Harold Brown, known by many as simply Preacher Brown, passed away on Friday, March 18, 2022, surrounded by family and friends. Brown was born May 1, 1941, in Franklin, OH. After graduating high school, he married the love of his life, Greta (Childers) Brown, on January 31, 1959. Following high school, Brown served as a medical corpsman in the US Navy. After leaving the Navy, he and his budding family moved back to Franklin, OH. Shortly after returning to Ohio, Brown accepted the Lord as his Savior at Grace Baptist Church of Middletown, OH, pastored by Howard Sears. In 1966 he answered the call to full-time vocational ministry and moved with his wife and three children to Springfield, MO, to attend Baptist Bible College, where he graduated in 1970. He served on staff at Cherry Street Baptist Church in Springfield, MO, and then pastored Calvary Baptist Church in the Chicagoland area. From 1977 through 1980, he was on the evangelistic trail. From 1980 until 1982, he served as associate pastor to Howard Sears in Middleton. In 1982 became pastor of Oak Hill Baptist Church in Somerset, KY, where he would serve until his retirement in 2010. After retirement, Brown focused his time and energy on developing the Somerset Christian School.
“I considered him royalty,” said his wife of 63 years, Greta Brown. “He was my pastor, my protector, and my provider, and he fulfilled all those roles excellently. I never doubted his love. I never doubted him as a man. He loved with a vengeance. He loved the Word of God. He was a gentleman’s gentleman. He was a leader of leaders.” She went on to say that he was a “builder of buildings and a builder of men. He was an encourager of encouragers.”
Brown was active in the Baptist Bible Fellowship International, serving in many leadership roles, including Baptist Bible College trustee. Mrs. Brown added,” He loved the Baptist Bible Fellowship International. He loved to be around other pastors. He especially always looked forward to attending the May Fellowship Meeting. I missed out on many Mother’s Day celebrations because he had to leave early to get to Springfield.”
Brown also had a passion for evangelism and world missions. He was an avid soul winner, and he loved to visit missionaries on their mission field. His close friendship with Bruce O’Neal was instrumental in partnering with MANNA Worldwide from its inception.
In addition to his parents, Brown was preceded in death by his son, David Brown, and his twin brother Robert Brown. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Greta Brown, son Dan Brown, daughter and son-in-law Melissa and Ron Hall, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at Oak Hill Baptist Church on Saturday, March 26, 2022.
You can read his obituary by clicking here.
You can read a front-page article in the Somerset, KY local newspaper, Commonwealth Journal, by clicking here.
Below is an article from the December 1985 Baptist Bible Tribune focused on Oak Hill Baptist Church and Harold Brown.
A Ninety Year Old Church Moves Toward the 21st Century
Fifteen acres should be plenty of room
Somerset, KY – Celebrating its 90th anniversary last August, the Oak Hill Baptist Church has been led by Pastor Harold Brown (BBC, Class of ’70) for the last three years.
It has been a most exciting time at this solid and progressive church. Crowds have packed the six year old auditorium, regularly numbering 400 with as many as 900 gathering on special days.
Fifteen acres have been purchased across the road from the present facility, a typical and beautiful edifice, complete with adjacent traditional cemetery. A new 1,000-seat sanctuary is rising atop the highest summit, clearly visible for miles. Since a large debt is being avoided and monies are being raised for continuing construction, the new plant is being utilized temporarily as a gymnasium and fellowship hall.
When completed, the new pillared and steepled structure, adorned with memorial stained glass windows, will easily accommodate a thousand worshippers with a potential of up to 1,400 for special occasions when the balcony and extra chairs can be used.
Somerset, a mid-Kentucky city of some 16,000 with another in 16,000 in the surrounding towns and communities is set in the rolling foothills of the Cumberland Mountains. While there are 100 churches in the county, Pastor Brown and his people believe that their church has a most glorious future as a dynamic center for evangelism and Bible preaching.
It can become, they believe, the leading independent Baptist church in the entire state, encouraging and inspiring other churches and pastors in smaller cities to make a powerful impact on their communities.
Missions giving is near $1,000 a week while the regular offerings range around $4,000, besides the special building fund collections periodically received.
For the Sunday before Thanksgiving Pastor Brown called for a special “miracle offering,” suggesting that $60,000 in cash that Sunday would pay their newly acquired properties and continue the construction program into this next year. After much prayer and simply passing the plates on the designated Sunday a total of $62,600 was received in cash.
Serving as music director and as assistant to his father is Dan Brown, a graduate of Liberty University. Working with the father and son team is a dedicated core of godly and spiritual men with vision, enthusiasm, and love for God. Much of the work on the building is being done on a voluntary basis.
Recently the TRIBUNE editor conducted a REVELATION REVIVAL in the church.