife, served as Directors of Pilgrim Camp, Brant Lake, New York. There he literally ministered to 100's of "pilgrims" passing through for a time of refreshment and encouragement. He considered those years, the crowning days of his ministry.

When Robert was a child of 8, he experienced a miraculous healing to his body from a ruptured appendix. He was 8 years old when his appendix burst, his parents being too poor to call for a physician, called on a visiting home nurse who came and attended to Robert as best she could. Finally, she told Anna & Rudy (his parents) that unless a miracle took place, Robert would not live through the night. Anna & Rudy prayed and called all their praying friends. In the middle of that night, by Robert's own testimony, he saw the Lord Jesus walk into his room, come over to his bed, lay his hand on his side and immediately Robert was released from his suffering. He promptly fell tight asleep and awoke the next morning requesting bacon and eggs be served him. This healing had a tremendous effect on Robert's life. He always felt that God had spared his life for a definite purpose, - that being to serve God in ministry.

Robert D. Kalis was also a warm, generous, fun-loving man! He was my Dad. He was the best Dad a girl could have! He often woke us up in the morning with some humorous line to get our eyes open. I remember him as being fun-loving, coming down the steps in our home laughing so hard he could not speak, laughing while tears ran down his cheeks trying to explain to us what he had just seen on Popeye!

As preachers kids we were involved in lots of ministry/church stuff he knew this needed to be balanced with secular and fun stuff. I watched him earnestly struggle to keep some balance in our lives! He took us many interesting places, 2 of my fondest memories are times when it was just he and me. One was in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, while visiting family, he took me to an aviary and we shared an unforgettable afternoon. Another was a trip he and I took to a place called 'Ausable Chasm' upstate New York.

My Dad was a lover of nature. He often pointed out the marvels of creation to us. One of those occasions which neither I nor my brothers will ever forget is a time we went ice-skating together. The car broke down and we had to walk about 2 miles home. We were all young at the time so he worried about us making it the whole way and it was very cold outside. The entire walk home he taught us how to identify a tree by its shape and bark. With our attention totally riveted on identifying the trees, we were oblivious to the fact of the long walk. This was characteristic of him. His huge blue eyes never missed a trick (sometimes we wished they would!  :-)

Dad was a beacon of light in my life and his light still goes on shining in my heart and through me into the world around me! I will always feel honored and grateful to have had such a wonderful man as my Father!