Penny Keathley Shares Her First Moments of Falling in Love with Dr. Keathley


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.

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