The Wow Factor: Mike Timmis: Chairman of Prison Fellowship International

Mike Timmis: Chairman of Prison Fellowship International | Giving Through Prison Fellowship

May 25, 2022

Mike Timmis was born in Detroit, Michigan, where he has had a distinguished career as both an attorney and businessman. He earned his undergraduate degree from Wayne State University and has received honorary doctorates from the University of Detroit Mercy, and Ave Maria University. Mike serves as chairman of Prison Fellowship International, and is on the board of Alpha International. He and his wife, Nancy, minister to the poor in the Third World and have developed self-help projects in Africa, and Central and South America. They are also very active in addressing the educational needs of children in Detroit. Mike and his wife are in the Order of Malta.

On the Wow Factor Podcast this week, we’re joined by Mike, who shares how he became involved with Prison Fellowship International and what he does in his role for them. He shares why he feels that his calling is to help the poor and how he and his wife came to that realization. Mike also discusses his approach to giving, why he thinks of himself as an allocator, and how he tries to allocate responsibly without damaging the recipients’ relationship with Jesus.

“I believe that you always have to have a target, you may change the target, but once you have a target, you have something to shoot for, so you're not aimless.” - Mike Timmis

“When you're negotiating a deal, there are ants and elephants — you give up the ants to get the elephants.” - Mike Timmis

“The problem in a lot of businesses is that leaders are not really leaders. A real leader is approachable, empathetic, and they are critical in the right way” - Mike Timmis

This Week on The Wow Factor:

How his mother influenced his relationship with God
Why he decided to pursue a career in Law
Why he embraced his entrepreneurial side and went into business with a friend in his early 30s
What happened when a dear friend wrote him a letter giving Mike the gift of honest feedback
How Mike rectified the imbalance between his personal and work lives
What happened when Mike decided to give Jesus everything in his life
How a shocking and devastating event changed Mike and his wife’s life
Why Mike’s relationship with his business partner worked so well despite their differences
The importance of giving and receiving feedback graciously and helpfully
Mike’s relationship with Douglas Coe and where that led his family
How Mike became involved with Prison Fellowship International
How Mike approaches giving to others and why he thinks of himself as an allocator

Mike Timmis’s Words of Wisdom:

Mike's word of wisdom is passion — his passion for bringing as many people as he can to Jesus. The more you realize that intimacy with Jesus is in you, the more you have to give to others.

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