Keith's Story

Hey there! Thanks for giving this unique site a look. You're my new hero! This site has been designed just for you.

My name is Keith Kettenring, director of Homestead House, Inc. (non-profit), writer, and semi-monastic maintenance man & gardener. My work here on earth is neither glamorous or significant. And I love it that way. What I have is a gift from God that I get to open every day.

I am a recovering pastor (26 years) and spiritual formation coach (8 years) with a PhD in Christian Spirituality. I live in the middle of nowhere, hidden away in relative solitude. Just livin' the dream!

As a 16-year-old missionary kid in Jamaica, God called me to Himself and put me on a path (more like a roller coaster!) to see if I’d actually follow that calling. Have I? No and yes. No, since I mis-interpreted the call as a call to ministry and not to God Himself. Yes, since the deep desire to intimately know God has played itself out in various ways all my life.

Educationally, I attended a Christian university in Chattanooga, TN majoring in Bible with minors in history and music. Seminary took place at the same school graduating with an M.Div. in Christian Education and a M.R.E. in Christian ministry. 25 years later, I entered Biola University/Talbot School of Theology to work on a PhD in Educational Studies graduating in 2006. These educational experiences broadened and deepened my understanding of God and my relationship with Him.

For much of my adult life, I thought I had my theological and spiritual act together. Everything lined up perfectly. I knew a lot about God and devotedly served Him. Then God led me into fresh faith ventures that about did me in. I soon realized that I didn't really know God, my faith was weak, and I was stymied by my own pride.

The past decade has been full of learning and unlearning; uncertainty and realizations. I'm slowly learning how messed up I am and how God meets me in my mess.

I want to invite you to join me in the mess that we call the Christian life.

I fell in love with a beautiful lady in college and married Rhonda in 1977. We struggled with childlessness for 10 years before we were blessed with our “gift from God,” Nate, in 1987 and then our precious daughter, Jenna, in 1989. These are the relational crucibles in which I am learning so much about love (and how unloving I am) often being crushed by my own stupid expectations and desires. I am deeply grateful for these who have hung in there with me loving me when I did not deserve it.

My spiritual hunger and messiness has taken me many places. I am finally finding deep satisfaction (& challenge) in the Eastern Orthodox Church into which I was received in the Fall of 2014.

I typically post a Motley Christian blog one time every week. My posts will give you a glimpse into a messed-up guy who seeks to find God hidden in plain sight in the middle of the mess.

Join us lovable losers for companionship on your Motley Christian journey.