Brian Washburn was born January 6, 1959 in Johnson City, New York to Howard and Gloria Washburn. He grew up outside of Binghamton, NY in West Colesville. His father worked for Link making internal computer cards for IBM and later manufacturing flight simulation products for NASA, our armed forces, and several commercial corporations. His mother worked as a receptionist and bookkeeper. He has two sisters, one older and one younger, and a younger brother. Many members of his church were involved in the dairy farming business, so he spent a great deal of time “paying the price of friendship” helping them with milking cows, putting hay into the barn, and other related chores. As a teen he began working summers for a small construction company owned by some men in his church.
Brian’s parents were Christians and took the family to church “every time the church doors were open.” He accepted Christ as his Savior at the age of five or six following a junior church lesson by his pastor’s wife. When he began to ask specific questions about sin, heaven, and his soul, his parents took the time to explain salvation to him and led him in his decision. While a teen, under the ministry of Pastor Robert Stuart, Brian surrender to vocational ministry. Later, as a college student, he clearly recognized the call to Christian education.
Brian graduated from Harpursville Central School in June of 1977 and began attending Bob Jones University that fall semester. He graduated in May of 1981 with a BA in Bible Education. A few days later he went to work at the Wilds Christian Camp as a counselor. He met Julie at pre-shift supper his first day there. She was a Hatfield and he was a McCoy 😊. He returned to BJU in September and began work on his masters’ degree. Julie returned for some post-graduate classes in January and they were engaged in February. He completed his MS in Personnel Services and returned to the Wilds for his second summer. In August 1982, he began his first teaching assignment in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Brian and Julie were married at South Sheridan Baptist Church in Denver, Colorado on December 21, 1982. They ministered together in Indianapolis for twenty-two years. During this time Brian began work toward a Specialist in Education degree in Educational Leadership from BJU. Following the Lord’s leading, the family moved to Charleston, SC in June of 2004 and then to Asheville in August 2018 when Julie and he joined the faculty of Temple Baptist School. Brian and Julie have two children and seven grandchildren.