PASTOR TOMMIE LEE BREWER

Pastor Tommie Lee Brewer, age 70, was called home to Glory on May 20, 2020.  A native of LaGrange, Georgia, he was the oldest of eight children born to Virginia and Andrew Brewer.  Pastor Brewer was a born again Christian, filled with the Holy Spirit.  He accepted his calling to preach the Word of God in November of 1999.  Pastor Brewer preached his first sermon “under the calling” at Antioch Baptist Church under the leadership of Dr. Richard L. Jordan.  He attended Malone College to pursue a degree in Bible & Theology, as did one of his mentors, Dr. R.B. Holmes.  Pastor Brewer was inspired and encouraged to excel to whatever level God had for him by the late Pastor W.C. Henderson. 

Pastor Brewer was called to pastor in December of 2008.  He officially took the pulpit on January 4, 2009, and was excited about sharing the Word of God daily.  Pastor Brewer was serving in his eleventh year as Pastor of Gethsemane Baptist Church in Canton, Ohio until God called him home.  He believed, Love is not an option, it is a command. John 13:34-35.  He took the P off of preach to “REACH OUT”, and the R off of reach to serve “EACH” and every one of God’s people that he encountered.  Pastor Brewer was surely one who led by example, and would never ask anyone to do anything that he was not willing to do first. 

As a Pastor he demonstrated the love of Christ by implementing the Lunch Bag Outreach Ministry, which distributes approximately 500 lunches every month from March through October, Non-Violent Thanksgiving Luncheon, the Nursing Home Ministry, the Non-Violent Mother’s and Father’s Day Luncheon, Gethsemane Baptist Church’s Annual Free Bar-B-Q and Fish Fry, accompanied with a Back to School Event that distributed hundreds of school supplies, clothing, haircuts, hair braiding, and horseback riding, the Jail Ministry, he was an active participant in the C.O.O.L. Project (Community Outreach Of Love), the End of the Year Luncheon for Hartford Middle School, beginning of the year Outreach Luncheon with Gibbs Leadership School, and the Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility.    HE WILL FIND SOMETHING POSITIVE OUT OF EVERY SITUATION.   

Pastor Brewer retired from the Timken Company with over 30 years of service.  He is the owner of Tommy’s Flowers & Gifts and Tommy’s Photography.  He has received several awards from the Northern Ohio Baptist District Association and the Canton-Warren-Youngstown Sub-District.  He was recognized by the NAACP of Canton, for his Outstanding Community Service in 2013.  In 2014, the Stark County Minority Health Award was presented to him for his uncompromising commitment to uplifting the lives of Minorities of Stark County.  He was the recipient of MLK Award for Religious Service given by The Martin Luther King Jr. Commission in 2015, Outstanding Community Service (Individual) Award from THE ABCD, INC. in 2016, the George Dunwoody Foundation Award for Community Service in 2017 and Community Service Award from Canton City Schools in 2018.

The scripture Pastor Brewer lived by is, Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things will be added to you.”  He loved everybody, and that is due to the love he had FIRST for the Lord; a love that requires no response.  Pastor Brewer will be deeply missed, but HIS LEGACY OF LOVE AND OUTREACH IS YET ALIVE!

Preceded in death by his father Andrew Lee Brewer affectionately known as “Bubba”, and brother, Andrew Lee Brewer Jr.

For 27 and a half years, Teresa Shoulders-Brewer was the loving and devoted wife of Pastor Brewer.  He was the proud father of Bishop Tifton (Daphne) Dobbs, Adrianne (Travis) Brewer-Grant, and Marlon (Katrina) Brewer; stepson, Theodis Watkins; the doting grandfather of (13) grandchildren and (17) great-grandchildren; siblings, Donna (Harvey) Williams, Gloria Brewer, Jeffrey Brewer, Anita Brewer, LaRita Brewer and Lorenzo (Linda) Brewer; special family, Roger Zachary, Betty Jackson, Jeremiah Brewer and Perry Miles; the Gethsemane Baptist Church Family, as well as a host of other relatives and friends.

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