Keller is a graduate of Bucknell University (BA, 1972), Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div., 1975), and Westminster Theological Seminary (D.Div., 1981). He became a Christian at Bucknell through the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and later joined its staff. He was ordained by the Presbyterian Church in America and served as a pastor and church planting director for nine years in Virginia. He then served on the faculty of Westminster Theological Seminary and continues to be an Associate Professor of Practical Theology. He and his wife, Kathy, live on Roosevelt Island with their three sons. In 1989, the PCA asked Keller to start the Church of the Redeemer, which grew from 50 attendees to over 5,000 by 2008. He targets city professionals and preaches on difficult Christian truths, avoiding the label “evangelical”. The church has helped start over 100 churches worldwide and emphasizes Christian service and charity. It is considered “one of the most vital congregations in Manhattan” by Christianity Today and the 16th most influential church in America by a 2006 survey of church leaders.