About Our Pastor - Elder Melvin T. Brown
A Gentle Giant with a Heart for God's People
Elder Melvin T. Brown, Pastor of Restoration & Praise Christian Fellowship Center, is a man of sincere faith who has a genuine love for God’s people and honors the call the Lord has placed upon him to share the gospel of Christ with others. After growing up in the A.M.E church as a youth and young adult, in 1991 he made the commitment to serve the Lord and established a personal relationship with Jesus Christ after receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The Lord led him to join Greater Love Church of God in Christ where he immediately began learning, serving and doing God's will. Pastor Brown received the call to preach God’s word in 1995 and, with the approval of his Pastor, Superintendent Charles J. Brantley, he was licensed as a Minister in the Church of God in Christ. In June of 1997, while being faithful in service as a Minister, he was recommended to the Jurisdictional Prelate, Bishop E.L. Sheppard, for ordination as an Elder and was ordained an Elder in the Church of God in Christ in July of 1997 at the 77th Annual Holy Convocation of the Western Florida Jurisdiction in Orlando, Florida.
As an Elder, Pastor Brown continued in the work he was already faithfully doing and was also appointed as an Administrative Aide to work directly with his Pastor in overseeing the men and outreach of the church. During his eleven-year tenure at Greater Love, his service included leading the Street Ministry, being President of Ward Joy (a membership auxiliary), serving as a Trustee Board member, and teaching the Men’s Sunday School Class. In 2001, with his Pastor’s blessing, Pastor Brown moved forward with the call the Lord had placed upon him to Pastor. He founded this church, Restoration & Praise Christian Fellowship Center, “The Ministry with God’s People at Heart,” as a ministry to reach all people wherever they are in life, enrich the body of Christ and feed the Word of God.
He has a vision to see God’s will fulfilled through effective ministry and knows firsthand the importance of helping to restore God’s people and shifting them towards Godly purpose and direction in their lives. He is committed to going that extra mile to guide persons to wholeness and completeness in Christ and provide a ministry where there is unhindered freedom to worship and praise God. It's his sincere desire that every person, especially members of Restoration & Praise Christian Fellowship Center, be an overcomer and have victory in their life through Jesus Christ!
On a personal note, Pastor Brown received his secular education from Rickards High School and Prairie View A&M University, and his spiritual training by the leading of the Holy Spirit through the Church of God in Christ, the Tallahassee Bible Institute and C.H. Mason Bible College. He has been married to his sweetheart, our First Lady, Stephanie Brown, for over three decades and has two children; a daughter (and son-in-love) and a son, whom he loves dearly as well as a bonus niece-daughter. He is an avid football fan and loves to cheer for the Florida State Seminoles and FAMU Rattlers, as well as the Prairie View Panthers where he played college football, and the Dallas Cowboys, a team he grew up watching his uncle play professionally in the NFL.
Pastor Brown is truly one of the kindest persons you will ever meet and is genuine in his love for God’s people and his love for Christ. We consider ourselves blessed to have him as our Pastor and thank God for his awesome teaching ministry! It's very obvious that his passion IS to do the work and will of the Lord, and loving God and family, reaching people for Christ, and pastoring Restoration & Praise are truly his heart and joy!
About Our First Lady - Lady Stephanie Brown
A Gifted Encourager and Leader
Lady Stephanie Brown is the First Lady of Restoration & Praise Christian Fellowship Center where she serves as the Church Administrator and is also a member of the church’s ministerial team. She serves as Pastor Brown’s right hand in ministry and uses her many gifts in various areas of the ministry to ensure continuity. She’s a strong believer in doing God’s will, empowering others to excel, and pushing persons to show up in life and do the necessary work to prevail so they can and thrive.
Lady Brown leads the Virtuous Women of Praise Christian Women’s Ministry, a ministry that connects women from all walks of life and various denominations to encourage a deeper relationship with Christ, to love the beauty of life and to value collective sisterhood with other women. She is a talented events planner and cook and is gifted in coordinating and organizing events, services and outreaches, and has served as a community navigator over the years to help persons gain life stability. She volunteers with local community-based organizations and is involved in local ministry organizations to show up as the “hands and feet” for Christ in our community and make a difference
Professionally, Lady Brown serves as a Chief of Educational Technology and has spent her career in strategic planning, policy development, performance improvement, legislative affairs and emergency management. She possesses a Bachelor of Science degree in Management (BSM) and has multiple business certifications that have blessed her in her career and translated into her work for the Lord.
Lady Brown has been married to Pastor Brown for over three decades and together they've been blessed with a daughter and son-in-love, a son and a niece who's a bonus daughter. She’s also a sports fanatic like her husband and loves collegiate and high school volleyball and collegiate football, sports they've watched their children play as they grew. Above all, she loves being able to serve this church and community and gives God the glory for every opportunity and every blessing afforded to her.
