Tim’s Bio
Tim has authored three books. “Player’s Progress” a novel on a golfer’s search for wisdom on a dream course in northern Scotland. “Ford’s Wonderful World of Golf” is a memoir to his father published in 2013. “Judge Z: Irretrievably Broken” is a novel published in 2016 about family court and the death of marriage in America.
He also served for twelve years as a volunteer assistant coach and chaplain for the University of Kentucky men’s golf team, where he played and graduated in 1974. Tim won several local and state golf tournaments as an amateur golfer and participated in the British Amateur in 1983.
Bogeyman | The 15th Tee
Tim walks us through his life journey using golf as a metaphor.
Ambassador
Tim has recently returned to CBMC USA as an Ambassador, a position which makes him available to share his 42 years of experience with staff and volunteers.
CBMC is a worldwide ministry whose purpose is to present Christ to business and professional people. Tim worked full-time as President of CBMC International from 1996 to 2003. He has traveled to 67 nations, primarily speaking to CBMC teams and outreach gatherings, government and parliament groups, legal settings and business meetings. He has actively discipled men in the marketplace throughout his work life as a lawyer, senator and judge.
Author
Player’s Progress is a novel following the same allegorical concepts as the classic John Bunyan tale, Pilgrim’s Progress, written in 1678, and using the teaching precepts from the great book of wisdom, Proverbs, all through the lens of golf.
Tim’s primary hobby now is writing. He has authored two popular books. Ford’s Wonderful of Golf is a memoir to his father published in 2013.
In 2016, he penned Judge Z: Irretrievably Broken, a novel set in the context of family court. The book is about the death of marriage in America, the tragedy of divorce, and the profound mystery of God’s love for His bride.
The The Eternal Mulligan, Golf Lessons for the Front Nine of Life.
Preacher
Growing up in the home of a well known evangelist, Tim vowed that he would not follow in his father’s footsteps, but that is easier said than done. (Learn more about Ford Philpot). After several years of work as a lawyer, Tim knew that God’s Word was coming alive for him and he felt the call to preach (telling God’s story).
Since the late 1980’s, Tim has preached in a variety of settings, including campmeetings, church revivals, Promise Keeper events and retreats for both men and couples. While Tim’s heart is primarily for lawyers, businessmen, golfers and India, he has also been available to preach the Good News in any venue. To invite Tim to speak, use our Contact form.
Missions
Tim is chairman of Fishhook International, a mission for India whose primary purpose is caring for orphans and widows, mentoring and leadership training, and sustainable community development. He has traveled to India regularly for over thirty years.
Tim’s passion for helping the people of India started when he and his wife, Sue went on a simple mission trip in 1989 to Bethel Agricultural Fellowship in Danishpet, Tamil Nadu. That experience led to many return trips on behalf of CBMC International and later Fishhook International.
Golf
Tim has been in “golf ministry” for over 40 years now. He is Chairman of Second Tee, Inc, a 501 (c)(3) which uses golf to share the Gospel and mentor younger players. His golf ministry was inspired by PGA professionals in the 1980’s such as Wally Armstrong, Rik Massengale, Larry Nelson and Jim Hiskey, who used their platform as golfers to share Christ.
Tim attended the University of Kentucky on a golf scholarship from 1971 to 1974. More recently, he served as the UK Men’s golf team Chaplain and Assistant Volunteer Coach from 2008 to 2020. In that capacity, he mentored and provided spiritual counsel for dozens of young golfers at the university.
As a player, Tim actively competed in state and local tournaments, highlighted by the 1983 British Amateur, where he finished tied for 17th. He won the Lexington City Championship twice, the Kentucky Two Man Championship, the Kentucky Public Links, and qualified twice for the US Mid-Amateur in 1981 and 1988.
His popular golf booklet, The Mulligan, first published in 2000, was a transcript of a talk given by Tim multiple times at evangelistic golf events around the world, including exotic venues such as Scotland, Ireland, Hungary, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, Honduras, Venezuela, India, Kenya and South Africa. The booklet has been updated and re-published in 2020 under a new name, The Eternal Mulligan. His first book, Ford’s Wonderful World of Golf, is a memoir about his father and golf.
He has been an active partner with Links Players and served on the board for College Golf Fellowship. He contributes a monthly devotional to the Links Players’ subscribers.
Family Court Judge
In January 2004, Tim was appointed by the Kentucky Governor as a judge in Fayette Circuit Family Court, where he served until his retirement in January 2018. He was in court every day, involved with families in crisis. This included thousands of divorces, neglect and abuse cases, domestic violence, child custody and support, termination of parental rights, adoptions and related juvenile matters.
After the 2016 publication of his book “Judge Z: Irretrievably Broken”, he became nationally known for his controversial work in divorce cases, offering couples with children the opportunity to take a six month ‘pause’ to make sure that the marriage is truly “irretrievably broken” as required under the law. One of Tim’s passions is to teach on the legal history of marriage and the tragedy of divorce. He had advocated for change in the way divorce laws are enforced, believing both spouses have a right under the law to be heard, and that the impact on children should be a factor.
For more information on Tim’s work to “pause” divorces, see Retrievable Marriages , an article from May 2020’s edition of AFA Journal. Or listen to Tim’s three (3) radio appearances in November 2017 on Family Life Today with popular host Dennis Rainey.
Senator
Tim was elected to the Kentucky State Senate in 1990 and served two four year terms, retiring in 1998 primarily to lead CBMC International on a full-time basis. His eight years in politics made him a sceptic about all politicians who promise change, now believing that transformation can only come through the power of God.
He was best known in the Senate for his leadership in the Pro-Life movement during those years, ultimately leading the fight for passage of three Pro-Life Bills which remain today as the foundation for saving unborn lives and protecting vulnerable mothers. He was called a ‘voice crying in the wilderness’ by the local newspaper for his strong stand on ethics, leading to the passage of reforms which were needed when dozens of state legislators went to prison in a scandal know as BOPTROT.
Lawyer
Tim was an active trial lawyer for 26 years, best known as a plaintiff’s lawyer in employment civil rights cases, plus legal malpractice and family cases. He obtained jury awards in excess of a million dollars in four varied cases (legal malpractice, age discrimination, gender discrimination and race discrimination).
Now, in retirement years, Tim has kept his license and is available to consult on family law matters.
Tim is also the founder of the Zenas groups, gatherings of twelve or fewer lawyers who monthly explore for half a day whether it is possible to be a Christian lawyer. Their motto is Titus 3:13—“Do everything possible to help Zenas the lawyer.”
Family
In 1971, Tim married Sue Davis, who grew up in Africa as the daughter of missionaries. Sue was a registered nurse for 23 years. Tim and Sue have no children.
Tim, along with his brother Danny, grew up in Lexington, Kentucky in the home of Ford Philpot and Virginia Philpot. His father was a respected evangelist, best known for founding the first color religious TV show in America in 1959, The Story.
Sue’s parents, Billy and Doris Davis, gave their lives to Methodist mission work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Sue’s family arrived in the Belgian Congo in 1952. She has two older brothers, Steve and Mark, plus a baby sister, Lindy, who was born in Africa in 1956. Billy and Doris were effective missionaries in the bush country of the Katanga region in southern Congo. Sue returned to the USA for school at age 14, where she and Tim met in the 10th grade at Hampden Dubose Academy, a boarding school in Florida.