I fell in love with the evangelist in the pea green suit.
About 35 years ago I met a young man at a church baseball
game who had recently accepted Christ. My girlfriends beside me whispered
(don't you think Ken is kind of cute?).
My response was something like, "Yeah, he's OK," trying to
pretend I had not noticed. Later my
father (also my pastor) invited this young man to preach a youth revival at our
church. When he walked in the first night in a vested pea green suit, my first
thought was that he wasn't going to go too far unless someone helped him in the
clothing department! Thus began my wardrobe ministry to the man I would marry a
few years later.
Ken and I attended the same college and he often gave me a
ride home during breaks. It was an eight hour drive from Chattanooga, TN to
Poplar Bluff, MO. On those long drives we talked about everything from politics
to music to theology. I had struggled for some time with assurance of
salvation. It was because of our discussions and Ken's patience and scriptural
knowledge that I finally came to realize that I could not earn (or keep) my
salvation by my own efforts; I came to understand that my salvation did not
depend on my own ability or goodness -- but instead on the infinite ability and
goodness of God.
Since that time I have spent countless hours listening to my
husband teach and preach. I have heard some of his sermon series multiple times
and, strange as it may sound, I still laugh and cry at the same stories; still
find myself encouraged or convicted at the conclusion. The primary reason for
this, of course, is the Word of God itself - which he exposits verse by verse,
book by book. Doing so, he says, will ensure that he preaches "the whole
counsel of God" not simply his favorite texts or subjects. Secondly, Ken
preaches today with the same passion and zeal he had as a 20 yr old, only with
the increased knowledge and wisdom that comes with growing in grace and walking
with God through the journey of life.
God took a rough hewn hillbilly from the Missouri Ozarks,
and because he was willing and obedient, gently whittled away on the rough
edges of his character and abilities, making a multi-functional took to serve
His church and the Kingdom. The Lord brought him from the saw mill to the
academy in order to use him in a larger way than would have been possible
otherwise. My husband has never been satisfied with the status quo. He has
always sought to run the race with excellence, pressing "toward the goal
for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
I am honored and blessed that God united us in marriage and
ministry 31 years ago. My prayer is that we will be vessels fit and useful for
His service as long as he gives us breath.
I
married Ken Keathley on May 31, 1980 and have two grown children. Ken and I are
both from southeast Missouri. I am a PK (preacher’s kid) and a PW
(preacher/professor wife). We came to SEBTS in 1994 for Ken to get his
M.Div. and Ph.D.; sold our house and possessions and came here when our kids
were 6 and 8. In December 2010 I left work to give more time to duties at home as
grandmother and as wife of the Sr VP of Academics at SEBTS. I believe God has gifted me in the areas of
administration, hospitality and helps - and I get great satisfaction from using
those gifts at home, at church and at SEBTS. I am a
country girl at heart and enjoy working in my yard, gardening – both vegetable
and flower, a walk in the woods, a swim in the creek, and a cup of tea or
coffee on the front porch with good conversation. Throw in some piano or guitar
playing and hymn singing and I’m in heaven (well, almost)! I enjoy cooking for
family and friends and am always trying new recipes (I have a unquenchable
sweet tooth); shopping at flea markets and consignment stores; reading and
watching movies – old and new; and traveling with my husband.
