Savannah's Pastor Matthew Southall Brown, Sr. dies at 99

Civil rights pioneer and faith leader Pastor Matthew Southall Brown Sr., known for his 35-year tenure as the pastor of the historic St. John Baptist Church, has died. He was 99 years old.

Deacon Florida Hunt, a longtime member of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church on Ogeechee Road, said that the last time she heard her friend Brown preach, he said his his goal was to make it to 100.

"And he came, oh, so close," said Hunt.

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Brown was born in Savannah on July 16, 1922, and grew up on Victory Drive. After graduating from Cuyler-Beach High School in 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. At first he served in a support role with the 9th Division, 60th Infantry Regiment, Company E., then served as a quartermaster until heavy casualties resulted in his being called up to fight during the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. In 2019, Brown took an honor flight to the Netherlands where he was feted by the American Embassy in The Hague as one of the first African Americans to fight in the war and helping to liberate Belgium, the Netherlands and Central Europe.

Hunt recalled Brown telling her about the struggle Black soldiers serving in segregated units faced, both proving themselves and being reminded of their status. He told her of his unit capturing some German soldiers, but as African Americans they still were required to give up their seats on the transport to the white prisoners.

“He kept the faith," Hunt said, "and he was always friendly and giving the message.”

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Upon his return to the U.S., Brown worked for the postal service for a time until, according to Hunt, he told his coworkers "God had told him to go preach." They chided him, she said, telling him he'd never make as much money.

"He went to preach," said Hunt, "and, lo, all of his children got a free education. That shows you how God works out for people who work for Him."

Brown graduated from American Baptist College in Nashville, Tennessee, and returned to Savannah, preaching at at the historic First African Baptist Church, First Smyrna Missionary Baptist Church, and Royal Missionary Baptist Church before taking the helm of St. John Baptist Church in 1969.

His leadership extended beyond the church when in 1970, Federal District Judge Alexander Lawrence appointed Brown to chair the 12-member biracial Schools Advisory Committee to Desegregate. He also served as the first Black police chaplain.

From his pulpit, Brown became a mentor to generations of Savannah's clergy. Among them Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Savannah native and senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church, who released a statement Sunday night to thank Brown for the allowing him to preach at St. John when he was 19 years old. Warnock called Brown the “dean of pastors in Savannah.”

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“Since high school, he was for me a mentor, a father and a shining example of a pastor whose ministry went far beyond the walls of his church — embracing the whole community and providing spiritual refuge and strength as ‘a mighty fortress,’” Warnock wrote in his statement. “He was my pastor. God bless his memory and give peace and assurance to his family.”

Rev. Thurmond N. Tillman, senior pastor of First African Baptist Church on Franklin Square described Brown as more than a mentor to other pastors. "He was a mentor to all. In fact, he wore the title of ‘pastor’ well. He wore the name well of Pastor Matthew Southall Brown, Sr. And, he made it clear: We did not call him ‘Reverend,’ we did not call him ‘Bishop,’ we did not call him ‘Dr.’ He was called ‘Pastor Matthew Southall Brown, Sr.’ He took that to heart. He was to pastor our community."

Tillman recalled when Brown provided a steady, calming influence following a shooting on August Avenue in West Savannah. "His wife had just recently passed," Tillman said. "He was called upon — he may have been 91 at that point — he was called upon to go to the community, because he was one that could speak to those who were affected personally the most in that community. He had such a way and such a level of respect that he was able to, even in the midst of his own grief, to be able to be with the mother and family and others in West Savannah. No one could stop him from doing what he believed he needed to do for our community.”

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson paid tribute to Brown’s military service and called him a “spiritual father, mentor, confidante, encourager, and trailblazer” in a statement.

“His branches are too many to count, and the loss to our community is enormous,” Johnson said. “I extend my love to his family, and we know that to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord. Donec iterum convenient — Until we meet again.”

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Savannah’s faith community expressed sadness over Brown’s loss but spoke of the legacy he will leave in the city and beyond.

“While we know that his absence in this world is a great loss, we are grateful and blessed to have known him,” The First African Baptist Church of East Savannah wrote on its Facebook page. “He was a true spiritual father and friend, and his remarkable leadership and legacy will live on. We are extending comforting prayers for the Brown family during their time of bereavement.”

At the age of 81 in 2004, Brown retired from St. John Baptist Church.

Hunt saw her dear friend for the last time on Thursday, Nov. 18. She visited him at his nursing home. She read scripture to him and prayed over him. When she started singing, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," Hunt said that Brown opened his eyes and sang along.

Brown will lie in repose from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Bynes-Royall Funeral Home, 204 W. Hall St. There will be a public viewing from 4 to 6 p.m. at Johnny Mercer Arena at the Savannah Civic Center, 201 W. Oglethorpe Ave.

Rev. Thurmond N. Tillman will preside over the service of victory for the family at 11 a.m. Dec. 4, at the First African Baptist Church, 23 Montgomery St. Brown will be interred at the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery at Hunter Army Air Force Base.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah's Pastor Matthew Southall Brown, Sr. dies at 99