Brandon Timothy Keilen (born September 15, 1989) is the eight child and third son of Ronald Keilen and Jillene Keilen.
He is the brother of Angela Geisel, Ronald Keilen, Jr., Alison Keilen, Craig Keilen, Rebecca Forman, Brent Keilen, Cara Keilen, Christy-Ann Keilen, and Amber Keilen.
He is the husband of Michaela Keilen and the foster father of their two foster children.
Early life[]
Brandon Timothy Keilen was born on September 15, 1989, in Michigan, to Ronald Keilen and Jillene Keilen. He was the couple's eighth child, and they went on to have two more children after him.
Brandon was homeschooled and raised in a strong Baptist family. He played cello for a number of years in the Lansing Homeschool Music Association before switching to euphonium, which he played up until his graduation.
Personal life[]
Courting
Courtship[]
Brandon first met the Bates Family in December 2009, while members of the family were serving with the ministry where he worked. One of the people he met at this time was Michaela, although she was only briefly in Chicago and he didn't get to know her very well. The two crossed paths many times over the next few years, and he began noticing her more. He felt it hard to get to know her at first as she was shy, but the more he noticed her taking care of her siblings, the more he paid attention. He also began feeling more and more like she was out of his league.
In November 2013, Brandon called Michaela's father, Gil Bates, and asked his permission to get to know Michaela better, which was granted.
On December 30, 2013, Michaela came to Lansing, Michigan, to visit Brandon and his family, and he took her out to The English Inn where he presented her with a journal with her name engraved on it. He had filled the first dozen pages with a fairy tale he had written about the two of them. He then gave her a box that contained a gold-covered rose and asked her to begin an official courtship, which she accepted.
Engaged
Engagement[]
Brandon knew he wanted to propose to Michaela in Washington, D.C., during cherry blossom season, so in 2015 he conspired with her parents to get her to the area. On April 13, 2015, he sent her on a scavenger hunt, where she followed clues to seven locations before arriving in Great Falls, Virginia, where Brandon proposed and Michaela said yes.
Just married
Marriage[]
Brandon married Michaela Bates on August 15, 2015, at Wallace Memorial Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.
For their honeymoon, the couple went to Montana and Wyoming.
After getting married, the couple moved into Brandon's home in Chicago, Illinois.
Fatherhood[]
On June 25, 2017, Michaela shared a post on her blog about her struggles with infertility. The post did not list many medical details, simply saying that they had been seeing doctors after trying to get pregnant with no success for over a year. Michaela said in her post that Brandon was being very supportive through this struggle.
On January 2, 2022, Michaela did a Q&A on Instagram about her infertility. She revealed that she has multiple blood clotting disorders, like some of her sisters. She also revealed that her doctor said that it was medically impossible for one of her sisters to serve as their surrogate and she also can't receive IVF.
During another Q&A on February 1, 2023, Michaela revealed that she and Brandon had suffered a miscarriage with a baby girl. She later revealed that they chose the name Eden for their daughter. In a video posted to their YouTube channel on April 6, 2024, they revealed their daughter’s full name to be Eden Miracle Keilen. She would have been born around Christmas 2021, but was miscarried early on.
In May 2025, he and Michaela became foster parents of two young boys, a 3-year-old and a newborn.
Career[]
Education[]
Brandon began attending Bible college in Texas some time around 2009, and graduated in 2010.
Ministry[]
Some time prior to 2009, Brandon began serving for a ministry in Chicago, Illinois.
IBLP[]
After graduating from college, Brandon was hired to be a videographer for the Institute of Basic Life Principles in Chicago, Illinois.
Keilen Corner[]
Brandon and Michaela run a web store called Keilen Corner, which sells books Brandon wrote and homemade baby items from Michaela.
Videographer[]
Brandon was a videographer for the Institute in Basic Life Principles.
Construction[]
Brandon works for a construction supply company in Knoxville, Tennessee. He does some media development in their marketing department.
Television[]
Brandon was regularly featured on the UpTV show Bringing Up Bates, which chronicles the lives of his wife Michaela's family.
Wedding involvement[]
Brandon was a groomsman at his sister-in-law Carlin's wedding to Evan Stewart on May 25, 2019.
