Solid Rock Spotlight: Tom Winslow
By Ashley Daniels
Attorney Tom Winslow loves serving Jesus and seeking justice for his clients.
He and his family of four first began attending Solid Rock Church at Market Common during Covid, after friends Dan and Erica Rahr invited them one Sunday morning.
“We were trying to find a church that was willing to have an independent mindset and the freedom that this country gives us, and we found that at Solid Rock,” says Tom. “The music, the friendships, the sermons, that’s me. I’m more of a free spirit, and like a little rock and roll. … I want to feel God when I’m in a church.”
Tom was born in a small town in North Carolina and moved to Columbia, South Carolina, when he was 7. He graduated from Irmo High School, from the University of South Carolina with degrees in international studies and English, and from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and University of South Carolina School of Law with degrees in law.
Although it was a time of celebration, the time right before his last semester of law school was also a tough one for Tom, personally. He and his girlfriend of three years broke up, which prompted him to backpack, solo, in Europe over Christmas break for 10 days.
“I had no idea what I was going to do,” says Tom. “I took the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bible in my backpack. … While I was there, I read those documents. I just hung out by myself and talked to people, went to coffee shops, and took in whatever was around me.”
But, as the saying goes, when God closes one door, he opens another. Tom had a revelation on that trip: to reach out to his best friend, Lauren, from high school.
“I hadn’t talked to Lauren or seen Lauren since high school five years ago,” he says. “And God said to give her a call. So I got home, I called the number I had, which was her mom’s number, and her mom gave me her number. Lauren was living in Colorado, and I went out and visited her my last semester of law school.”
The rest is history, as Lauren returned to her South Carolina roots in 2005, the couple then moved to Georgetown, South Carolina, where Tom was working as an attorney, and the two were married in October 2006.
“She’s a blessing,” says Tom of his bride.
Tom worked at a few law firms in the area until 2013, when he founded Goldfinch Winslow with Steven Goldfinch, who currently serves as state senator for the 34th district, which morphed into being a full partnership in 2014, and in 2022 (and today) as Winslow Law, with locations in Pawleys Island, Surfside Beach, and Columbia. Areas of practice include criminal defense, family law, workers’ compensation, estate planning, real estate litigation, civil lawsuits, and more. The firm is also committed to doing pro bono work for some clients.
“It’s always been my mentality to work hard and serve,” says Tom. “I’ve never been smarter than anyone else, I have just been willing to work harder. As of last night, I had a client come in that needed help and no one was willing to help them. … We do a lot of work around the community and serve on a lot of boards. The firm’s focus is to be committed counsel for clients, community, and co-workers. And you can’t be committed without having a servant’s heart.
“Unfortunately, too many professionals feel as if they are needed,” he continues. “They’re the ones that think, ‘You need me, you have to take care of me,” instead of being the ones that need to take care of their clients and take care of their community. We treat them how you would want to be treated and understand that they’re coming to you not for additional problems, but for solutions. You’re being blessed by having them come to you because there’s 10,000 other attorneys out there.”
Tom says that Winslow Law also selects a charity each month to donate to. When he’s not working for his clients and serving the community, he enjoys going to the gym for some stress relief and family time. Tom and Lauren Winslow have two children: daughter Leah Asher Winslow (LAW), 10, and son William Oakes, 7.
“I’m blessed with a great team and family,” says Tom, “and we want to give those blessings back.”
Tom is also busy studying for an associate’s degree in theology; he is in his second semester.
“My goal after earning the degree is simply to be closer to living God’s purpose for me by understanding his Word better,” he says.
Tom’s advice to others who may be interested in finding a church home at Solid Rock Market Common, like he did a few years ago:
“They need to come and experience the music and the sermon and the power that the voice of God really has within them,” he says. “It’s a connection point. Everything in life is about a true relationship, and you learn that as you go through life as a professional. It’s all about having a connection. … And when you come here and experience it for all it’s worth, you will have that connection and that relationship.”
