Pastor’s Message

Rev. Dr. James Keller

Rev. Dr. James “Jim” Keller is a lifelong Lutheran, born in Exeter, Ontario, on April 12, 1966. He was baptized into membership in the Christian church located in Dashwood, Ontario, by Rev. William Gatz on June 2, 1966. At 5 years of age he became a charter member of Berea-By-The-Water Lutheran church in Goderich, Ontario, and in 1979 was confirmed in the Faith by Rev. Marvin Barz. Pastor Keller married his high-school sweetheart Heather (Lindsay) in 1987. They have a daughter, Eden.

EDUCATION: Pastor Keller graduated from the University of Toronto with a B.Pharm in 1988. In the ensuing 11 years he practiced pharmacy in both hospital and community environments. In 1995, Pastor Keller entered Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary in St. Catharines, Ontario, and graduated with a M.Div. degree in 1999.

Pastor Keller completed a Master of Arts in Religion and Culture at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2004, and a PhD in Christian Theology in 2010.

SERVICE: On June 6, 1999 he was ordained into the public ministry by CLTS professor Rev. Dr. John Stephenson, and later installed as Pastor of St. Peter’s Ev Lutheran Church in New Hamburg, Ontario (1999-2006).

Pastor Keller was Executive Director of Lutheran Bible Translators from 2011 to 2018. He has served as Instructor and Adjunct Faculty at CLTS (2007-present). He has been Pastor of Historic St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Kitchener, Ontario, since June 2018.