Paul E. Brown

Paul E. Brown grew up in Sledge, Mississippi. He became a Christian when he was a junior at Mississippi College, where he was editor of the college magazine, lettered in track and cross country, was elected by his fellow students as Student Body Representative, and was named to "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges." He attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and the University of Mississippi. He and his wife Connie have four children, nine grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.

He pastored two churches while a seminary student. The year they both graduated from the seminary he and Connie were married, and he was pastor for 3 1/2 years of Kilmichael (MS) Baptist Church. During that time he was a member of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board. He then served for 9 years as pastor of Oakhaven Baptist Church in Memphis, TN, which grew from an average attendance of 113 to 545. During one of those years there were 100 baptisms. He served on the Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention and the Historical Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, and for one year as president of the Memphis Baptist Pastors Conference,. He has preached revivals and spoken at special events in ten states, including speaking at the Missouri Baptist Pastors Conference and being the commencement speaker at Mid-American Baptist Theological Seminary.

Feeling God calling him into a combination ministry of preaching and teaching, he went back to graduate school and earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. He served Union University as their Memphis area student recruiter for two years and then for six years was on the faculty of Clarke College (a Southern Baptist junior college) in Newton, Mississippi, where he taught Preaching, Pastoral Ministries, and Old and New Testament Survey, as well as other courses. He then served at Hannibal-LaGrange College (now University) in Hannibal, Missouri, for eighteen years--first as Executive Vice President, and then as President. During those years at the college he was involved in numerous community activities, and was a leader in the fight against bringing riverboat gambling into Hannibal. Because of the efforts of Christian people in area churches, the gambling initiative was defeated. He was president of the Hannibal Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, and led in the construction of a new facility in a nearby town. He was president-elect of the Hannibal YMCA but moved before assuming office as president. One year he received the annual "Pacesetter" award from the Hannibal Chamber of Commerce. He has been listed in Who's Who in American Education, Who's Who in Religion, and several other publications. He has written and published two books.

Following retirement from Hannibal-LaGrange College, he and Connie moved back down south. Soon after his retirement from the college the Board of Trustees named him President Emeritus. Then, after living for a number of years in Southaven, Mississippi, they moved to Edmond, Oklahoma, where they now live.

While ministering at Hannibal-LaGrange College he served various churches in Missouri and Illinois as interim pastor. Since retirement he has been interim pastor of numerous churches in Mississippi and Tennessee, and also for several months was Interim Director of Missions for Mid-South (formerly Shelby) Baptist Association, which he had previously served as Moderator.

He holds a black belt in Taekwondo. In 2008 he was inducted into the Mississippi College Sports Hall of Fame.

In 2011 a building was named in his honor on the campus of Hannibal-LaGrange University.

He has taught on-line courses for Liberty University and Midwestern Baptist College (an arm of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary), having developed and taught two master's level courses for Midwestern.

Currently he teaches a Sunday school class at Quail Springs Baptist Church in Oklahoma City where he and his wife are members. He also serves as a deacon and is active in a number of ministries in the church.

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