This past weekend Diane and I had the opportunity to visit Brookside Baptist Church in Milwaukee and see Ken Keltner installed as senior pastor. Ken and Kathy have been our friends for many years and partners in two different ministries (Denver and Northland). Diane and I have also been friends of the Brookside family since its earliest days. We have such great love and respect for Ken and believe him to be the perfect pastor for Brookside at this time in its history. I say a “perfect” in the sense that he is God’s choice manifesting itself through the working of the local church there. Even superstar status (perfect in the eyes of men) in no way substitutes for the true realization of God’s appointed servant. It is a beautiful thing to see take place.
Here are the things that I have appreciated most about Ken:
- Integrity: He has it in his character and in the way he functions.
- Love: He has a love for God and His Word, a love for God’s people, and a love for every lost soul on earth.
- Servanthood: He leads in humility.
- Disciplemaking: He pours into the lives of others.
- Family: The ministry is a family thing… Ken, Kathy, Kyle, Kevin (and new wife Becka, yes, she does have a K in her name :)), Keith, and Kurt.
- Joy: This would describe the experience of working together with Ken—a lot of fun.
Congratulations to Ken and Kathy as well as to the folks at Brookside!