Doug Brown stood on the slopes of Mount Kenya in the cold rain, praying for the 50 students he had traveled 8,000 miles to teach.
The 66-year-old pastor of Witt Baptist Church in Morristown, Tennessee, had hiked the mountain — once considered sacred by local tribes — to better understand the challenges his students face as they minister in a rapidly changing Africa.
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“Nairobi is very cosmopolitan today,” Brown said. “They have Western influence, but they also have traditional tribal worship. It’s very much like ancient Corinth.”
Brown returned to Kenya Baptist Theological College in November for his third teaching trip, instructing pastors, church planters, and ministry leaders from Congo, Sudan, and Kenya. The month-long visit reflects a commitment Brown has maintained throughout his 45 years of ministry.
Seeds planted decades ago
Brown’s connection to Africa began at a quarterly men’s meeting when a missionary pilot from the continent spoke to his church. The message planted a seed that grew stronger when his mother became an International Mission Board missionary after his father died.
“One of the Zimbabweans came back to help us,” Brown said. “That never left my heart.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Zoë Watkins and originally published by Tennessee’s Baptist and Reflector.
