[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 149 (Thursday, September 14, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING REV. DR. AMOS BROWN AND JANE BROWN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 14, 2017

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Reverend Dr. Amos 
Brown and Jane Brown, as they celebrate 40 years of service at the 
historic Third Baptist Church of San Francisco.
  Born on February 20, 1941 in Jackson, Mississippi, Rev. Brown became 
a fighter for civil rights and social justice at an early age after 
being influenced by Emmitt Till's murder and other examples of 
injustice in the Jim Crow South.
  As a student leader attending Jim Hill High School, he spoke out 
about segregation in public education, and was barred from serving as 
valedictorian despite being elected to that position by his 
schoolmates.
  His social activism led him to Morehouse College, where he was 
personally selected by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to enroll in the 
only class that Dr. King taught during his life. After graduating from 
Morehouse, Rev. Brown dedicated himself to the ministry and received 
his Masters of Divinity from Crozer Theological Seminary, and his 
Doctor of Ministry from the United Theological Seminary.
  In 1976, Rev. Brown and his wife Jane moved west when he accepted a 
position as the senior pastor of Third Baptist Church of San Francisco. 
In that position he was able to combine his passion for tending to the 
spiritual well-being of the community with his desire to promote social 
and community activism to address the causes of injustice throughout 
society.
  Under his guidance, Third Baptist has established itself as a leader 
in addressing the physical needs of the community and built bridges to 
expand the reach of his congregation in helping those in need around 
the world.
  Third Baptist has led relief efforts in Africa, including sponsoring 
refugees and helped enable 80 children from Tanzania to receive heart 
surgery in the United States.
  Rev. Brown's social activism also led him to many leadership 
positions outside of the ministry. He has served as the President of 
the San Francisco NAACP, and on the board of the national NAACP 
organization. He has also held elected positions as a San Francisco 
Community College Trustee and a member of the San Francisco Board of 
Supervisors.
  On a personal note, I have been honored to learn from and work 
alongside Rev. and Mrs. Brown. I am incredibly grateful for their 
support, and for the selfless example that they have set by living out 
the teachings of scripture in their everyday lives.
  Today, on behalf of California's 13th Congressional District, I 
salute Reverend Dr. Amos Brown and Jane Brown for their 40 years of 
service to the greater Bay Area, and beyond. The East Bay joins in 
celebrating the leadership that you have shown, and I look forward to 
many more years of working with them and Third Baptist.

                          ____________________