The need for men to know who they are, to walk into their purpose and to see them take up their responsibilities in their homes and places of work gave birth to a mentorship program called Timothy Association of Men or more commonly referred to as TAM.
Reverend Al Miller, the visionary and pastor of Fellowship Tabernacle and a man with a heart for the nation Jamaica, believed that by spending quality time with men and exposing them to practical ministries he would be able to impact the nation, by raising up men of courage who will unapologetically answer the call of God on their lives.
Just as the Apostle Paul was mentored by Timothy, likewise the men of fellowship Tabernacle and also men from other Churches who answered the call of committing twelve months, that would change the course of their lives, were called upon every Friday night into Saturday mornings to be together with Pastor Al Miller as he helped them understand their God ordained destiny to live purposeful lives, that would transform their relationships, work and ministry.
In the words of Dr. Garfield Young, a member of the 2002 cohort of TAM men, “when the invitation came, I grabbed the opportunity to be a part of the second cohort of the Rev. Al Miller led TAM with about 30 other Christian men. I was zealous about my involvement because I had seen the desirable outcome of the first cohort of vibrant and involved Christian men”.
The ministry of TAM represented a practical and effective investment in men, as men were actively involved in unlearning many of the lies they had been taught concerning who they are. “It was painful at times but necessary to transform our minds and hearts to become who God intends us to be”, Dr. Young reflected.
TAM men were provoked to:
- Be vulnerable and discuss intimate details about their lives with other Christian men;
- Develop a mission statement that captures their God-given purpose;
- Set goals for key areas of their lives (spiritual, social, financial, personal);
- Read books about men written by Christian men and prepare reports on the readings;
- Sit with Pastor Miller to draw wisdom from him as he and the other brothers expounded God’s Word in frankness;
- Allow the Holy Spirit to transform them to live purposeful lives as men made in His image and likeness, taking dominion of the earth as He commanded.
In the words of Dr. Young,” My time with TAM was more than a privilege but an immense blessing. Pastor Al is indeed a true man of God who has modeled purposeful living. He lives what he preaches and has fully divested of himself to the call of God, with a special ministry to men. Seeing, hearing, touching, observing and mingling with authentic manliness has had a considerable impact on my life. Through my involvement with the TAM, I have been changed forever. The benefits are far reaching, positively impacting all my relationships, my work and ministry. I am eternally grateful for Pastor Al’s sacrifice and labour of love, and I join with other TAM men in declaring ”man deh yah!” signifying our readiness for visible service in The Kingdom”.
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Mr. Munroe, a member of the 2002 cohort of men, also had high praises for this Ministry. He testified that in his search to fill the emptiness on his inside, he felt compelled to come to Fellowship Tabernacle having seen Reverend Al Miller and listened to his teachings. Immediately he made it his home church, and after so many years he has no regrets. He recalls that although he was the oldest among the TAM men, a retired business man and a widower, he was not daunted by the younger men as he was completely motivated to sit at Pastor Al’s feet and learn the wisdom of God from him.
Pastor Al’s teachings influenced him and caused him to completely change his lifestyle. In a reflective mode, he uttered, “Pastor Al mentored those who were hopeless and gave them renewed hope, and he can get the best out of the worst of us”. His encouragement motivated him to go to Whole Life Ministry’s Bible School for one year, where he entertained the desire of becoming a pastor.
Having reached the mature age of almost 99 years in October, Mr. Ralph Shadrack Washington Munroe, continues to speak of the teachings of faithfulness he learnt at Pastor Al’s feet, and mused ”that’s why I was always willing to do anything in Church, even when I wasn’t being asked” .
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The Ministry of TAM embraced men of different ages, from the very young to the more matured. As a young man of 22 years, Keneil Gray submitted himself under the mentorship of Rev. Al Miler at a time when he was searching for God. For 18 months the youngest member of TAM began a life changing journey with the third cohort of TAM men in 2010. His hunger to find purpose and his yearning for a fulfilled life was enough for him to make the sacrifice every Friday night to be present at TAM.
“TAM challenged the very core of who I am”, expressed Keneil, “I went to the best schools, although I grew up in a humble home I had what I needed, I was blessed by society’s standard, but nowhere was I deliberately taught the importance of purpose, commitment, integrity, high character, selfless sacrifice among other notable characteristics”.
One of the main focuses in TAM was for men to be accountable to one another. Each man had a group of brothers to whom he was to be accountable to. TAM was the place that taught Keneil that men need other men. He reflected that,”….i t became a place where I could pour out the struggles and pains of life and knew that I could be better for it, and the more I poured out of myself, the more support I was able to receive and the more I was able to mature”.
TAM demanded sacrifice from the men who attended every Friday night for 18 months. However it demanded much more from the mentor, Al Miller, as every Friday he was present, waiting on these men he had committed himself to be with and to pour into them. In the words of Keneil,” …once it came to Friday evening, our mentor would always be present and ready to start on time”.
Pastor Al demonstrated to the TAM men what he wanted to see in them. His sacrificial love in seeing to their best interest without looking for anything in return, epitomizes real love. This ministry has seen the lives of men change from hopelessness to having a hope, from aimlessness to having a purpose and as Keneil commits, “I forever take on the charge to be the example for others as you Pastor Al Miller have been the example that has transformed my life”.