Rev. Bryan and Deaconess Keah Payne

Theological Educator and Deaconess

Serving the Lord in Tanzania

Bio

The Rev. Bryan and Deaconess Keah Payne serve the Lord through The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) in Tanzania. Bryan is a theological educator at a new seminary in Shinyanga, Tanzania, where he teaches classes and assists in forming pastors for service in Africa. Keah serves alongside the deaconesses of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania’s South-East of Lake Victoria Diocese and supports their professional development.

Bryan is from Lawton, Okla. He holds a bachelor’s degree in leisure service management and a master’s degree in international development, ecological preservation — both from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, with his Master of Divinity in 2023. Prior to becoming a missionary, he worked as a project manager. He also is a trained Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) volunteer and has responded with Christ’s mercy following several tornadoes.

Keah is from Oklahoma City, Okla. She has an associate degree in graphic communications from Oklahoma City Community College; a bachelor’s degree in leisure service management from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater; and a master’s degree in deaconess studies from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne. Before becoming a missionary, she worked as a production tech, as a financial administrator and most recently as an eviction intervention coordinator.

Even before pursuing professional church work, Bryan and Keah served in various ways, including at several church camps and as Peace Corps volunteers in Malawi. Their home congregation is St. John’s Lutheran Church in Moore, Okla. The Paynes have two children — Serenity and Dalton — and the family enjoys rock hunting and camping.

Prayers

Pray for the Payne family as they serve in Tanzania. Pray that God would bless their efforts to learn Swahili and to adjust to their new home. Pray also for the new seminary in Shinyanga, that it would equip students to serve the church and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ faithfully and boldly. Let us give thanks to God that the Paynes are serving His people in this part of the world.

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Additional Information

• Birthdays:
  • Bryan - Mar. 24
  • Keah - Oct. 01
  • Serenity - Mar. 14
  • Dalton - Sep. 12
• Wedding Anniversary:  Aug 14
• Home District: Oklahoma

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