TOLEDO, Ohio—Emmanuel Baptist Church has ordained Keith Easton for the gospel ministry; he and his wife, Theresa, have served at the church for several years. Keith attended the University of Toledo and was active in Campus Bible Fellowship and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, where his passion became the study of God’s Word, evangelism, and teaching-preaching. He expressed a desire to pursue the gospel ministry in the late 1990s and was affirmed and encouraged by church members who were close to him (Tom Benefiel, Kurt Swisher, and others). He attended the Masters Seminary in 2001-03 and earned a master of divinity degree.
Not desiring a specific ministry and needing greater affirmation from the local church, Keith accepted an internship at EBC as a pastoral intern overseeing their Campus Bible Fellowship ministry. During his internship he married Theresa Beaghan, a former BMM missionary with Campus Bible Fellowship who co-labored with him at the University of Toledo. After their marriage on May 28, 2007, Keith accepted a one-year interim position at EBC overseeing outreach and assimilation.
Pastor Bruce Snyder suggested to the congregation that they consider Keith’s ordination, and the church voted to form an ordination council. On March 11, 2008, the pastoral staff and a number of deacons as well as two area pastors gathered together. After reviewing a written doctrinal statement and questioning Keith in regard to his beliefs, the council voted to recommend Keith’s ordination to the congregation. He was ordained Sunday, April 13, 2008. The church presented Keith with his signed and framed ordination certificate, a Bible, and flowers for his beautiful wife. Desiring the role of pastoral ministry, Keith is currently looking for a permanent place to serve as a senior pastor.
