Charles Michael Brill was born in the early days of the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama, the Heart of Dixie. The world around him was filled with violence against protesters who were claiming their constitutional rights as equal citizens. Mike faced death early in his life and experienced integration during the first year of integration in Mobile County, Alabama. This was eye opening for him, though at the time he did not realize the significance of what he was living and
witnessing. He continued his education at Mobile College (now the University of Mobile) and Oklahoma Baptist University (BA) and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv/SW). These experiences broadened his world and perspective on life. He couldn’t yet deal with the fact that he was gay, as that was unacceptable to God according to his understanding (church’s teachings) of the scriptures.

 

He continued growing through new experiences like living and working in inner-city New Orleans and New York City. He was challenged over and over again by ‘love thy neighbor,’ but because he did not love himself, he failed in this realm many times. All the while, he continued fighting his attraction to men. As one might expect, he failed here as well.
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Mike spent the next 13 years in ministry in Kentucky, the former West Germany (now Germany), New York City, Texas, Tennessee, and eventually back in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama. He went to counseling for over a dozen years in every place he lived in his ongoing effort to change who and what God had made.
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All the while he was slowly transforming from self-loathing to self-acceptance. Throughout his ministry, Mike witnessed his beloved Southern Baptist Convention transforming into a more “conservative,” less tolerant, more restrictive denomination where all decision making was top-down. He realized if leadership knew he was gay he would lose his position regardless of how well he was doing. At the urging of friends and colleagues, he resigned from the University leaving professional ministry behind in 1994. Painful as this was, it
was necessary.
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From then on, Mike has been guilt free about who he is. This freedom translated into significant success in the field of Financial Advisement. He believes this is because he was where God wanted him and because he is no longer hiding his true self. Mike continues to serve his communities through a variety of volunteer opportunities.

This book is the result of the Holy Spirit guiding Mike to stick with it, trust the Spirit and be a resource to others who are going through this process at a new time of elevated intolerance where roadblocks stand in the way of those who dare to be different. Growing up, one saying always helped him: tough times never last, tough people do. He didn’t always feel tough, but Michael is resilient. Trust God, take one step of faith at a time, and you will be amazed at God’s presence in your life as a beloved Child of God, gay or straight, trans or bi.
God’s love will sustain you.