Timothy Crater

1945 - 2018

CRATER, Timothy Donald Rev. Timothy Donald Crater, beloved husband, father, grandfather, pastor and friend, passed into the presence of his Savior on January 12, 2018. Mr. Crater, 72, was born in 1945 in Pasadena, California to Donald E. and Nellie O. Crater. He grew up in Ontario, California where he graduated from Chaffey High School in 1963. He then attended UCLA and graduated with a BA in International Relations. He also met his wife of 49 years there, the former Sherry McCloud. Tim then enrolled in Dallas Theological Seminary completing the four-year course for a Master of Theology (ThM) with a specialty in New Testament, and earning the seminary's 1971 award in New Testament Studies. The Craters then moved to Atlanta, Georgia where Rev. Crater engaged in church planting and a pastoring/teaching ministry. He was a co-founding pastor of Cornerstone Bible Church in Lilburn, Georgia, the founding pastor of Dunwoody Community Church where he pastored for thirteen years, and the founding pastor of Community Bible Church of Cumming. After sixteen years of ministry in Georgia and the birth of their four sons, the Craters moved to Woodbridge, Virginia when Tim became the Chief of Staff for a Member of Congress. After service on Capitol Hill, he became the Special Representative for the Government Affairs Office of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) serving for twelve years in the Washington, DC office. He developed and directed NAE's Christian Citizenship program to increase evangelical voting. Tim also brought to NAE an emphasis on America's heritage of faith, and he loved leading tours of the U.S Capitol building to show people the wealth of statuary and art that reflect the religious nature of our founding. All during his 30 years in the Washington area, Rev. Crater continued his pulpit and Christian teaching ministry. In addition to occasionally filling pulpits, he was the interim pastor for Woodbridge Bible Church, New Hope Church (Dale City), and Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Manassas. In 1999 he became the pastor of Woodbridge Bible Church where he served for 14 years. In 2012 Tim became the Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church of Woodbridge, and he retired from full time ministry in June 2015. Tim devoted his life to teaching the great truths of the Scriptures knowing that God's Word will perform its work in the hearer and believer. Tim is survived by his wife, Sherry, by son David of Los Angeles; son Jonathan of Warrenton VA, daughter-in-law Julie and granddaughters Grace and Harper; son Andrew of Austin, TX, daughter-in-law Alyson and granddaughters Evangeline and Elsa; and by son Matthew of Greensboro, NC, daughter-in-law Dahlia, and grandsons Samuel and Ethan. There will be a private burial at Shenandoah Memorial Park in Winchester, VA. A celebration of life service will be held at First Baptist Church of Woodbridge on Saturday, January 20 at 2:00 p.m. There will be a reception following the service in the fellowship hall of the church. The family requests, in lieu of flowers, that donations be made in Tim's memory to Compassion International, 12290 Voyager Parkway, Colorado Springs, CO. 80921; CNPRCs (CareNet Pregnancy Resource Centers), P.O. Box 2040, Manassas, VA. 20108 or Alliance Defending Freedom at 15100 N. 90th St., Scottsdale, AZ. 85260.