The Rev. Dr. Patrick Keen

Denomination: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Organization: Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI

The Rev. Dr. Patrick Keen is pastor of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI.

Patrick was born to the late Rev. Theodore and Clara Gibson Keen in Chicago, Illinois, the ninth of eleven children. Pat was weaned in the old "Maxwell Street" shopping corridor formerly known as "Jew Town" in Chicago. It was in this community that gave Pat an early appreciation for the diverse cultures of the city, this nation, and the world.

During the 1960's as a high school teenager, Patrick was involved with the American Friends Service Committee, which sponsored and hosted many of the civil rights activities in Chicago, during those days of civil unrest. He was blessed to have marched with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and viewed him as a role model for advocates of Social Justice, Ministry and Leadership. Pat and other Marshall High School students were pioneers in Urban Ministry of the Young Life organization under the leadership of George Schaefer and Jim Raybourn. He attended Wheaton College, and DePaul University, and graduated from Governors State University.

Pat served as a member of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party under the leadership of Fred Hampton. Pat also served as a Volunteer In Service to America (VISTA volunteer) and later recruited Peace Corp and Vista Volunteers for the federal Action program.

Inspired by Mohammad Ali, Pat, protesting the Vietnam War, received an honorable discharge as a conscientious objector from the United States Army in 1972, with commendations from President Nixon.

As both an announcer and a 1st Class FCC Engineer, Pastor Keen worked in broadcasting for fifteen years with legends like Larry Lujack, Fred Winston, Herb Kent, and Larry King at WBBM, WCFL, WYCA and WVON radio stations in Chicago. He was a member of local Union IBEW 1220, and served as a union steward at WCFL.

Pastor Keen has served on numerous boards of directors and advisers for institutions and organizations locally and nationally. He was one of the founding members of Habitat for Humanity in Chicago and served as the first director of Habitat in Chicago. President Jimmy Carter and Millard Fuller worked with the project in 1986. Oprah Winfrey worked with two different projects during his tenure.

Pastor Keen has met four Presidents of the United States, addressing political, public health, community development, and faith based ministry concerns and initiatives.

Ordained in both the Baptist and Lutheran traditions, Rev. Keen received the master of Divinity degree from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in 1992 and the Doctor of Ministry degree in 2000 from that same institution.

He is a trained Congregation Developer and currently serves as pastor of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. He formerly served as pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in New Orleans Louisiana., Imani Lutheran , in West Englewood community, St. Paul's Lutheran in the Austin community, and Bethel Lutheran in West Garfield community, all congregations in Chicago. Pastor Keen's ministry in New Orleans was in the Central City community, which is the heart of the violent crime that has dubbed new Orleans as the Murder Capitol of the Nation and one of the top three in the world. Pastor Keen has help to lead the city and community in anti violence and anti crime initiatives. He was a recognized leader in the recovery efforts of the city, hosting thousands of volunteers and providing appliances to residents moving back into their homes, post Hurricane Katrina.

Dr. Keen has served as the Team Lead for the Orleans Parish Place Matters, a policy driven imitative headed by the National Collaborative for Health Equity, which addresses public health policies to improve the quality of life in 26 counties within the United States. He is the founder and director of the Interfaith Holistic Wellness center in Milwaukee. He has a heart and passion for all of God's people but especially our youth and children. .He understands that the youth are the real agents for change, and youth will ultimately change this world. His desire is to give the gift of empowerment and advocacy to the youth of this age as it was given to him, helping to change the world within them

Rev. Keen is a widower, the father of two and grandfather to fifteen. His grandson Anthony has been raised by Pastor Keen since birth. The two of them reside in north Milwaukee.