Dr. Tim Keller Has Pancreatic Cancer; Asks for Prayer in Facebook Post

By Tom Campisi, publisher of tristatevoice.com

Dr. Tim Keller, the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan and one of the nation’s most revered apologists and Christian writers, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

In a Facebook post on June 7, Keller asked for prayer, saying, “Less than three weeks ago I didn’t know I had cancer. Today, I’m headed to the National Cancer Institute for additional testing before beginning chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer next week back in New York City.”

Keller wrote that he has no symptoms, feels great, and has what doctors call an “incidental pickup,” otherwise known as providential intervention.

“I have terrific human doctors, but most importantly I have the Great Physician himself caring for me. Though we have had times of shock and fear, God has been remarkably present with me through all the many tests, biopsies, and surgery of the past few weeks.”

In 1989, Keller, a native of Pennsylvania, launched Redeemer Presbyterian Church with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For 28 years, he led a diverse congregation of young professionals that grew to a weekly attendance of over 5,000. He is currently the Chairman & Co-Founder of Redeemer City to City (CTC), which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for ministry in an urban environment. Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 2 million copies and been translated into 25 languages.

In his Facebook post, Keller listed the following prayer requests:

• “For God to use medical means or his direct intervention to make the cancer regress to the point of vanishing.”
• “For Kathy and me, that we use this opportunity to be weaned from the joys of this world and to desire God’s presence above all.”
• “For my family to be comforted and encouraged.”
• “For the side effects of treatment to allow me to continue writing and speaking.”

Keller concluded the post by paraphrasing Hebrews 12:1-2, saying he is “running the race set before me with joy, because Jesus ran an infinitely harder race, with joy, for me.”