Bro. Thom Wolf
The man just totally rocks. TOTALLY ROCKS. And he doesn’t have a web site. Nor has he written a book, although others have written about him and lifted his stuff for their own books.
I would like to offer this humble fan post as a marker for Bro. Thom, until he gets a decent web site up with links to all his incredible teachings over the past 30 40 years. There is no good reason for this post – it is not Thom’s birthday, nor is he dead. But my gratitude for him is so great that this blog post burns like fire in my bones and i cannot rest until i at least start it.
– Bro. Thom is my teacher
– I first heard Thom Wolf back in 1984. When i was studying at West Australian Bible College, the teacher played a tape of this guy called Thom Wolf who joked about his name, laughed out loud, seemed to actually ENJOY being a pastor of this church called The Church on Brady. That tape inspired me – i knew it was possible to be a minister AND be a human being who could laugh and enjoy life. I wanted to be a minister like Thom Wolf.
– When i was studying at Fuller Seminary, I choose a class on church planting with Thom Wolf, in the hopes that it was the same man who inspired me with his laugh. It was
His class, co-taught with Carol Davis, was the best class I have ever taken at any school or seminary (i dropped out of quite a few of them).
I was hooked on Wolf. Big time!
He still pastored this incredible church, which he would later hand over to Erwin McManus who renamed it “Mosaic”. In fact, I was there when the transition was taking place. I joined the church and met some fantastic people who had come under the influence of Thom and his wife Linda. Many of them now live in India and around the world.
Thom shifted his teaching to San Francisco and I moved up to that city at the same time. For the next few years, Thom and I drank a lot of coffee together in our favorite city. And we gave tours of the city to ministry leaders and students. – he still lived in LA but travelled up to SF each week. Sometimes he would stay with us. When my daughter Abigail was born, Thom was crashing on our couch.
Derek Chapman, our prophet and friend, came to California to study under Bro. Thom – which is how we hooked up and have spent these years with each other.
Thom has a naughty side. A “mischevious” side. I have seen him do crazy stunts in his car that were not be-fitting a boring Seminary professor. But then he was not a boring Seminary professor. Thats why i liked him.
My wife remembers Thom as the guy who turned the car around and drove all the way back to pick up a shoe on the road. I remember him driving down that windy road in San Francisco, radio blaring loud and all windows down, tires screeching and Bro. Thom smiling from ear to ear as the Japanese tourists snapped pictures. Thats Thom. He really does enjoy life.
My Czech friend Sasa remembers him as the missionary who cried in our living room. He cried as he opened his Bible and began to talk about Jesus. Huge tears. And he just carried on as if it was normal.
Much of my teaching flows from his. My Tree By the River movement (taught in Japan and England) is based on his Universal Disciple. (posted by Geoff Westlake, another fan)
My PHAT teaching on apostolic pattern of ministry was totally taken from Thom. Except the name, of course.
My methods of Bible study with others was influenced by his 7 questions.
I chatted with David Garrison a few months back – the author of “Church Planting Movements”- and he shared how he also sat under Bro. Thom and learned so much.
Thom and Linda are now overseas. Based in India. Still going strong. Still influencing thousands of people.
I dont see them nearly as much as i used to do. The last time was in Prague.
I have much more to say about Thom Wolf and will need to come back here to write down my thoughts.
Have you also met him?
You had to know that I would take the bait and add to this post! Last summer in New Delhi our team got to meet with Thom for almost 2 whole days! We sat there for hours as he taught us through stories, scripture, laughter, tears, and through his life. We got physically tired, but we hung on every word, didn’t want it to end, and could not believe that 8-10 hours had passed. The man is so passionate and totally oozes Jesus from every pour in his body. I am totally convinced that a HUGE reason that God sent my wife and I to San Francisco in the late 90’s was to sit under his teaching at Golden Gate (and of course, to meet you and Debbie, Brad Sargent, Linda and Eric Berquist, Derek Chapman, and all the other radical Jesus followers that forever changed my life).
I’ll post a few more stories about Bro. Thom on downshoredrift.blogspot.com, my little fledgling blog where I have unknowingly broken all of the rules except asking for money! Thanks for getting this started. Maybe, those of us that know him can blog what he has taught us and send it to him to finally inspire him to get his stuff out there. The world needs to hear from this man!
Dr Thom totally rocks! His Church Planting class at Golden Gate was one of the most awesome classes I ever took and that was 20 years after I had graduated from GGBTS and went back and took this class because of who was teaching it. And Jesus rocks through Thom!
PS: He is one of the scariest people I have ever met. Which is really cool!
About the shoe. It was a discarded shoe. We circled the block 3 times to look at it before he jumped out of the car in moving traffic to see if it had a mate and was my size. The same day we circled another block several times to look at a beautiful mural in moving traffic. He lives in the moment – he doesn’t just rush through it. Needless to say, he misses alot of planes (I have seen him miss a plane because he is so focused in conversation in a cafe just across from where he should be jumping on a plane). When I stop longer than is natural for me to enjoy life I think of Brother Thom.
I remember the first time I met him. He wanted to meet us at 1 in the morning in a coffee shop. We were yawning like old folk and he was unstoppable. He exudes the purity and joy of a young child and the wisdom and humility of many lifetimes.
I also think of him when I am tempted to be bitter towards people who hurt me. People have done some horrible things to him, many times because they are threatened by him. In true humility he lets it go, as a matter of fact I would think these things just float over him if it wasn’t for the tears. And Linda, she seems to feel Thom’s pain more than him because of her love for him. I think alot of ministry wives would know just what this is like. When I decide to hold reconciliation in my hands rather than bitterness Brother Thom is first in my mind.
I have seen Linda’s passion in children that she has put together training for and loved. I have seen more authentic, humble spiritual maturity in a team of her 10 year olds than scores of teams of 20 year olds.
What an amazing, heaven sent couple. What a priveledge to have had them as part of our lives.
Brother Thom has always had a wonderful sense of humor and energy and I’m glad to hear he continues to share it with others throughout the world. In 1976, as a senior in high school, a friend invited me to The Church On Brady, and I continued attending until I left college many years later. He’s been a friend of my family’s for the past 28 years. Although I personally haven’t seen him in a long while I do remember him fondly and appreciate the comments you all have shared. Go get ’em Bro. Thom. He may be unaware also that another good friend, Bill Hoyst, recently died of a heart attack. Please pass along if you communicate with him. AND BY THE WAY, THOM, GET YOURSELF A BLOG – IT’S THE 21ST CENTURY FOR GOD’S SAKE!
Robert Dugan, Norma’s son…..
[Andrew] – i made Thom a blog 2 years ago but he didnt take to it.
87/88 I helped lead two youth trips to church on brady. that man and that church changed me forever. I think it was the second trip they were moving the office and some of us guys got the privelege of moving all his books . . . a lot of books . . . btw he told the greatest story at YL event in 98, still laugh when I think about it. something about falling down and running to tray and “save” the all only to pile drive himself into the cement . . . he is pure gold
mol
Thanks for the tribute to Bro Thom! He has influenced me more profoundly than any other living being. i have put up a link to my own blog to this one, and posted just a couple of my own thoughts concerning Thom.
Bro. Thom is still my all time absolute favorite teacher, pastor, mentor, story teller—no one I know can integrate truth insights from sociology, anthropology and Scripture like he can….and then put it into a tune(can you sing the biogeovocvol song?!:-)… I am unexplainedly getting teary eyed because my son will still tell me to this day that his initial committment to Christ was when he was 4 years old after a Bro. Thom sermon!…
More later as this topic is worthy more reflection …plus maybe Randy will use some of our posts in his book oneday!?:-)…gotta run to my sons baseball game where some is balls and some is strikes.
I saw this blog & started dying laughing & explaining to my husband how great Bro Thom was when I had him for classes. I remember how intelligent and yet how air-headed he was. One time he tripped and fell on his way to class. He ate it and fell on his face and scraped up his hands. He came into class holding his glasses and bleeding a little and showed us his hands and said “it’s like I’m kinda like Jesus- see my hands”.
He loved seeing movies too! I had never known a “pastor” who felt it ok to see any movie. (most pastors/christian leaders I knew made you feel guilty for seeing something not G rated) He always tried to be in the world and know what was going on & apply it to everyday life.
Sorry…another really cool thing (actually there’s a lot more)… we had a class on world religions and were learning about new age. And, well, he wanted us to go into Mill Valley (nearby town) and interview people about their view about God. Didn’t get many “churchy” answers! But, I loved it because of that. I loved being in that area and out of the bible belt!
I first met Thom is 1978 when I was a student at California Baptist College. He came to teach in our “Pastor and His Work Class”. I remember how captivating he was and how he spoke with authority, not like most of the other teachers I had. His teaching poured from his life. Like many others this caused me to want to visit the Church of Brady. I remember Phil (Zub) Busbee used to pick up students in his van and we would stay for the day in LA and soak up the “Brady experience”. I went on the Golden Gate Seminary. Thom came to speak in chapel and it was packed. Following Seminary I applied and was accepted for his Summer Intern program at Brady. I bet I learned as much from Thom that summer as I did the entire 3 years in Seminary. He formed so much of what still today serves as the framework for my faith and practice. Today as I train young leaders they are receiving from me much of what I received from him, including my favorite quote, “A leader is a reader. Show me what you read, and I will show you how you lead.”
yeah – he used to always try and read 5 books a week
once he was reading while he was driving which was kinda scary
and that time he tripped and cut his face? Guess what he was doing at the time? Walking and reading!
Two years ago I was at http://www.gonowmission.com conference where he was also. did not know him at all…we chatted around his booth…i began to share about all the indian friends we have in houston. he…yes he, hung on every word i had to say, he was so thrilled about the life my wife and live. he drags me to his car and gives me two books written by indians, about india. He said they will give me more history and current culure info than any thing else i would read. He was right…he gave me a hug and i went on with my life…a year later…thanks to bloggers like you…i find out just who this kat was…it all makes sense.
I attended Church on Brady for 2 years from 1989 to 1991. I came from Laramie Wyoming. I selected COB then found a job at Cedars-Sinai. Even this morning when reading Ephesians, I remembered his series on the full armour. I think it was about 15 Sundays. Influencial man with Good kids! Thom Prayed without his shoes on then. Standing on Holy Ground. I remember Larry, Debbie, Shelley, and Dave Mesa. Those are more than good times, they were times that shaped me. Thanks Thom for the ministry.
Greetings. I’m normally just an observer, but can’t pass up commenting on the man called Thom.
Thom spoke on spiritual warefare to my class at the mission training center prior to our deployment overseas. Putting it in real terms, he spoke as the demon possessed man – spitting, hissing, foaming at the mouth and throwing himself on the floor. “What do you want with me, Son of Man?” Attention? Rapt. But the next sentence was his ever-present “Duuude!”
I was thrilled when Thom and Linda were finally obedient and went overseas. Even happier that they landed in our city in Thailand. Major ‘duuude!’ I’ll always remember that July 9th is his birthday, because — fitting — Starbucks opened that day in our dear city…Thom’s new office.
In an e-mail exchange once, he closed with a p.s. that hits me fresh every time I think about it: “May the Lord steal from you everything that steals you from Him.”
Pax
thanks russ
once thom told that story at golden gate seminary when i was there and he asked me to act it out while he told the story
i was the demon possessed boy – i gave it my full attention and rolled around floor drooling all over my face – very impressive and realistic . . but not very attractive
anyway – thom and linda will be in california for the last part of 2005 and i might see them there.
Andrew,
I’m so glad you created this page for Bro Thom… You don’t know me but I know you through Alan C. I met Thom on a mission trip with Alan in San Francisco several years ago and could tell he was a true man after the Lord Jesus… I get his teaching vicariously through Alan… I think that there are a lot of people that would support setting up a site for Thom. I’m one of them!
well, here am i, writing a comment. i really wasn’t planning on it because i truly enjoyed soaking in everyone elses’. i met this man at cbu, in california. i believe he remains here until he journeys back to india. blessings to know him…hear his stories..his passion. and know his kindred spirit… have any of you heard the clinton story..or have you heard him speak of his father? true and intense zeal for the former telling and true and beautiful compassion and utter respect for the ladder. i am grateful to all for your sharings… many blessings wherever you reside in this beautiful world…
Dr. Thom absolutely rocks! I met him at the Missionary Learning Center in Virginia. I just finished watching his lecture on the Universal Disciple on DVD here in Thailand a few minutes ago. Praise the Lord for men of God like Dr. Thom.
My fondest memory of Bro. Thom is of him preaching in our church (where Alan Cross is pastor now) with only his socks on…so real, and his prophetic prayer for us to be a dandelion “tooth of the lion” (of the tribe of Judah). He is an awesome Jesus-follower.
I served in South Asia this summer and Dr. Thom was the man who trained us in the culture and Hindu faith. There are no words to fully describe Dr. Thom and the passion by which he lives. He is truly beautifully, fearfully, and wonderfully made.
i consider one of his sons one of my best friends, and i have had the pleasure of being in thom’s house countless times in the 13 years that i have known him. i have eaten with him, i have talked until the wee hours of the night with him, and i have watched him fall asleep as he is talking to me like a narcoleptic. 🙂 and i was there when he handed over the reigns of the church on brady too.
the best testimony that i can give about him is that he is the same guy in his own house as he is outside.
i love bro thom very much, and i respect very few spiritual leaders like i do that man.
Bro. Thomas Albert Wolf is the greatest.
He is a humble servant with the heart of a Lion.
He is not a perfect man and does not pretend to be. He is always himself and has a deep love for our Lord. I have many fond memories with him and there are many sermons that affetcted me deeply. I will never forget the many hours he spent with me and my buddies answering Bible relted questions during the holidays. I hope he begins writing books, there are too many neophites out there influencing the American church that are causing great harm to The Church.
-Frank Loaiza
Who is this guy everyone is talking about? That picture of him makes him look kinda out there. O yeah he is!! To me he is just pops, my daughter saw his picture and laughed. I love east la becouse of him, I love hot sauce becouse of him, I love the Lord becouse of him. I know how human he is first hand but also know God as called him his own. He gave so much that sometimes he missed out on little things, with us. But hearing these stories for me makes it all worth it. I think he might never write a book, but his chapters are those he comes into contact with. The cholo and the street corner at one in the morning, the hippie dude named andrew and his family, from up in SF. The person he’ll meet this week in what ever part of the world God as sent him to the week. I love you Pop! keep it up.
The first time I saw Bro Tom was before I gave my heart to the Lord. I was at the park getting high. The church on Brady – which I would later call my home church – was having a 4th of July picnic. He was at one end of a tube full of raw egg. He used to have red hair. This stuck out to me because most of his congregation was Mexican . His face was beet red as he tried not to have egg on his face. Guess what? He lost. But he battled with all he had. That is the Brother Tom I admire. A fighter, a friend to those in need of a friend, a teacher, a great story teller, a man of grace.
I love you Bro.
Manuel
Thom does need to get a more comprehensive site but you can see some of his material in three different formats at http://www.universal-disciple.com
1. Essay
2. Bible Study
3. Bible Study integrated with e-sword
Bro Thom reminds me a great deal, of my “mentor”, Elwyn Stafford. He was, and is, a hale and hearty man of great humor, and is an ordained Baptist Preacher, teaching in a United Presbyterian Church. Some rule or other causes him to be unable to join the church without giving up his Baptist ordination, and it’s indicative of the respect folks have for him that they let him teach there anyway.
He was the man that transformed my teaching Sunday School into simply teaching the Bible.
I’ve made it a point to go to the people who made a big difference in my life, and thank them personally. It’s also wonderful that we have a public forum such as this, to do that.
Yes, Thom has impacted my life more than anyone.
But, without Linda, there is no Thom. All of the appointments would have been missed if Linda were not there to remind him. I’ll never forget our graduation, he runs up and tells us how much he loves us as he has to speed off to the airport to catch a plane to L.A. He forgot that he was to speak at a retreat.
Thom, hope it works out to where we can learn more from you in Asia.
My dad is Al Ballesteros, and he was lead to the Lord by Ron Bonilla, a coworker who attended The Church on Brady. My parents were legally separted at the time and my dad, had to TRICK, my mom, Amelia, to visit Brady. She was also lead to the Lord, as were my 3 brothers and sister. We were all baptised at Brady as children. As a family we attended Brady from 1980 – 1990. I believe that if it wasnt for Brother Thoms guidance of Brady, we, my brothers and sister, would not be were we are today. Brother Thoms teachings were down to earth, and very powerful. I was there at a critical growing time in my life, when children are easily influenced, need to be taught about morales and values and need guidance. This truely, has made me the person I am today at 35 with 3 of my own children. Lots of memories, Lots of friendships and 1 GOD, none of this would of happened if it wasnt for Brother Thoms love for Christ and vision of spreading Gods word to the end of the earth! I have never witnessed another man like Brother Thom.
I would like to read or hear tapes of his teaching and preachings. Where can I get them? Has he written any books?
I would like to read or hear tapes of his teaching and preachings. Where can I get them? Has he written any books?
no actual books – just like myself. you will have to hear him in person
to those who would like to obtain one of Bro Thom’s messages try the former Church on Brady ask to locate John Aguilar or Irene Aguilar they use to run the media center @ Brady maybe they could tel u how to get some tapes, they might even have videos of the easter and/or christmas performances very powerful
amelia
can someone PUULLLEEEEAASE turn those sermons and talks into PODCASTS?????
yeah baby!!!
I just got back from Poland where I had the great opportunity to hear Thom speak. I am amazed every time I am with him at how wonderfully curious and eager to learn from those he teaches. He really is a great teacher. I walked away from our time with so many tools to implement in my work.
Thanks Bro Thom!
My intro to Thom was at training in VA. I had the misfortune to be the “guy that hit him in the face with the microphone”. Actually, it nowhere NEAR hit him, but lemme explain.
Thom was speaking to a packed house. Standing room only, and the floor was also packed. The bateries on the wireless mic had died, so they hooked up a boom mic (did I say boom?). Everyone was so quiet, and expectant, reverent even, and I think he sensed that we were in a bit of awe of him and his presence there (we were). But, when he stepped up to speak (at the boom mic, remember?), it slowly swung away from him. He grinned (ear to ear, in that way of his) and swung it back … stepped up again, and same thing happens, a slow swing away. He stepped back to a few nervous titters from the room and while he was stepped back, I took the opportunity (as being the closest person to the mic who knew how to adjust it) to tighten the nut on the arm and adjust it so it would fit. As I swung it back towards the podium, he stepped forward again and tapped it with his hand. I, being head down and adjusting, did not see what happened but heard the “boom” from the mic, but I looked up to see Thom reeling back and holding his mouth. I was mortified, and the class erupted in laughter. He kept me on the hook for about five minutes, letting me think that I had whacked him in the face. Whatever his plan, he had broken the ice and had set us all (even me) at ease and ready to just soak in what he had to say.
Oh Brother Thom….
Where to start?! I’ve had the priveledge of knowing this man since I was born (15 years). Im Hunter Davis, grandson of Carol Davis (ya know her?), and was trying to track down bro thom by searching for him on the glorious Skype account i created for him while in India a few months ago. But of course, he still hasn’t got that post-it note that tells him it the 21st century 😉 I think it is absolutly amazing how this man can apply to such a wide variety of people and age groups. I mean, I was up in Seattle and hes teaching a class and somehow he has a reason to get all these perfectly dignified people, to stick there hand in the back of there mouth and make this gagging sound, AND THEY ALL DO IT!!! Only a man like him…
Or the time we were at a nice lil family party recently enjoying dinner and one of my aunts was late, and we here her drive up, and somewhere in the back of his delightfully childish mind he gets 16 full grown adults to all jump up from dinner and hide. All in 30 seconds… simply amazing….
Or in India, he’s speaking to a a group of college students who are doing missions there, and somehow leads to him doing an impression of a dandelion blooming, ” You just have to get your head out there, just squezze out” he says. and at dinner layter then, he manages to do an imitation of a dying, retarded, tranqualized elephant, and starts to use his arm as a trunk and dips his hand in everybodies water glass…. I have never in my life met a man so genuine, so pure, just so… real….
This man is heaven sent. I still remember being 12 and we were driving in san fransisco, and he just says, out of the blue, “want to drive” well i was like, “sure” and we pull over and switch seats, and i can only imagine wat my grandma was thinking as she followed us in a different car, and i drove to his home…. i still remeber most the words to the play “Secret of my Success”, yet have no other recollection. He doesnt rememberin ever playing out all his little schemes, but he smile when I remind him, and he just has the sparkle in his eye, and says, “i did that… really…” Let him be in your prayers as you go throughout your life. I know he’s in mine.
thanks hunter. havent seen carol in a while but hope she is well.
Funny – I was thinking about Thom today as I made my coffee. He spoiled me for great coffee for life, by taking me to his favourite coffee place near Berkley. You chose a blend of beans, they put them in the top of this machine which grinds and perks all in one, and out comes the coffee. The taste was like nothing I’d had before. So if you think I’m a coffee Nazi, it’s directly attributable to Thom, and that place, in that moment. He also worded some things in myt life that gave me great confidence in neo-church-forms. And like the coffee, I can’t go back to the old. I’d love to catch up with Thom again. Where can I find news updates?
hi geoff
i think Thom took me to the same coffee place in berkley – the one with the really high sandwiches.
dont know of news updates. maybe this post is the closest thing?
Whoa,
What a blessing to remember all the crazy antics of our favorite professor Thom Wolf!
By the way, you can hear him on line in a chapel service recently on Baylor’s website. He is exactly as described here. Animated and yet Inspired.
Check Thom out here
http://www.baylortv.com/video.php?id=000969
Okay, here’s one more with two audio links
http://gatewaybaptist.com/templates/System/details.asp?id=27607&PID=359126
I came to know Tom Wolf in 1975 when his youth minister, Tom Stricklin (who with his wife, Elaine, led me to Christ in 1972) invited to visit a very special fellowship. Wolf taught me to love expository preaching. I don’t know how many years he preached through Matthew; but it was some of the best preaching I’ve ever heard. Wolf introduced me to Charles Spurgeon’s “Lectures to My Students”, great biographies through Wiersbe’s “Walking with the Giants”, how the Bible is God’s inerrant Word, how important doctrine is, the doctrine of God’s sovereign Grace and the love of missions. The Church on Brady when I attended (1975 -1981) was indeed a special place. It was where the lost were brought to Christ and Christians were grounded and prepared to go out into the world. Some have become pastors of planted churches from Brady, others even became Calvary Chapel pastors: Pancho Juarez and Leon Scott. Where-ever we have gone, the Brady diaspora through-out the world we were trained and prepared to serve the Lord. Because of the heritage Thomas Wolf and his staff (Tosh Garcia [who baptized me], Zub Busbee, Carol Davis and my dearest friends Tom and Elaine Stricklin) passed on to my family, who are doing missions work among the Navajo. I personally don’t know all of what others have written before my comments; but what I do know is Brother Tom taught me the power of the Word of God, the simplicity of the Gospel, the call to missions, and the love Jesus lived out in our daily lives. Thank you. 2 Tim 2:1-2.
WOW!
You guys (and gals) are awesome. BroThom is my dad and I’m so thankful that you all are taking it upon yourselves to sing his praises. I know he’d want all the glory to go elsewhere, but that’s the beauty of what he’s about. And, in case you haven’t met her, his wife Linda (my mom) is pretty awesome too!
Thanks.
Some Books Available At Amazon.com With Exerpts & Quotes:
Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens by Neil Cole
The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a Changing Culture by Will McRaney
The Way of Jesus: A Journey of Freedom for Pilgrims and Wanderers by Jonathan Campbell and Jennifer Campbell
Great post, sir. Many of us at Mosaicofpain.com also are fans of Tom Wolf; however, Mr McManus, not at all.
See his new website:
http://www.drthomwolf.com
Whoa!
Thank you all for this blog! What a wonderful tribute to a wonderful human being.
God bless,
Yvonne
Kimberly and I love you Bro. Tom. You have been a strong witness in our lives. Jacob
Everyone say it with me, “Baliraja is the bridge, Jesus is the rock!”
I’ve sat in Thom’s class for the past two days now. He is teaching at our training school in Waco, TX. He has to be one of my favorite speakers of the year. Thom has been teaching on the caste system and reform. He has given me great hope for justice in India. He’ll be with us one more day and then back to India on Friday. I will be sad to see him go.
Thank God I found a place to brag about Dr. Tom. I was impacted by his passion about five years ago in the Baptist University of the Americas in San Antonio Texas. While I was a new student in this theological school i set in a small conference givin by Bro Wolf. “People is going to hell and you dont give a $%@!@#*&^
(then he say) if you care more about me saying @#$%^& than people going to hell you are in the wrong place.
wow! then he said “how many of you are pastors? many hands were raised and then he said “what do preach a month ago?” ….(silence) you dont remember? do you think your church does? …
from that day on I have been change and have tought with a pattern. I have teach the Universal disciple pattern in two other occasion and children have tought it to others.
But now the Lord have brought us to KNoxville TNN. and i have a challenge.. to plant a new church I began this discipleship last Thursday night and I might say it had a great respond from the new believers. “easy to remember, easy to keep and easy to instruct”. I might add that this is being translated to spanish and if anyone wants it they can write to me and i can send it with an attachenent.
Last time i spoke with Bro. Tom it was just before our graduation and I asked him if I could do this and he say “do what ever you want as long you keep preaching the Lord Jesus Christ” he took me by the arm and pray for me in the middle of a busy hall way which in return I grab one of my pastor friend and i pray for him. Thank you for your time.
Victor Perez
vperez@fbcknox.org
http://www.fbcknox.org (then link to latino ministry )
If anyone have a DVD on Bro. Tom Wolf please give me info on how do I GET ONE
My family all greatly respect and appreciate Brother Tom. It was the early 70s when my sister Mary (who lived across the street from the Church on Brady) was led to Christ by Brother Tom. She witnessed to me but I was blind and enjoying living a worldly life without Jesus. In 1972, I was in a life threatening accident and Brother Tom got a call from my sister. He was at the hospital emergency room in a moment. He asked me if I wanted to receive Christ while I was on a gurney waiting to be taken in for surgery (I was bleeding internally). I refused the gospel but Brother Tom continued calling on me and visiting me over the next couple months. Finally, after several visits, he realized it wasn’t God’s timing yet. Three years after that accident, God touched my heart and I went looking for Brother Tom at the Church on Brady. I never forgot the love he showed. He led me the Lord in March of 1975 sitting in the back row of the church that day. I had the priveledge of sitting under his teaching for five years. What an incredible man of God. My mother, my father were led to Christ by Brother Tom. Linda led my younger sister to the Lord. Revival hit my family and friends. It was such a blessing to be able to invite others to the Church on Brady. It has forever been a model of a solid Christian church for me. I went on to pastor a church for 17 years. Today, I am a youth correctional chaplain. I often still find myself in ministry asking, “What would Brother Tom do in a situation like this?” Thanks Brother Tom and Linda for investing your lives in all of us who loved so much being part of what the Lord was doing back at the Church on Brady. God’s blessing to you and Linda as you continue to influence others for eternity!
Your 7 questions link in your post is broken, perhaps you could put them in a comment for us to see?
Thom,
It was the late 70’s (at the then California Baptist College). The class was “A Pastor and His Work”, which (after listening to you for a few weeks) I came to call A Pastor and Boy is it Work! You inherited a class that was about how to run a church (“marrying and burying people”) and turned it into a visionary experience.
Grounded in the Bible and our present reality, but always looking toward the horizon, it was here that I first learned about the significance of two things: our own personal circle-of-influence and the city, especially the city of Los Angeles. The world came to and through this strip-city (my home town). Your optimism made the students believe that, although being a pastor was a daunting task, a person could do it.
(I personally did not follow the full time Christian service route; but many who learned from you did and, as this site attests, your life has had a significant impact on lots of folks.)
During this time and into the early 80’s I occasionally attended the Church on Brady. This seemed to be a great time at Brady. (Was it the golden age?). In class at CBC and watching you speak to the people at your church, I remember you, Brother Thom, as a man of energy, vision, compassion, emotion, and humor.
I also remember that you sometimes spoke of wanting to be a missionary; of wanting to go overseas. Under your leadership it seems that many did and, finally, so did you.
Psalm 20:4-5,
The Lord be with you.
Greg
Please tell me where I can get the Universal Disciple material. I saw it on a link several days ago but do not remember where it was. Then today I was re-reading Organic Church and read references to Thom Wolf and the material.
Thanks.
Scott
Bryan, TX
scott – i found it on my friend Geoff Westlake’s old site
http://www.geocities.com/g_westlake/UnivDiscTW.html
I am not sure Bro. Thom needs a Blog after reading these comments he does not have the time. It makes me wonder if I should be doing something else other then adding a blog. There are many things I remember about Bro. Thom but this one sticks out most. I approached him after a Service and asked him how I can be more like him. He began to cry as if he failed. He explained that we are to be more like Christ and prayed with me. If you think about it he has touched so many of us and it amazing he has had the time to spend with each one of us. No matter how we looked, acted, or our level of intellect. I had no real influence in my life until I joined Church on Brady. I have always wanted to know what it would be like to have a Dad, Brother, Sister a best Friend and Church on Brady taught me that Jesus can meet all my needs anytime any place. In short Bro. Thom has influenced many of us but so did Robert Martinez, The Auda’s, Buz (Phil), The Hoists, The Wilsons (Gary), The Mendoza’s(Geraldo), ooooh ooooh yeah and the hardest worker I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and knowing Bob who never complained and always was willing to do the Dirty jobs and His Wife who-who was on fire for the Lord literally when one day she came out of service with her dress on fire. The Shultz’s does anyone know Randy? a close runner up to Bob. Do any of you remember the Caruso’s (Aldo and Cecilia)? I can go on and all of these people\famillies are deserving of a blog. We have all met many superb personalities in our lives and the first thing Bro. Thom taught me is it is **Jesus** who we should be lifting up.
Bro. Tom and Linda
Thank you for your years of service and your continued work around the world. It is because of you and the The Church on Brady that I packed my red Honda Civic back in 1993 and moved from Irving, Texas to East Los Angeles, CA to be part of what was the best training in the bible I have ever received. I met Bro. Tom through Jaime Puente back in Ft. Worth, Texas. Bro. Tom was speaking to a group of pastors at Southwestern Theological Seminary and I was invited to listen. I was in AWE of Bro. Tom’s knowledge of the scriptures, but mostly I was infected by his passion for Jesus, the gospel and the urgency to spreading the good news to the ends of the earth. When he started speaking of OIKOS evangelism, I knew I just had to hear more and be part of what God was doing at the The Church on Brady. I attibute my solid foundation in the word to what Bro. Tom, Carol Davis, Robert Martinez and other powerful leaders established through Life University. For many years, they provided the body a strong, biblical foundation, true discipleship, effective ministry, true fellowship, significant relationships, a heart for the world and so much more. I am grateful for the training I received through Life University because it has given me the tools and decernment to see through all the social gospel nonsense infecting the church today. If every church in American would disciple the sheep like the word says to do, we wouldn’t see so much heritical teaching from the pulpit today. Bro. Tom, your influence continues and I pray that it will never stop. God Bless you and Linda and I pray God’s favor in all that you do.
Irene Garcia
I met Thom and Linda last night for the first time. Honestly I just came for a free meal and fellowship with our missions minister who knew Thom from Golden gate seminary. I left with so much more. He spoke for almost 2 hours and finished with this amazing presentation called “history on a page”. I left changed just from hearing his stories about how he asked questions of people and through that was able to help affirm where God’s presence was in their world. AMAZING! but you don’t just hear the stories and leave…it makes you want to make your own stories from what he has shared. So blessed from what i heard last night.
Hey kiwi,
Can you help me contact Tom… I cannot get it off my mind. I have lost touch with the wonderful man and Linda.
Any help I would be in your debt.
alan hawkins
albuquerque new mexico
Thank you so much for posting this page dedicated to Bro Thom. He is totally awesome — a man after God’s own heart.
I was blessed to have Thom as my teacher in two of my GGBTS classes. His love for Jesus, love for life, and love for knowledge continue to inspire me today.
Knew “the Bro.” when he was first introduced as the new paster for the First Southern Baptist Church of East Los Angeles (later known as The Chruch on Brady). He was the pastor that married my wife (Kathy) and I back in 1972 (still married)when he had no hair on his face and two prominent buck teeth that complemented his contagious grin (still have the pictures). Bro. Thom taught his flock to love the Word because he loved the Word. His style, emotion, and his endless energy for ministry to the flock modeled what relationships within the body were all about. His vision of making the Church On Brady the “spiritual sending base east of downtown L.A. and west of the 605 fwy, for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” lives on and has expanded to include the entire globe. To this day, many of us from the late 60s and 70s have remained friends and committed to new bodies of God’s people. Those early days were indeed special and the relationship with the Wolfs will always be cherished. Thank you Br. Thom and Linda for keeping the work going
Bro. Tom is very special to me because he married my husband (Eddie) and I in l977, and we are still married, mainly because of his teachings, Strategies for Living….
We attend Sunday School, Church Sevice, went to lunch with friends, and then went back to church for more training, attended the evening service and then we to coffee with friends afterward, all in one day, every Sunday. This all ended when we had children, no more energy after that.
I remember all the teachings…and have applied them to my life, even when I didn’t want to, and God has truly blessed me.
I value Tom and Linda and missed them very much. God Bless your ministry!
Sandy Ramos
Charlie: I’m so glad God is still using you to touch lives!!
You are one of the most genuine and honest people I know. I admire you for having the courage to leave Brady when you did. Ruth and I were encouraged to follow the Lord’s leading outside of Brady by watching you and Tosh Garcia do the same thing. Ruth and I would love to get back into you with you (we now live in Denver). Look us up on Facebook, email us(I’m at stevewhite_us@yahoo.com) or callus at 303-356-7909. We love you! Professor Steve and Ruth Bryant White