In case you’re not familiar with Tim Keller, he’s a New York Times bestseller, a gifted orator and founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. To those fond of Keller, he’s often regarded as the “thinking person’s pastor,” with sermons that are culturally relevant, exegetically sharp and profoundly practical. On any given Sunday, Keller can in one breath be heard quoting C.S. Lewis, an Old Testament prophet and an op-ed from The New Yorker.

Having visited Redeemer church a dozen times or so, I can attest to Keller’s ability to connect with the casual New Yorker, and by casual I mean well-read, successful and impeccably groomed. His congregation, which now hovers around 5,000 people, have known for years what many Christians outside Manhattan are finding out—Tim Keller is a powerful figure in the church.

He was most recently featured in New York Magazine, which is as influential a publication you will find here in the Empire State. Written by Joseph Hooper, the feature does a very good job of capturing the conservative feel of Redeemer, the makeup of the congregation and the persona of Tim Keller. This isn’t the first time Keller has been covered by notable media—New York Times ran a piece on Keller, as has Newsweek and a shout-out in Time. Christian media has run aplenty, such as this recent piece in Christianity Today.

I’ll be honest; I think Tim Keller is phenomenal. His downloadable sermons are worth its price in gold, and his influence in New York City is far-reaching. As one of my several friends who attend Redeemer (known as Redeemerites) will proudly say, “Tim Keller is the man.” I agree wholeheartedly, but I would follow that up with a near-identical sentiment if not for one article change: Tim Keller is a man.

There are many Tim Keller-like figures in the Christian world. Whether they’re artists, bloggers, pastors, authors or leaders, we have put them on a very high pedestal. It’s important to remember that as extraordinary as these individuals are, they are at the end of the day just a man or a woman like you. In our celebrity-driven, consumerist culture, let us never forget the words of John the Baptist after his disciples pointed out that the ministry of a certain Jesus of Nazareth was outgrowing his, “He must become greater; I must become less.” I’m sure that’s a sentiment Tim Keller would gladly preach.