In the 1980's Keith and Valerie turned down a 25,000 dollar reenlistment bonus, left the United States Marine Corp, sold their home and entered into full-time ministry for the Lord within the churches of Christ.They have served in many congregations in an attempt to reverse decline and promote spiritual and numerical growth. More recently Keith and Valerie have taken a break from full-time pulpit/evangelistic work in the church to do a some inner-city mission work in St. Louis in which they largely paid their own salaries, with a little help from some friends and a parsonage from the North City church of Christ inner-city ministry.
Keith's and Valerie's ministry has largely been to a number of smaller struggling churches that had seen all but one of their previous ministers leave the ministry for secular work. These congregations had also lost fifty to seventy-five percent of their membership in the decade prior to Keith's arrival. Having a love for struggling congregations, Keith desired to study God's word from a point of view that would help struggling churches find growth and vitality within the current culture and yet allow for faithfulness to the word of God. A few simple truths had to be realized: 1) The world is lost and the church needs to cease the appearance of being surprised by how the world lives in darkness [Romans 3:23]; 2) God's word is more than able to go forth into the darkness and bring the blessing of light [Isaiah 55:10-11]; The church is commanded to go forth into the darkness and be light as it declares God's transforming word and power [Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 5:14-16; 1 Peter 2:9]. In order for the church to return to spiritual and numerical growth it must realize that the world is exactly as it is expected to be, "dark". God's word is just as powerful as it is expected to be, "it will when utilized not return unto the Lord void". If then, the world is as it is expected to be, and if God's word is as it is expected to be; the only question that remains is are we as the church what we have been called to be? Are we living and sharing the gospel as we are expected within the kingdom of God? Individuals, leaderships and/or congregations that implemented Biblical teachings and then followed through on such teachings with a prayerful and humble heart that was willing to serve realized greater blessings and growth (spiritually and numerically).
The church can no longer afford to miss this subtle but most important point! The world is as it should be. God's word is as it should be. But we as the church are failing to live holy lives that hold forth the gospel message by "going into the world and making disciples" for Jesus. While the church is faithful in many areas she is presently struggling in her understanding and living out what it means to have a holy life. And she is lacking in her understanding and implementation of evangelizing a dark and lost world. But there is hope in the word of God and in the One we call Jesus!
While many of our congregations have witnessed either few or no baptisms (transformed lives) in the last few years there is great hope for any person, leadership or church that will humbly, prayerfully and devotedly turn towards God's instruction for living a holy life and a life that calls men and women to their Savior. God's words were never more true in that if we would faithfully live out our lives and spread the seed of the gospel message we will see the growth promised, "some a hundredfold, sixtyfold and thrityfold" (Matthew 13:8, KJV).
Too often the church has entered into the judging business vs. the sowing business and such has curtailed her spiritual and numerical growth. We must go back to our roots and be reminded there is but one Judge and he is our Lord; and we are the workers in his vineyard to plant, sow and water with the promise from his word that it will not fail either him or us, he will bring forth the increase, and the church will once again experience a great harvest of righteousness and souls within the Kingdom of our God.
The church of Christ as a religious movement has in the last couple of decades experimented with both "conservative" and more "progressive" models for worship thinking one or the other would have a large impact upon our growth as a movement. The truth is neither model has had the desired outcome; and the reason has to do not so much with one model or the other; but with a renewed and better understanding of holiness and evangelism.
As an evangelist, Keith, has focused on community outreach, small group discipleship, equipping the saints and sermons that connect with daily life through practical application. Keith's "Day of Repentance, Renewal & Refreshing" along with "Expedition One Life Groups" hold the promise of promoting both spiritual and numerical growth for all who participate. Both ministries focus upon the power, forgiveness and grace of God toward mankind and reveal God's incredible love.
On the community level Keith has helped to foster better relationships between the church and local community. He has helped in establishing a clothes closet that ministers to thirty plus families each week. He has worked with a state representative to meet the needs of the homeless and underprivileged families. He helped establish "CARE" (Christians Actively Reaching the Elderly), a ministry to a nursing home. Keith helped to inaugurate "A Season of Giving" where the church worked collectively along with other community non-profit organizations, the business community, public school system and local government to meet the needs of forty families and over one-hundred children during the Christmas season. He has also served in two communities as police chaplain to minister to local police officers and their families as well as the general public. All of this has served as means of leading lost souls to their wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ.
Keith has been married with Valerie for 27 years. She has served in the nursing field to help support their various ministry opportunities. Together, they have five children: Scott, who lives in St. Louis, Missouri and works with the Red Cross; Jason and his wife Marla, along with their two daughters Christian Lynn (3) and Rachel (1), who reside in San Diego, California where he is an apprentice electrician and serves as a youth minister; while Sarah (17), Hannah (13) and Rebekah (7) remain in the local school system and live at home. The family enjoys friends, books, music, singing, playing games, going for walks and trying to learn how to play the piano, guitar, trumpet, violin, drums and clarinet.
If you are ever in St. Louis, feel free to call upon Keith as he greatly enjoys hearing from the family of God from all over these United States of America and across the world. You will find a joyful welcome, warm heart and a hot meal.
Grace and Peace,
Keith
(573) 366-9524
keith.c.brown@agapepoint.org
Find us on Face Book Read our Blog or Spaces Follow us on Twitter