Father Ken Zelten OFM
Father Ken was ordained at Mary Immaculate Seminary, and is of the Byzantine Franciscan order (Order of Friars Minor). He completed his undergraduate work at The University of Memphis & The University of Tennessee in Knoxville. In the early 80's he was a teacher at Westwood High School, where he was routinely voted as one of the most liked teachers in the school. In the 90's, he created a program called "Street Hearts" and ministered to troubled intercity teens. Until recently, he served as interim pastor of a small church in Chester County, and is now Senior Pastor at Birdsong Christian Church in Milledgeville.
Father Ken is the founder and director of Ministers in a Minute, a ministry directed to couples wishing to enter into the sanctity of Marriage in the Memphis area, and one of the largest minister services in the southern United States. In addition, Father Ken is the founder of the West Tennessee chapter of The Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, and founder, and chairman of the board, of Vintage Auto Rental INC; a company providing antique showcars to couples wishing to marry in the Memphis area, with all profits benefiting the tireless work being done at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
He credits having met Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., when still a child, as being one of the pivotal points of his lifetime. "The courage of being the right man...in the right place...at the right time... has always been an inspiration to me, and motivated me to always strive to achieve the most out of the opportunities that GOD gives us."
In addition to his wedding business' and volunteer work; He is a husband; father of two grown children; and a grandfather. He is a recipient of the Arthur M. Meadows award for public speaking, the prestigious Thousand Points of Light Award, created by former President George Bush, and a TWO TIME recipient of the JD Powers award for small business'. He, along with Dr. Sebastian Owens provide premarital counseling to Mid South couples, prior to entering into marriage.
When not busy with his commitments, Father Ken is an avid Green Bay Packer fan. He delights in explaining to people that he is a "man of priorities"; GOD First, Family second, and the Green Bay Packers third.
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