DEBORAH J. KEATON, DDIV, MA, BS (Hons)

Pastor Keaton has been actively engaged in church service since her teens, and has been in ministry for over 20 years. She and her husband Fred made Olive Branch Community Church their home in 2015. 

Reverend Dr. Keaton began serving as Interim Pastor of Olive Branch Community Church on May 1, 2024, following the retirement of Founding Pastor Reverend Dr. Donald R. Kelly. Currently, Reverend Keaton has oversight of the church ministerial staff; she preaches weekly Sunday sermons; she leads Saturday Bible Study; and she leads a Thursday prayer call. Additionally, she continues serving (began in 2015) as director of Christian Education and Youth Ministries. 

An effective communicator, Reverend Keaton is known for her inspiring, relevant, Bible-based preaching style which helps people apply the timeless truths of the scriptures to their lives. A visionary leader, for congregants, Reverend Keaton focuses on congregational nurturing, spiritual healing, increased connection and communication between members and church leadership. Outside of the walls of Olive Branch, in collaboration with Sandy Spring Museum, Reverend Keaton has expanded church outreach to the community through the recently launched National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read—collaborating with other community partners, including Montgomery County Public Libraries, and MoCo Underground Writers’ Showcase.

Previously, as director of Christian Family Education, Youth and Young Adult Ministry departments at Colesville United Methodist Church, Deborah Keaton completed training to become a certified lay minister through the United Methodist Church. In this role, she taught Bible studies and preached Sunday sermons. With direct supervision and administrative oversight of the Christian Education and Youth Ministry departments, Deborah Keaton planned and implemented youth-focused retreats, workshops, and mission opportunities. Moreover, she initiated the first co-ed youth basketball team and organized the women’s liturgical dance group ministries for the church. Additionally, she organized and taught spiritual formation classes, provided confirmation training, specialized in supporting artistic ministry presentations for seasonal events, and co-created a Care Ministry to serve the needs of the congregation through home and hospital visitation. 

Regionally, Reverend Keaton is known as a former board member and recording secretary for the District of Columbia Baptist Convention.  A member of the Potomac Valley Section of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc., she has served as chaplain. 

Presently, Reverend Keaton serves as board member and treasurer for the Notes in Time Singers, a 501c(3) chorus that uses music to improve the quality of life for nursing homes residents with dementia.

A retired master sergeant with a distinguished 20-year career that encompassed domestic and international assignments while in the United States Air Force and Air Force Reserves, Reverend Keaton hails from Boston, Massachusetts.

Deborah Keaton holds a Bachelor of Science in Management with a concentration in Religious Systems Management from the University of the Potomac, Washington, DC; a Master of Arts in Specialized Ministries from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas; and a Doctor of Divinity from the Master’s International University of Divinity in Evansville, Indiana. In 2000, Reverend Dr. Keaton earned Graduate Certificates in Christian Family Education and Youth Ministries from Wesley Theological Seminary.

Phone 301-704-5230