Evangelist returns to Blacksburg, where he started 40 years ago

Dr. Wayne Brown and his family will host a special homecoming worship service Sunday night at First Baptist Church in Blacksburg. Pictured are daughter Molly and her husband, Christman Howard, Dr. Wayne and Joy Brown and daughter Meri Beth and her husband, Thomas Howard.

Ledger Staff Writer

First Baptist Church of Blacksburg is getting ready for homecoming. No, not the annual event, but a homecoming of a native son who’s spiritual journey has taken him around the world for more than four decades.

Dr. Wayne Brown and his family will celebrate their 40th Anniversary in the ministry Sunday at 6 p.m. This service of celebration and worship will be presented by Brown and his wife, Joy, and their daughters Meri Beth and Molly as they sing and introduce a new ministry they are developing for global outreach - Diversified Ministries.

“Perhaps it is fitting to ‘come home’ to First Baptist to launch this new ministry,” Brown said. “It has played a significant role in our lives.”

The son of the late J.M. and Minnie Williams Brown grew up in FBC Blacksburg, made his profession of faith and was baptized at age 9, was married to Joy in the church in August of 1969 and was ordained by First Baptist in May of 1970. Joy is the former Joyce Ann Clary, daughter of Mary Clary and the late James A. Clary of Gaffney.

How does a world-renowned evangelist get his start?

For Brown, it was the work of his former Sunday School teacher, Miss Irene Harding.

“One day she read that scripture in Romans that refers to ‘how beautiful are the feet of those who bring the gospel’ and it just felt like she was talking directly to me,” he said. “I had entered college to study to be a pediatrician, but that message changed my life.”

In 1965, during his sophomore year at Limestone College, Brown began his ministerial career as minister of music at Providence Baptist Church in Gaffney.

The church allowed him to serve that summer as a Student Summer Missionary in New Mexico and Arizona. When he got home, Brown announced his desire to answer publicly God’s call to the ministry.

He was licensed in September of that year.

Brown stated, “We take for granted what most of the people in the world have never heard and that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ!”

Diversified Ministries is the name for the new all-encompassing global outreach ministry.

“The vision which God has given me is the concept of a ‘bridge’ to share the message,” Brown said. “That God has freely ‘bridged’ Himself to mankind through Jesus Christ and the cross of Calvary is a perfect picture of that. Thus, Diversified Ministries, can become a B.R.I.D.G.E. for Building Relationships Individually Domestically Globally Evangelistically.”

Due to the intense needs the Browns have witnessed around the world, including Europe, the Holy Land, Russia, India, and Morocco in North Africa, they have an urgent desire to inspire as many churches and individuals as possible to go with them to these and other countries.

Their plan is that as individuals go, they will return home with a new awareness of missions and lead their individual churches to “adopt” a country, to build a church in one of the areas of need, or to return, with or without the Browns, to further develop the relationships that were begun on the initial mission trip.

“I hope that as church members go with us to these mission fields, it will put a face on the unchurched for them,” Brown said.

A reception will be held following the service. Pastor Rick Douglas and the church invite the community to attend.