Meet the Staff of Central United Methodist Church

LIFE
Rev. Dr. Brian Tillman spent his early years in Detroit, Michigan, but moved to metro Atlanta as a teen. He has a very large family on both sides and declares that if we sit down long enough, we will likely find that we are family, too.

Rev. Dr. Tillman is “super-duper” happily married to Shanika Tillman, and they have four very unique children (two boys and two girls). His favorite place to be is with his family.

SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE
As a pastor and advocate for racial healing, Tillman holds Luke 4:18-19 as his charge to share God’s love, grace, mercy, justice, and righteousness to all.  (By the way, Luke is his favorite book in the Bible.)

CAREER
Rev. Dr. Brian Tillman was commissioned in the North Georgia Conference in 2011 and ordained in 2015. He has served in churches in North Georgia in various roles and served for four years as chair of the North Georgia Conference Commission on Religion and Race. In addition, he has served on the extended cabinet, the Board of Ordained Ministry, and other conference roles.

Most recently, Tillman served as the Director of Inclusion and Advocacy and Co-Director of Connectional Ministries for the North Georgia Conference where he led the nominations process for the Conference that resulted in more racial inclusivity on conference boards and committees and an increase in Black and Brown persons serving as chair, co-chair, and vice chair of committees. He led the Reparations Task Force for the Conference and also created the Racial Justice and Healing Academy, which will have another cohort beginning Fall 2024 in Augusta, GA.

WRITINGS & OTHER COOL STUFF
Dr. Tillman has written a popular series of articles for Rethink Church (UM Communications) called “Racial Reconciliation: No Handholding Kumbaya” and has had other writings and sermons published.

And he has traveled domestically and internationally to study with peacebuilders in Minneapolis, Chicago, other US cities as well as to Northern Ireland and Germany.