Timothy Brassell

Timothy (“Tim”) Brassell pastors the GCI congregation in Baltimore, Maryland and serves as a district pastor.

Tim’s father Rufus was a professional heavyweight boxer, so while growing up, Tim met many interesting and famous people. “My dad fought with Muhammed Ali, George Foreman, Jimmy Ellis, Jerry Quarry and others. He had a winning record of 18-7 and was ranked as high as eighth. Like Ali, he trained with Angelo Dundee at the 5th Street Gym in Miami.”

Tim was born in Nuremberg, Germany, where his father served in the Army. “I grew up in Lima, Ohio, my parents’ hometown, and then in Bluffton Ohio. In my adult years I returned to Lima. In ministry I’ve lived in various places in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia and now I live in Baltimore, Maryland.”

Tim and his family started attending WCG around 1973/74, “although my entire life I was under the influence of Armstrongism since my dad was a long-time Plain Truth reader.”

Tim began serving in pastoral ministry in Findley, Ohio. “Due to the doctrinal changes in 1995 our pastor left. The pastor from our sister congregation in Toledo became the new pastor, but needed help serving the two congregations. A coupon appeared in The Worldwide News that invited those sensing a call to pastoral ministry to reply. Many members in my congregation encouraged me to do so. I did, and was appointed to serve on the pastoral team in my congregation.”

Tim now is the senior pastor of GCI’s Baltimore congregation, serving with his wife, Donna. “Without her, there would be no ministry of Jesus through Timothy Brassell. She has been a great support and an active participant in the journey every conceivable way: relationally, physically, mentally and emotionally. We’ve always been on the same page–being reformed together. Through it all. she has held down a job and taken care of the home!”

Tim and Donna recently celebrated 22 years of marriage. They share family life with three others: “Our oldest daughter, Jocelyn, is completing her first year in the Coast Guard and serves in the Cape Cod area, pursuing a career in the intelligence field. Our youngest daughter, Autumn, is wrapping up 10th grade and already is pursuing a career as a cosmetic dentist while enjoying softball. Remy, our dog, still tries to lick us to death—but we’re ‘still ticking’ and loving on her!”

When asked what he enjoys most about being a GCI pastor, Tim said this: “My favorite thing is proclaiming the good news of the relational God revealed in Jesus; declaring, against the wisdom of the world, that every human is in him. I share this every way I can, full- time, starting with family. My love relating, thinking, living and speaking out of the love and life of the Father, Son and Spirit shared with all creation all the time—without the religion and right in the middle of the deep brokenness we all share! I greatly enjoy being in a world-wide fellowship of ever-reforming, loving, humble, accessible, free, open and risk-taking people (they hired ME! Ha!).”

Tim has many interests beyond his primary vocational calling. He enjoys doing commercial voiceovers “I have done voiceovers for national, regional and local commercials around the world. I’ve even been the voice of a roller coaster! I record voiceovers from time-to-time in my home studio. I would love to do more of these when I retire from working full-time as a pastor. Tim also enjoys watching movies and shows with his family; traveling to the Islands; listening to, writing, playing and recording music; collecting rocks and lots of reading.”

Tim’s most memorable moment as a pastor has to do with when he became one. “My parents told me all my life I should be one. Coworkers on my job told me I should be one. I felt I should be one and tried doing everything right and going to all the right places, but I was turned down at every point. Finally, in his own time and radical way, God brought it about. Wow!”

Tim feels closest to God when “proclaiming the gospel of the relational God revealed in Jesus, especially when preaching and teaching. He also feels close to God when thinking and praying, hearing about God in all kinds of ways from others and when dancing and seeing others dance distinctly and freely in the joy of the Lord!”

Going back to his early childhood, Tim shared that, “because of my dad’s fame as a boxer and because of my parent’s good character, our family had a lot of favor with many people. My dad trained many young kids in Lima to box, helping keep them off the streets. As a result, I experience favor to this day whenever the family name is mentioned.