Greetings!
 

Forty years ago, thirty-five year old Amos Brown and Jane, his young bride of ten years, arrived in San Francisco from St Paul, Minnesota where he had pastored the historic Pilgrim Baptist Church, to pastor the historic Third Baptist Church. Unlike many young men of his age, Rev. Brown didn't take time to settle in and scope out the lay of the land; instead, he immediately began to continue his unique approach.
 

In addition to preaching a Bible-based social and liberation gospel Sunday after Sunday, he has continued to be a potent voice for social justice in San Francisco, the state of California, and indeed the nation. He immediately recognized there was something amiss when he discovered Jim Jones establishing unusual relationships with poor, often times uneducated, and needy African Americans to win them to his Peoples Temple. He sounded the alarm and exclaimed: "There is something rotten in Denmark." His was the first voice in San Francisco that questioned the motives of Jim Jones.
 

In partnership with the Temple Emanu-El Congregation, Rabbi Robert Kirshner (their Senior Rabbi at the time), Rev. Brown and Third Baptist Church co-founded an after school enrichment program, Back On Track, that provides tutorial services to memorialize the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life. Over 3,000 youth have been served in this program.

Rev. Brown and Third Baptist Church also led in settling over 2000 Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees to the Bay Area during the Ethiopian-Eritrean War. It was also to this acclaim in 1999 that he united all the Baptist's of America and in opposition to Clarence Thomas's position to the U.S. Supreme Court. His testimony before the senate judiciary committee was so compelling that Senator, now VP Joe Biden exclaimed to the media that, "...Dr. Brown gave the most eloquent and convincing statement as to why Clarence Thomas should not be on the Supreme Court."   These are just a few of his accomplishments during these forty years that he has led our congregation.

In addition to the world accomplishments, he always found time to have the pastor's heart which enables him at times of bereavement, the ability to deliver unique and confident eulogies, that thousands have expressed a desire for him to do eulogies at the celebration of the end of their lives journey. Even before this critical period in one's life, the congregants of Third Baptist have found the pastor attentive to hospital visitation, ministering to youth and young adults, and institutional correction and also providing leadership as President of the NAACP San Francisco Branch, while also serving on the NAACP National Board of Directors for over a decade.

Rev. Brown has asked that the celebratory activities be focused on the foundations of Third Baptist laid by his predecessors: Rev. Charles Satchell, the first Pastor of African American descent and Rev. Dr. Frederick Douglas Haynes, Sr. In that regard he requested that anniversary activities be focused on three areas: 1) reclaiming the best of our sacred music and defining what can be done to be true to the Black Church by creating The Charles A. Tindley Academy of Music; 2) developing an approach for our churches to increase the academic achievement level of African American and all marginalized students in our schools; and 3) and assuring Christian Judeo Christianity values, through mentoring more young prophets for social justice. Rev. Brown has requested that any financial proceeds from these celebrations be designated for capital improvements and underwriting programs to fulfill the above enterprises.

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