Brian Lawrence

Obituary of Brian Dale Lawrence

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     Brian Dale Lawrence, Age 70, went home to be with His Savior on November 13, 2020 in Gainesville, Ga.  Brian was born on January 27, 1950 in Bellevue, Pa., a suburb of Pittsburg. At a young age his family moved from Pittsburg to Maryland where he spent his childhood. It was in the 4th grade that he met his soon to be best friend Ron Atkinson. The two struck up a lifelong friendship that continued till the Lord called Brian home. He also enjoyed growing up with his two brothers Doug and Bruce, working together to help in the family’s various businesses. He learned a lot from his father’s extensive knowledge about antiques and collectables, for which he grew to have a great appreciation.

 

     He graduated with honors from Richard Montgomery Highschool in 1967 where he was well known for his ability in track and cross country. He attended Case Institute of Technology where he studied engineering and math and later transferred to the University of Maryland.

 

     Brian was an accomplished athlete winning regional, state, and college championships in many sports including handball, squash, badminton, volleyball, bowling, and racquetball. But his favorite sport by far was table tennis. He played in the 1975 US Open at the Astrodome in Houston, Tx. Through some friends he met Danny Seemiller, US Table Tennis Champion and Hall Of Famer, who he was privileged to lead to the Lord.

 

     In 1968 he met the love of his life, Linda Catherine Gilroy. Introduced to her by his best friend Ron, it was love at first sight and love ever since. They married and had two sons Byron and Branden and this year they celebrated their 50th anniversary.

 

     But the greatest moment in his life came in March 16, 1971. In February 1971, Brian and his wife and son were living in an apartment project in Riverdale Maryland. One morning they went out to go to work and school and found their tires had been slashed.  They were shocked by the situation that they were in. As they stood there, a neighbor came out the door of the building and saw their predicament. His name was Dave Kamauff. He asked if he could help them. Brian told him that his wife needed to get to work, his son needed to be dropped off at the babysitter, and he needed to get to school at the University of Maryland. He said that he could help us. He took Byron and Linda to their destinations and then he and Brian went to school, as he was a student there also. He offered to give them a ride home in the evening too. During the ride in the car, he asked if they went to church anywhere. They told him they went to a Methodist church occasionally.  Brian asked him how they could repay him to which he responded, “Come to church with me this Sunday”.  After all he had done for them, how could they say anything but yes. So, on Sunday morning they went to church. The church was different than any church Brian had been to. Dave took them to his Sunday school class and introduced them to many friendly people. They had them stand and be recognized as visitors. This was very different from attending the church service at the Methodist church. Dave was disappointed when he found out the regular Sunday school teacher was out of town and that they would not get to hear him teach. In the main service, they met the pastor, Richard Fitzpatrick. He recognized Brian from the wedding he performed for Brian’s best friends, Ronnie and Debbie Atkinson, a year earlier. Brian could not believe in a church of a couple thousand, that he had remembered him and even remembered his name! They attended the services which was really different from what he was used to. He had never seen a preacher asking people to come down front to make decisions. He didn’t understand what that was all about.  They left and felt they had paid their dues for Dave’s help.  The following Tuesday night, they heard a knock on the door. Brian answered it and it was the Sunday school teacher, Ron Secrest who had been out of town. Brian was totally shocked as he had never had someone from a church visit him. It was someone that had never met him.  Ron was also the Assistant Pastor and Music Minister. He talked for a short while and then asked them if they would come back and visit his class again the next Sunday. They agreed. The next Sunday they heard Ron teach and the Lord started working on their hearts. They never knew the truths and promises that the Bible contained. They started attending all the church services. If you knew Brian, you know that if he was interested in something, he would check it out thoroughly. He started reading the Bible. He had many questions and would ask Ron. Every time Ron answered the question, he would use the Bible. They decided to have him and his wife over to dinner on March 16th so Brian could ask more questions. As usual he got more answers from the Bible. Ron started explaining how you could accept Jesus into your heart and he would save you from your sins. How you could know for sure that when you died you could go to heaven. How Christ died on the cross to save us from our sins. He turned to Brian and said “would you like to be saved?” Brian said yes. He turned to Linda and asked her and she also said yes. they went over to their couch and knelt on their knees and Brian repented of his sins and asked Christ to come into his heart and be the Lord of his life and Linda did the same. After they prayed Brian got up and said what about my mom and dad? They had never told him about salvation. Ron read Acts 16:31  ‘’And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Brian used that promise to reach his parents with the gospel. The next question he asked was “don’t I owe the church some money?” This was a question that shocked Ron and he showed Brian verses about tithing. God and Jesus became very important to him and Brian grew rapidly. People saw his life change. He became a soul winner. Within a short period of time he saw his mom, dad, brothers, sisters-in-law and others get saved. He led their sons to the Lord. He was busy serving in the church, driving a van picking up kids for Sunday School, a group leader in Ron’s class, going on visitation, singing in the choir and anything they asked him to do. He was a faithful servant and when the Lord called him into the ministry, he was willing and ready to go. Brian has witnessed to many people and led co-workers, friends and most recently their lawn maintenance person to the Lord. If Brian had not said yes to the Lord, their lives would have been totally different. As born-again, children of God, they received many blessings from the Lord through the years. After their salvation, they were then baptized at Riverdale Baptist Church where he and Linda became very active members serving the Lord.

     In 1974 Brian answered God’s call to full time Christian service. He left the University of Maryland where he was two credits shy of his math degree and moved to Springfield Mo. There he attended Baptist Bible College where he graduated with honors. While in school, he had a successful business with a leased department in Montgomery Wards that provided his way through college. In 1977, as he was graduating, Wards asked Brian to expand his business to other stores. But God had given Brian a strong burden to preach the gospel and start a church. He declined the offer, closed the business, and left to search for God’s will. God led him to Rockville Maryland.

 

     On June 4th, 1978 he organized The Bible Baptist Church of Rockville and pastored there for 7 and 1/2 years. Services were held at The Richard Montgomery High School, his old alma mater. Later the church moved to Gaithersburg Maryland and was renamed The First Baptist Church of Montgomery Village, meeting in The Watkins Mill Elementary School.  While pastoring the church, Brian had a weekly radio program that provided answers to Bible questions, helping the lost to know Christ.  Later he also served as an interim pastor for several churches.  While in Georgia, attending Oakwood Baptist Church, he taught various classes in their Bible Institute.  While living in Virginia, he was a faithful member for many years at Temple Baptist Church in Herndon.  There, he taught in Sunday School, lead a men’s Joshua Club Bible Study, sang in the choir, and participated in the soul-winning visitation program.

 

     Brian also worked for the Federal Government for 21 years as a postal employee and Manager at PBGC. He owned and operated various other businesses.

 

     At the age of 21, Brian was diagnosed with kidney disease. In 2011 he started dialysis. After many prayers he received a transplant on Nov 11, 2018.  Almost two years to the day he passed away of COVID-19 Pneumonia.

 

     Brian was preceded in death by his father Victor Lawrence (Pop), his mother Betty Lawrence, and his brother Bruce. He is survived by his wife Linda, his two sons Byron (his wife Lisa) and Branden (his wife Bonita), his seven grandkids: Victoria, Austin, Leah, Samuel, Andrew, Josiah, and Melody, as well as his brother Doug (his wife Wendy).

 

     He was a faithful son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, and servant of the Lord and he will be greatly missed but thankfully, temporarily missed.

 

You can see Brian again in Heaven and have the same eternal life that he is enjoying today if you…

  • Realize that God loves you.
    John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
  • Realize that we are all sinners.
    Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
  • Realize sin has a price that must be paid.
    Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
  • Realize Jesus Christ Died and rose again to pay for your sin

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Pray and ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior and claim His promise of eternal life.
Romans 10:9, 13  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
 

Donations may be made to Temple Baptist Church (1545 Dranesville Rd. Herndon, VA 20170, 703-437-7400) to establish the Brian Lawrence Ministry Scholarship Fund which will be for helping ministerial students enrolled at Ambassador Baptist College in their preparation for full-time Christian Service.

Friday
4
December

Funeral Service

11:30 am
Friday, December 4, 2020
Temple Baptist Church
1545 Dranesville Rd.
Herndon, Virginia, United States

Interment

Union Cemetery
323 N King Street
Leesburg, Virginia, United States
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Brian Lawrence

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Brian Lawrence

1950 - 2020

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