Pastor's philosophy: 'Win 'em, give 'em'
Rev. Brown celebrates 30 years at Mount Zion
By Joanne Fox Journal staff writer | Posted: Saturday, August 09, 2008
The Rev. Floyd Brown poses in the sanctuary of Mount Zion Baptist Church where he preaches and will be celebrating 30 years with the church and its congregation. (Staff photo by Jerry Mennenga)
If the Rev. Floyd E. Brown has a rationale for his three-decade tenure as pastor of Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, it's "win 'em to self and give 'em to the Lord."
"It's my job to convince people to live right, do right and die right," he said. "I do that by living right myself, convincing them of the Gospel and preaching the message."
Evangelizing words spoken by the man whose life journey reads much like Paul's conversion on his way to Tarsus.
Brown grew up in Palmyra, Mo., before his family moved to Waterloo, Iowa, where he graduated from East High School in 1961. He was awarded a degree in art from State College of Iowa in 1965, but instead of pursuing that discipline went on to be a journey lineman. His call to the ministry came right after major back surgery and the prognosis Brown might never work again.
"I had stayed away from the church for years, even though my own father was a minister," he confessed. "I was feeling sorry for myself when I heard a voice call my name and then asked, 'Whose things will these be?'"
The voice belonged to Jesus, Brown said, and the "things" were his family, his house and other dangers that the Lord had protected him from. Brown was awarded a degree from Moody Bible Institute and Siouxland Christian and Theological College.
In 1978 Brown was serving as an associate pastor at Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church in Waterloo, when he traveled to Sioux City because he heard Mount Zion was in need of a pastor.
"Missionary Baptist ministers are peculiar in that we are believers in unction," he explained of his decision to visit Sioux City. "We believe that if God wants you, it will happen.
"But I didn't want to be a pastor," he continued. "If I wanted to be anything, it was an evangelist. And at the time I was the foreman of a bunch of journey lineman and had just built a house, so I had no desire to relocate."
Instead, Brown and his wife Vicki, "with strictly the guidance of the Holy Spirit" came to Sioux City. At the Sunday service as he prepared to preach, Brown said he was all ready to say, "Mount Zion, I will not accept" the ministry.
"Instead, I heard myself say, 'Mount Zion, I will accept,'" Brown said. "I think we both cried all the way back to Waterloo."
Brown was faced with ministering to a congregation of about 45, "somewhat in disarray," and housed in an older building.
"I knew first, I had to build up the people," he said. "When people feel like they don't count or feel left out, that's not good. I knew I had to win them to myself -- to convince them that I would be there for them."
The congregation grew and grew and with it, the need for a new church, something Brown envisioned 30 years ago.
"I was driving down Hamilton Boulevard, which was much different back then and saw where the church could be," he said. "It was up to me to cause the people to see what God had chosen me to see."
The congregation needed the larger building because it has outgrown the church next door at 1421 Geneva St. Even with two Sunday morning services, it had been standing room only in the old building. The congregation boasts a membership of around 700.
"It's something I'm most proud of -- the growth of the congregation and the strong community that's been built here," Brown said.
What's next for Brown as he nears retirement, turning 65 on Aug. 29?
"I'd like to sit in the congregation and be pastored," he said with a slight grin.
"No, I won't leave until they're ready for me to leave," Brown said. "My greatest joy is what John said in his epistle, that people do the truth."
Celebration
The Rev. Floyd Brown and his wife Vicki will be feted for 30 years of service by Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church. At the 8:15 and 10:45 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday services Brown will alternate preaching with his father, the Rev. Arthur Mills of Waterloo and his brother, the Rev. Sherman Brown of New Orleans. A banquet dinner will be held at 6 p.m., tonight at the Sioux City Convention Center. Cost is $50. Gospel recording artist Lemmie Battles will perform.
"It's my job to convince people to live right, do right and die right," he said. "I do that by living right myself, convincing them of the Gospel and preaching the message."
Evangelizing words spoken by the man whose life journey reads much like Paul's conversion on his way to Tarsus.
Brown grew up in Palmyra, Mo., before his family moved to Waterloo, Iowa, where he graduated from East High School in 1961. He was awarded a degree in art from State College of Iowa in 1965, but instead of pursuing that discipline went on to be a journey lineman. His call to the ministry came right after major back surgery and the prognosis Brown might never work again.
"I had stayed away from the church for years, even though my own father was a minister," he confessed. "I was feeling sorry for myself when I heard a voice call my name and then asked, 'Whose things will these be?'"
The voice belonged to Jesus, Brown said, and the "things" were his family, his house and other dangers that the Lord had protected him from. Brown was awarded a degree from Moody Bible Institute and Siouxland Christian and Theological College.
In 1978 Brown was serving as an associate pastor at Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church in Waterloo, when he traveled to Sioux City because he heard Mount Zion was in need of a pastor.
"Missionary Baptist ministers are peculiar in that we are believers in unction," he explained of his decision to visit Sioux City. "We believe that if God wants you, it will happen.
"But I didn't want to be a pastor," he continued. "If I wanted to be anything, it was an evangelist. And at the time I was the foreman of a bunch of journey lineman and had just built a house, so I had no desire to relocate."
Instead, Brown and his wife Vicki, "with strictly the guidance of the Holy Spirit" came to Sioux City. At the Sunday service as he prepared to preach, Brown said he was all ready to say, "Mount Zion, I will not accept" the ministry.
"Instead, I heard myself say, 'Mount Zion, I will accept,'" Brown said. "I think we both cried all the way back to Waterloo."
Brown was faced with ministering to a congregation of about 45, "somewhat in disarray," and housed in an older building.
"I knew first, I had to build up the people," he said. "When people feel like they don't count or feel left out, that's not good. I knew I had to win them to myself -- to convince them that I would be there for them."
The congregation grew and grew and with it, the need for a new church, something Brown envisioned 30 years ago.
"I was driving down Hamilton Boulevard, which was much different back then and saw where the church could be," he said. "It was up to me to cause the people to see what God had chosen me to see."
The congregation needed the larger building because it has outgrown the church next door at 1421 Geneva St. Even with two Sunday morning services, it had been standing room only in the old building. The congregation boasts a membership of around 700.
"It's something I'm most proud of -- the growth of the congregation and the strong community that's been built here," Brown said.
What's next for Brown as he nears retirement, turning 65 on Aug. 29?
"I'd like to sit in the congregation and be pastored," he said with a slight grin.
"No, I won't leave until they're ready for me to leave," Brown said. "My greatest joy is what John said in his epistle, that people do the truth."
Celebration
The Rev. Floyd Brown and his wife Vicki will be feted for 30 years of service by Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church. At the 8:15 and 10:45 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday services Brown will alternate preaching with his father, the Rev. Arthur Mills of Waterloo and his brother, the Rev. Sherman Brown of New Orleans. A banquet dinner will be held at 6 p.m., tonight at the Sioux City Convention Center. Cost is $50. Gospel recording artist Lemmie Battles will perform.
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