Timothy Lloyd Thomas

Timothy Lloyd Thomas went to be with his Lord on December 23, 2025. He is survived by his wife, Joyce Louise Tice Thomas, their three children, Sarah Beth Thomas Baldwin, Jeremy Nathanael Thomas, and Evan Benjamin Thomas, and five grandchildren, Madeline Ilise Thomas Baldwin, Kairos Zachariah Thomas Baldwin, Emily Elizabeth Thomas Baldwin, Benjamin Nathanael Thomas, and Adah Rachel Thomas.

The youngest of three sons, Timothy was born on October 12, 1947, in Boksburg, South Africa, to Rev. Thomas W. Thomas and Lily S. Thomas. His parents served as itinerant ministers with Child Evangelism Fellowship and as evangelists in the Church of the Nazarene throughout South Africa. In 1960, the family emigrated to Ontario, Canada—a move that would change the trajectory of Timothy’s life and shape his enduring global perspective.

Timothy graduated from Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) in Boston, Massachusetts, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education (Mathematics) in 1968. While at ENC, he met Joyce Louise Tice, and they were married in July of that year. Shortly after graduation, Timothy and Joyce began their shared vocation as educators, teaching in the public schools of Annapolis, Maryland. After a sense of call to study theology, Timothy and Joyce moved to Kansas City, KS, where they both pursued study at Nazarene Theological Seminary.

Their journey soon took them to Toronto, Ontario, where Timothy pursued graduate studies through Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto, earning a Master of Religion degree. After the birth of their daughter, Sarah, the family moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where Timothy served as a professor, administrator, and the registrar of Canadian Nazarene College. During this season, their son Jeremy was born.

Committed to both scholarship and service, Timothy continued his academic pursuits in Lancaster, England, enrolling in a doctoral program at the University of Lancaster in 1976. He later transferred to the University of Kansas to complete his Doctor of Education degree, simultaneously teaching mathematics at a public junior high school while the family lived in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri.

In 1982, Timothy and Joyce moved to Wilmore, Kentucky, which ultimately became their cherished home. Timothy answered a call to serve at Asbury College as an assistant professor of Christian ministries. A year later, their youngest son, Evan, was born. Timothy went on to serve as associate professor and chair of the department of philosophy and religion, and later as associate academic dean and registrar until retirement. Through his teaching, preaching, leadership, and mentoring, he shaped generations of students—bringing together theological grounding, pastoral care, and a deep love for the Church. He was known for his quick wit, careful attention to policy, deep care for the Asbury community, and his genuine joy in working alongside the staff of the registrar’s office.

Timothy retired from Asbury College in 2008, following which Timothy and Joyce returned to Canada for two years, where he served as the registrar of Tyndale University & Seminary in Toronto.

Timothy was, at heart, a Churchman. Throughout his life, he worshiped and served within the Church of the Nazarene and later as a member of the Wilmore Free Methodist Church. Over the years, he preached and taught regularly in many churches, served faithfully on church committees, chaired leadership teams, participated on the pastor’s cabinet at Wilmore Free Methodist Church, and served within the New South Conference as the conference administrator. Timothy played the organ and piano in countless worship services over the years as a self-taught musician.

As an enthusiastic and deeply knowledgeable lover of hymnody, Timothy was able to tell the story behind almost any hymn. He wove the songs of faith naturally into both his teaching and daily life—often sharing the theology and history of a hymn before sitting down at the piano to play. One of Timothy’s greatest joys was teaching Sunday School at Wilmore Free Methodist Church, a ministry he carried out with devotion and delight for more than three decades. For his children growing up, the house was filled daily with the sound of Dad at the piano.

Timothy’s personal notes reflect a life deeply shaped by faith and oriented toward people: lunches and fellowship groups, hosting dinners, breakfasts with colleagues, sharing devotional reflections at Asbury prayer meetings, and times with family. Timothy loved people because he loved God, and he believed discipleship was not only an idea to be discussed but a life to be lived. He carried his faith with consistency and integrity—practicing what he taught, worshiping as he believed, and walking closely with Christ in the ordinary rhythms of life. Into everything he did, Timothy brought a global perspective, Wesleyan theology, devotion to the Church, a love for Scripture, a commitment to Christian higher education and a steady, hopeful trust in God.

At the center of Timothy’s life was his marriage to Joyce, his best friend and lifelong companion. Together, they built a life rooted in faith with a shared vocation, prioritizing hospitality, and sharing the joy of Jesus—a life marked by love for family, delight in learning, service to the Church, and deep gratitude to God. Timothy’s life bears witness to a faith that endured, a calling faithfully answered, and a hope that now finds its fulfillment in the presence of the Lord he loved and served.

Timothy, “Bapa/Dad,” will be deeply missed by many, but especially his family.

The Memorial Service For Timothy L. Thomas will be held in the Wilmore Free Methodist Church on Saturday, January 3, at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. Note that in lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate memorial gifts made to Asbury University for the “Timothy & Joyce Thomas Kingdom Impact Fund." Gifts may be mailed to Asbury University, Advancement Office, 1 Macklem Drive, Wilmore, KY 40390 or made online at www.Asbury.edu/give; select “Give Now.”