American Bible Society today honors the life and legacy of pastor, theologian, and author Tim Keller. Keller went to be with the Lord on May 19, 2023, after a long battle with cancer. American Bible Society’s board and staff offer our sincere condolences to Keller’s family, friends, and church community.

Bruce Terrell issued a statement this morning on behalf of the Redeemer Network Leadership Team: “It is with a heavy heart that I write today to inform you that Redeemer Presbyterian Church founder and long-time senior pastor, Tim Keller, passed away this morning at age 72, trusting in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection.”

Keller received his B.A. from Bucknell University, his M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Seminary, and his Doctor of Ministry and a Doctor of Divinity from Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia. He authored 31 books that have sold more than 6 million copies, and in addition to leading Redeemer, he also served the City to City network, a ministry that has helped start more than 1,000 churches in over 150 cities.

We have seen firsthand the powerful unity of this work—partnering with Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City to sponsor and participate in several NYC Movement Day events that saw more than 1,500 churches and Christian ministries joining together with a common vision to unite the city with the Gospel.

Keller also counseled American Bible Society on key ministry programs like Uncover the Word, a national Scripture engagement initiative. When we were headquartered in NYC, Keller and the team worked with us to designate a space for Christian leaders in NYC to work together on projects to further Bible-based initiatives in the larger community; it was called the Kingdom Collaboration Center.

This type of selfless collaboration for greater kingdom causes marked our interactions with Keller. We honor his legacy of upholding the local church and of guiding Americans to faith in Jesus Christ in what he called “an age of skepticism.”

In this time of mourning, we pray that Keller’s legacy would be honored through a powerful advance of the gospel. Paul’s words from 2 Thessalonians resonate here: “God called you to this through the Good News we preached to you; he called you to possess your share of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, our friends, stand firm and hold on to those truths which we taught you.”

Let us then, in tribute to Tim Keller, hold firm to the truths of Scripture and share them with those around us. May God’s peace and comfort be with us as we collectively grieve this earthly loss.