Featured Pastor

Reverend Matthew Southall Brown, Sr.

Pastor Emeritus, St. John Baptist Church ("The Mighty Fortress"), Savannah, GA

Reverend Matthews Southall Brown, Sr. was born the fourth of four children to Mr. Christopher Frederick Brown and Mrs. Helen Robinson Brown in the city of Savannah, GA. After accepting Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord at an early age, he joined the First African Baptist Church of Savannah under the pastorate of Reverend Dr. J. Alfred Wilson and was nurtured under the pastorates of Reverend Dr. Ralph Mark Gilbert and the Reverend Dr. William Franklin Stokes. Reverend Brown was called by God at an early age in his life, but did not acknowledge it until later in his life. He received his early education at the St. Benedict Catholic School and the local public schools of Savannah.

He received his post-secondary education from Georgia State College (now Savannah State University) and his seminary training from the American Baptist School of Theology and the Princeton School of Theology, earning a Bachelor of Divinity degree from the American Baptist School of Theology in 1961. Reverend Brown also studied at the University of Miami, the Division of Addiction Sciences with a grant from the City of Savannah.

Reverend Brown served his country with valor in World War II. At a time when the armed forces were still segregated, he was one of the 2,221 black soldiers who volunteered for infantry duty during the Battle of the Bulge. After being honorably discharged, Rev. Brown returned to his native Savannah to attend college under the G.I Bill of Rights. Currently, he serves as a member of the Savannah Board of Ethics, having been nominated by Mayor Otis Johnson and the Savannah City Council.

Reverend Brown has pastured four churches during his career in the pastoral ministry—Smyrna Baptist Church of Savannah, Royal Missionary Baptist Church of Charleston, SC Nicholsonburry Baptist Church of Whitebluff and the St. John Baptist Church (“The Mighty Fortress”), Savannah, GA. He became the pastor of the St. John Baptist Church in 1969 and remained the pastor for 35 years. During his tenure, he became known to the entire community and beyond as “Pastor Brown.” His reputation and his work as a pastor and community leader are outstanding. He chaired the Federal Court’s Bi-racial Committee appointed by Federal Judge Alexander Lawrence to assist the Chatham County School System in bringing about a unitary school system. His accomplishments are too numerous to mention. He is Pastor Emeritus of the St. John Baptist Church and moderator of the Berean Association. Pastor Brown is married to Mrs. Lottie Williams Brown and thy have four children and seven grandchildren.