The Rev. Dr. Michael Brown

Denomination: Other
Organization: Marble Collegiate Church, New York, NY

Dr. Michael Brown is Senior Minister of Marble Collegiate Church in New York City where Dr. Norman Vincent Peale served as Senior Minister for 52 years.  He is a native of Asheboro, N.C. and graduated from High Point University, Duke University Divinity School, and received his Doctorate of Ministry in Preaching from Drew Theological Seminary. Previously, he served as Senior Minister to the 4000-member Centenary Church in Winston-Salem. He has taught at The University of North Carolina-Asheville, New Testament at High Point University, and Congregational Change at Wake Forest University Divinity School. Michael is the author of six books (including Bottom Line Beliefs) and is contributing author to eleven others.  In 1995, he was included in the "Great American Preachers" book series. 

Michael is the recipient of the Circuit Rider Certificate of Merit from The United Methodist Church and the John L. Borchert Award for Christian Communications.  This past year, Pfeiffer University presented him with an Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters in addition to his appearance as the commencement speaker for the graduating 2012 class. He has served as preacher for The Protestant Hour radio program and currently, his radio show Simple Faith airs each week on WOR Radio and has an audience from Boston to Washington, DC. As Senior Minister at Marble Church, he has been featured in several ABC-TV Specials including the the December 2012 national broadcast of Marble Collegiate Church ABC-TV Christmas Special, "Hope is Born". He is a frequent lecturer, preacher and motivational speaker, addressing both religious and secular groups.  Always designing his message of Finding Life by Practicing Love to meet the specific needs of the particular audience he uses humor and anecdotes to describe a philosophy of life assured to bring meaning, joy, and hope to those who practice it.

He is married to Page Plummer Brown, a native of Richmond, Virginia.  The Browns are the proud parents of four children:  Adam, Alison, Zachary and Katharine.

 

 

 

 

Day1 Weekly Programs by The Rev. Dr. Michael Brown

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Michael Brown: The Hard Work of Making Life Right

Tuesday December 12, 2017
In his sermon for the 2nd Sunday of Advent, Dr. Michael Brown says Isaiah speaks to the Israelites who had returned home after 70 years in Babylonian captivity, and it was worse than they expected. It was a mess. It takes hard work to make things right again, in order to make home feel like home.

Michael Brown: God at Our Doorsteps

Tuesday December 05, 2017
Dr. Michael Brown says the Bible never promises that God will wave a magic wand and make all the bad things in life go away. Instead the Bible promises that there will be highways in the desert places of our lives where God will come to be with us, to comfort us, and eventually even to deliver us. And God almost always does that incarnationally--through a human being.

The Baby Is the Easy Part

Tuesday December 15, 2015
Cute little infant-in-the-manger stories aside, Michael Brown says the issue that confronts us as people of faith sooner or later is, if I call myself a Christian, then will I actually choose to live as one?

Peace Amid Bedlam

Tuesday December 08, 2015
As we look ahead to Bethlehem, Michael Brown reminds us that Jesus was born into a world of oppression--exactly when a Prince of Peace is needed most. Jesus did not promise a peace that would magically erase painful realities, but a peace that exists in the midst of them.

Does Baptism Matter?

Tuesday January 08, 2013
In his sermon for the Baptism of the Lord Sunday, Marble Collegiate Church minister Dr. Michael Brown points out that to the gospel writers, baptism is crucial. Everything starts at the river where Jesus enters the waters of baptism--it was the moment when Jesus was claimed and called. We too belong to God and are called to do something special.

Articles by The Rev. Dr. Michael Brown

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Michael Brown: Faith And Politics: A Way Forward

Saturday November 05, 2016
In the midst of a heated campaign season, it is important to understand there is a difference between religious and political realities. The intents differ, and thus the approaches to achieving those goals vary, as well. And yet, the bottom line is that whether the arena is church, politics, work environment, neighborhood, school, home, etc., when people relate to other people there are some basic tenets that most of us wish would be consistently honored.

Michael Brown: Face Time Redefined: Figuring out Faith and the Flexible Congregation

Tuesday April 19, 2016
Very recently I was introduced to a church-word I had never heard before. The new word, now part of my professional lexicon, is Creasters. Like a celebrity mash-up, it is a morphing of two words: Christmas and Easter.

Michael Brown: Faith Requires Us To Look After Vulnerable Children

Tuesday March 22, 2016
It's time for those of us who vote to make the needs of vulnerable children a clear national priority. In addition to what is being done in religious institutions and various advocacy groups, a united public voice on this issue needs to be heard. The children look to us.