Christian author and renowned theologian Tim Keller has passed away at the age of 72. Read on to know more about Tim Keller’s cause of death.
How did Tim Keller die?
Tim Keller, the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, passed away at the age of 72, on May 19, 2023.
This sad news was announced by his son, Michael on Tim’s official Twitter handle.
The statement reads,
Timothy J. Keller, husband, father, grandfather, mentor, friend, pastor, and scholar died this morning at home.
Dad waited until he was alone with Mom. She kissed him on the forehead and he breathed his last breath. We take comfort in some of his last words…
The Christian community responded quickly following the death of Tim and paid heartfelt tribute to him. According to Russell Moore, editor-in-chief of Christianity Today magazine, Mr. Keller’s passing “is an incalculable loss to the church, the world, to those of us who loved him [and] to those of us he helped in our darkest hours.”
One of Mr. Keller’s three sons, Michael Keller, said on Facebook on Thursday that his father handled the end with grace.
Michael Keller noted that “he has asked us to pray with him often over the past few days.” He claimed that his father “expressed many times through prayer his desire to go home to be with Jesus.”
Who was Timothy Keller?
Timothy James Keller was a pastor, theologian, and Christian apologist. He was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1950. He was the chairman and co-founder of Redeemer City to City, a ministry that prepares pastors for global service.
Tim worked as the director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America, an associate professor at Westminster, and the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia.
He wrote several New York Times’ bestselling books The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith (2008), Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God (2014).
He also wrote The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Scepticism (2008) and The prequel for the latter is Making Sense of GOD: An Invitation to the Skeptical Childhood and Education Louise A.
Keller earned his BA from Bucknell University in 1972, his M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 1975, and his D.Min. from Westminster Theological Seminary in 1981 under the direction of Harvie M. Conn.
Despite growing up in the Lutheran Church in America, he became a Christian at Bucknell University through the ministry of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Keller later worked for InterVarsity as a staff member.
The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) ordained Keller. Keller was the director of church planting for the PCA and a pastor at West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, for nine years.
He also taught at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, where he and his wife Kathy Keller were both involved in urban ministry.
Tim Keller cause of death:
The Redeemer Churches and Ministries network announced that the Rev. Timothy Keller, an evangelical pastor, and best-selling Christian apologist known for conveying the Gospel message to urbanites, passed away on Friday morning in New York City. He died at the age of 72 after a long battle with cancer.
In 2002, Tim initially suffered from thyroid cancer and fortunately recovered from that. But, in June 2020, cancer hit him once again.
Tim announced the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in 2020. He tweeted about his cancer diagnosis on Twitter, saying,
I have Stage IV pancreatic cancer. But it is endlessly comforting to have a God who is both infinitely more wise and more loving than I am. He has plenty of good reasons for everything he does and allows that I cannot know, and therein is my hope and strength.
His sudden death has made the Christian community in complete grief. Redeemer church also announced the death of Tim on social media.
Our bother Tim Keller is now in glory forever enjoying the Jesus He helped us see and know better.
Our brother is now home 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/zUmW1CQnx6
— Ameen (@Ameen_HGA) May 19, 2023
Mr. Keller established Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan in 1989 and grew it into a 5,000-member congregation over the next 20 years.
He was also a co-founder of The Gospel Coalition, an organization dedicated to the advancement of evangelical doctrine and teaching.
Kathy, whom Keller met at Gordon-Conwell, was his wife. She, his sons David, Michael, and Jonathan, as well as their seven grandchildren, survive him. He is also survived by his sister Sharon Johnson of Sorrento, Florida.
Tributes flooded social media after his demise news broke out.
Tributes to Tim Keller:
The Gospel Coalition posted,
With great sadness we mourn the loss of TGC co-founder Timothy Keller, 72, who died today, more than three years after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
“Today the Christian world is in mourning, for one of our great leaders has departed this life,” TGC interim president Sandy Willson said. “He will be remembered among this generation’s most effective Christian pastors, apologists, and evangelists. Tim not only made the most articulate arguments for the Christian faith; he also demonstrated our faith with his humble and gracious spirit and his relentless passion to see the lost come to know the Lord he so loved.”
Read Redeemer CEO posted,
It is with a heavy heart that I write today to inform you that Redeemer City to City’s co-founder, Tim Keller, passed away this morning at age 72, trusting in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection. We are forever grateful for his leadership, heart, and dedication to sharing the love of Christ with others. While we will miss his presence here, we know he is rejoicing with his Savior in heaven.
Dean Inserra tweeted,
Tim Keller will be remembered and quoted 100 years from now. America’s John Stott. An absolute hero of the faith. His local church, city to city, Reason for God, Prodigal God, on and on. I praise God for his life!
Sean McDowell tweeted,
Tim Keller has passed away. Although we never met, I deeply appreciate his book The Reason for God and how he always aimed to graciously engage others.
Justin Bullington posted,
Tim Keller passed into eternity, He had massive influence on my faith in my early 20’s. He was 72. September 23, 1950 – May 19, 2023.
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