Kenneth D. Ellis

Kenneth D. Ellis, 78, of Oshkosh, passed away on September 21, 2026. He was born on September 18, 1948, in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to the late Walter and Hazel Ellis. On August 18, 1972, he married Mary Corry in Menasha. She preceded him in death on January 21, 1987.

Ken loved Jesus, and he spent his life sharing the Good News of the Kingdom everywhere he went. In the early 1970s, he helped establish the House of the Risen Son in Neenah, where he was the Director of Ministries. He was ordained on October 17, 1976, in Menominee, Michigan. In the 1980s and 90s, he served at Evangel Church (now Cornerstone) as an elder and at Evangel Ministries and WEMI (now The Family) as Executive Director. During this time, he also helped form Brillion Full Gospel Church (now Brillion Community Church), acting as their first pastor. He took a step back from full-time ministry after the passing of his wife, but returned to Brillion Community Church in the late 90s, retiring in 2010. He was a member of the Oblates of the Holy Spirit and a Third Order Franciscan. He loved to read Scripture above all else, but he also enjoyed a wide range of theologians and spiritual writers: St. John of the Cross, Charles Finney, the Early Church Fathers, and the Desert Fathers, to name a few. In his final months, he found a love of St. Thomas Aquinas, much to the delight of his son John. He continued to minister through long talks, prayer, writing, and sharing Facebook videos, until the last day of his life.

Ken also loved music, and he used this passion in his ministry to great effect. Some of the projects he had a hand in over the years include: The Sons of Abraham, Ellis Huff’n Wolf, a clandestine tour of Yugoslavia, The Harvest Album, local music festivals, many, many performances at the Cup O Joy coffeehouse, and countless worship services. He even played a small role in what ultimately became Lifefest, where he was able to perform with his band Shotgun Angel. He loved listening to music, too: Lamb, John Michael Talbot, and Byzantine chant ranked high, as did Cream, The Beatles, and The Moody Blues.

He enjoyed all types of racing: NASCAR, Formula 1, drag racing, sprint cars, dirt track, powerboat, and on and on. He also appreciated riding motorcycles and looked back fondly on his long tours on a Honda Gold Wing. Finally, he loved many movies. The Dark Crystal, Silent Running, and Lady Hawk were standout favorites. He was able to watch the cult classic LA Story for the first time more than five times..!!

Ken is survived by his children, Joshua (Sunam) Ellis, Ruth Ann Ellis, Rebeckah (Alex) Ellinghuysen, John (Rachel) Ellis, sister Sharon Marcum Rachels, along with nine grandchildren and a great-grandchild, with another great-grandchild on the way.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife Mary and sister Joy Williams.

A funeral service will be held at Brillion Community Church, 821 Fairway Dr, Brillion, WI, on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 12 noon. A visitation will take place from 10:00 AM until the time of the service. Burial will follow at the Brillion Community Church Cemetery.

Sincere thanks to the staff at Edenbrook, the ambulance crew, and the ER staff at Mercy. Additionally, eternal thanks are owed to many fellow workers in the vineyard, especially Fr. Tom Long and Fr. Augustine Serafini—old friends whose loving kindness helped Ken find his way home.

Donations honoring Ken and his ministry would be gratefully and humbly accepted to help cover funeral and burial expenses.