Pastor Forest Keener
Lawton, OklahomaForest Keener was born August 23, 1933 in Okemah, Oklahoma to Joseph L. and Mary E. (Bourland) Keener. He married Mary F. Weatherly on October 31, 1953 at Okemah. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 16 and achieved the rank of Corporal and was discharged in 1951.
Dr. Keener surrendered to the ministry in 1959 and served as the pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Lawton for 43 years. He published the "Watchman", a publication which was literally sent to readers all over the world.
Following his retirement he continued his ministry serving as an evangelist across the United States. He had been a member of Bethel Baptist Church in Lawton and at the time of his death the Sherwood Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. He enjoyed music and played many instruments.
He died on June 18, 2013 at the age of 79. He is survived by his wife, Mary (Weatherly), a daughter and son in law, Carol Frances Keener-Jones and her husband Larry (now deceased). Mrs. Keener and Carol live in Dickinson, Texas; two grandchildren and their spouses, Nathan Clay Jones and wife Heather and Betsy Jones-Barnes and husband Michael; six great grandchildren, Nora E. Barnes, Collin Q. Barnes, Tyler B. Jones, Corey C. Barnes, Emma G. Jones and Jane A. Barnes; a sister and brother in law, Ruth and Steve Szeperdy; a brother, Larry Keener.
His parents, five brothers, Kenneth, Jimmy, Dale, Terry and Roy, and a sister, Eleanor Clem, preceded him in death. He was buried in Lawton, Comanche County, Oklahoma.
The following books written by Pastor Keener were published by The Watchman Press, the publication ministry of Bethel Baptist Church in Lawton, Oklahoma:
Basic Bible Characters 1 – Adam & Eve – Achan[Adapted from www.findagrave.com - and the Bethel Baptist Church website. A special thanks to Bennie W. Burnsed for his assistance. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
Basic Bible Characters 2 – Deborah & Barach – Nehemiah
Basic Bible Characters 3 – Zacharias & Elizabeth – Apostle Paul
Basic Bible Characters 4 – John Mark – King of Kings
Careful Studies in Romans
Grace not Calvinism
Major Bible Events in the Old Testament
Major Bible Events in the New Testament
Mysteries of the Kingdom
The Perpetuity of the Church
Serious Studies in John============================
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