LA MIRADA, CALIF. — Timothy “Tim” Keller and his wife Kathy are the joint recipients of Biola University’s 2025 Charles W. Colson Award for Conviction and Courage. The award will be presented by Biola’s President Barry H. Corey on April 9 at 9:30 a.m. in Ethel Lee Auditorium. Tim and Kathy’s son, Michael Keller, will accept the Colson Award on behalf of his father posthumously and his mother who is unable to attend.

Tim Keller was the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, cofounder of the esteemed Christian publication the Gospel Coalition, and the author of numerous books including The Reason for God, The Prodigal God, and The Meaning of Marriage, which he co-authored with his wife, Kathy. He is the author of 31 books that have, combined, sold over 6 million copies and been translated into 29 languages. Tim Keller passed away on May 19, 2023, but the legacy of his public ministry continues to have a tremendous effect on millions in the church around the globe.

Like her husband, Kathy Keller received her graduate degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. She formerly served on the leadership team for Redeemer Presbyterian Church and is the author of Jesus, Justice, and Gender Roles: A Case for Gender Roles in Ministry.

This will be the first year the Colson Award is presented jointly to a husband and wife. The Keller couple offers an especially beautiful picture of biblical marriage and a vision of joint-partnership in the gospel that Biola University values. Their years of ministry together, though global in reach, always had a community focus, which mirrored much of Chuck Colson’s work in the various ministries he led, including Prison Fellowship.

“Tim and Kathy Keller’s ministry displayed a creative and imaginative evangelism,” said Corey. “They had eyes to see like Jesus, to speak to the large crowds and also notice the one, helpless or overlooked, on whom Christ had compassion. Like Jesus, they moved towards those who needed him most. They were people of conviction … to the gospel’s work in all times and places, to biblical fidelity, to God’s sovereign grace. They were people of courage … to engage in the life of the mind, to speak truth with kindness, to extend globally their vision for the church. Few leaders in the past century have been as committed to gospel conviction and courage quite like the Kellers, and few have been as humbly rooted in the way of Christ. I can think of no couple more fitting to receive the Colson Award.”

The Kellers’ notable influence is well-known among the broader Christian community, and Biola is honored to highlight their story to our student community. They are a shining beacon, and through their lives and examples, countless followers of Jesus are likewise keeping the gospel the main priority, no matter how large their ministries become.

News media is welcome to attend the ceremony. For more information and interviews, please contact Sarah Dougher, media relations specialist, at (310) 753-1193 or at sarah.m.dougher@biola.edu.

About the Charles W. Colson Award for Conviction and Courage: Biola University established the Charles W. Colson Award for Conviction and Courage in 2014. Named to honor the legacy of the Christian leader Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship and the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, the award is given to people who embody both conviction and courage. Chuck Colson lived a life of biblical conviction with the courage to advocate for truth even when it was difficult or unfashionable, one of the reasons for the creation of the award in his honor. Previous recipients include Joni Eareckson Tada, John M. Perkins, Luis Palau, Robert P. George, and Andy Bales.

About Biola University: Founded in 1908, Biola is committed to the mission of biblically centered education, scholarship and service — equipping men and women in mind and character to impact the world for the Lord Jesus Christ. With more than 5,000 students at its Southern California campus and around the world, Biola’s eight schools offer more than 250 academic programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. Recognized as the most comprehensive Christian university, ranked highest in North America for operationalizing its mission and ranked as one of the “Best National Universities” by U.S. News and World Report, Biola offers its students a premier educational and co-curricular experience. For more information, visit biola.edu or call (562) 777-4061.

Written by Katelyn Ho, strategic communication assistant. For more information, email media.relations@biola.edu.