Gary Thomas “Tom” Keesee Jr. is an American man from Johnstown, Licking County, Ohio, United States. In 1926, a farmer named James Bailey found a nearly complete skeleton of a mastodon in Johnstown, which he sold to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

Johnstown is home to Johnstown-Monroe High School. The city is around 8.6 miles away from New Albany, Ohio, which is home to Faith Life Church.

Keese was born in Columbus, Ohio to Gary Thomas Keesee Sr. and Drenda Shelaine Hocott Keesee, the founders of Faith Life Church. In 1993, Gary founded Faith-Full Family Finances.

On February 16, 1996, Gary founded a church on Westwind Drive in Westerville, Ohio, which he named Faith-Full Family Fellowship and in March 1996, he became a licensed minister in Ohio. In January 1997, Faith-Full Family Fellowship bought 22 acres at 2407 Beech Road in New Albany.

On February 16, 2001, the church’s name was cancelled due to failure to reinstate but on September 25, 2002, it was reinstated at Sharp Road in Mount Vernon. On November 19, 2002, the church’s address was officially changed from Westwind Drive in Westerville to Sharp Road in Mount Vernon.

The church was named Faith-Full Family Life Ministries on May 3, 2004 and Faith Life Now on August 1, 2006. On November 13, 2006, Faith Life Church was officially established and in 2008, it built a 44,000 square-foot building on its property Beech Road in New Albany.

On July 22, 2011, the church filed for two trade names, which are Drenda Keesee Ministries and Gary Keesee Ministries. On April 14, 2016, the church filed a renewal for these trade names as well as Faith Life Now.

In December 2019, the church bought a former school at 284 S. Liberty St. in Powell, Delaware County, Ohio for $3.5 million. On May 10, 2021, the church filed for a certificate of continued existence and on August 4, 2021, Drenda Keesee Ministries and Gary Keesee Ministries became registered trade names.

In August 2023, the church acquired two adjacent properties totaling 100 acres in Danville, Knox County, Ohio.

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BIOGRAPHY

Aside from Johnstown, Tom has lived in other parts of Ohio including Mount Vernon, New Albany and Newark. Here are 13 more things about him:

  1. In 1983, his older sister Amy Shelaine Keesee was born.
  2. On July 29, 1985, his older brother Timothy David Keesee was born.
  3. In 1992, his younger sister Pollyanne Chloe Keesee was born in New Albany.
  4. On May 31, 1996, his younger sister Kirsten Joy Keesee was born.
  5. From May 2001 to May 2003, he allegedly sexually assaulted a girl, then 5 and 6, on more than 50 occasions at a residence in Mount Vernon.
  6. From November 2006 to 2013, he allegedly sexually abused a girl almost 100 times at various residences in Licking County and Knox County. She was 8 when the alleged abuses started and he was 15 when it ended.
  7. In July 2009, he married a hairstylist, then 21, from Columbus.
  8. In September 2009, his sister Amy married Jason Freudiger, then 29.
  9. On November 6, 2012, he registered to vote in Licking County.
  10. In July 2016, he and his first wife dissolved their marriage.
  11. In November 2019, he married Alexis Victoria Healy.
  12. On November 23, 2024, he turned 36.
  13. In 2025, he was arrested.
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TIMELINE

Tom is not affiliated to any political party. He is a former chief media officer for Faith Life Church.

2024

  • In August 2024, he resigned from his position as the chief media officer for Faith Life Church.

2025

  • On February 1, 2025, his sister Kirsten took to Facebook to reveal that she is the victim of sexual abuse involving a family member.
  • On February 3, 2025, his brother Timothy took to Facebook to condemn abuse of any kind and ask victims to share their stories. 
  • On February 7, 2025, his father posted a social media video, which has since been removed, saying, “My intent was never, or it is not, to ever cover up anything, anytime but at the same time not to betray the trust of one child over another and I think you can understand that if you’re a parent.”
  • On April 18, 2025, he was arrested at his residence in Johnstown and charged with two counts first-degree felony rape.
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Published by Kiyoshi Motohiko

A business and technology enthusiast, I am curious about how societies pick which brands to include in their history as a generational group.

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