My name is Keith Petty and I am looking forward to being your elder.
After a fire destroyed our family home in Avoca TX, we moved to Fort Worth where I grew up going to elementary school through college.
In the summer of 1955 I first attended Tarrant Road Baptist Church, now Lake Arlington Baptist, where I ultimately met and married my wife, Sharon. On August 2, 2021 we will celebrate 52 years of what has been a joyous and wonderful marriage.
It was also at Tarrant Road Baptist, because of our evangelistic spirit, where I became convicted of my eternal destiny. One Saturday night our family was watching a Billy Graham Crusade on TV. Dr Graham asked, “Do you know for certain if you’re going to heaven?” It was the one question that needed confirmation but none was found until my mother noticed my conviction. She asked, “Do you want to be saved?” This time the question was a simple one that required a simple answer, yes or no. I was saved that Saturday night at the age of 10 years old. The next evening, I was baptized.
I served as a Gunner’s Mate in the US Navy aboard ship during the Vietnam War. In October of 1971 I was separated from the military and began attending Texas Wesleyan College, now University. Although working full time, I managed to graduate in 1976 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.
After struggling with several jobs, I joined Jones-Blair Paint Company in 1986 where I became Sales Manager of Texas Resin Company, a division that sold “oil based” resin for paints and coatings manufacturing.
This job led to a move to Raw Materials Corporation in 1994 where I spent almost 20 years primarily serving in the paint, coatings, and oilfield fluids market, where I became Vice-President.
My last three years of employment were with Lithium Americas Corp. I was hired as Vice-President of Marketing for the clay division, a bi-product of the Nevada lithium mine. My expertise was again in the oilfield fluids market.
During my married life, I had the privilege of serving God by teaching Bible Studies for almost 40 years. My experience has been serving high school students, college and career students, and adults. It has encompassed my passion for bible history, and ultimately became the reason for publishing 2 books.
Other than my wife, my greatest joy are my 2 children, Philip and Kristin, and my 5 grandchildren, Zach, Khloe, Ella, Lily and Jackson.