b'OBITUARYPassing of Pastor Jesse Brown Prompts Tributes, Outpouring of LoveBy Rosemary LytleP astorJesseBrown,Jr.agiftedandhighly respected preacher of the Gospel who served con-gregations across the Front Rangeis being deeply mourned after passing away suddenly on September 27 in Boulder, Colorado.Pastor Brown founded Christ Temple Community ChurchinColoradoSpringsandservedinthe AfricanMethodistEpiscopal(AME)Churchasan ordained Elder and Pastor since 1969. He was also known as a housing activist, civil rights activist, and NAACP leader.BornintoanAMEfamilyonJuneteenth(June 19,1942),PastorBrownwasanativeofOsceola, Florida.Afterhighschool,heenrolledinFlorida A&M University to study music and was a leader in the famous Marching 100 Band. It was following college that he accepted the call toministryandlatergraduatedfromtheDivinity SchoolatprestigiousHowardUniversity.Pastor Brown completed doctoral course work in ministry atSanFranciscoTheologicalSeminary.Hewas assignedtothepastorateatAMEcongregations inMaryland,California,Missouri,Nebraska,and Colorado,servingatBryantChapelAMEChurch, Campbell Chapel AME, and nearly 20 years at Payne Chapel AME in Colorado Springs. He was known as a true friend and role model to youth and young adults and to anyone who found themselves unhoused and unfed.PastorBrownwasrecognizedasahousing innovator in Colorado Springs, leading the charge to make affordable housing a civil right. He negotiated the financial packaging that resulted in the beautiful Hillside Pointe Apartments, which boasts residential familiesatallfinanciallevelsandfeaturessome of the most expansive mountain views in the city. Pastor Brown was also a candidate for school board and for City Council. Additionally, he served in the Colorado Springs Charter Review Commission and held other city positions.He was the founder of the Colorado Springs Unity FestandwasapassionateorganizerofCitywideHewasappointedasNAACPStateConferenceHis funeral service was held at Restoration of Life Kwanzaaobservances.PastoroftenhostedNAACPReligiousAffairsDirectorin2015.HewaslaterMinistries in Security, Colorado with his brother-in-JubileeDayandNAACPFoundersDayeventselected First Vice President and then President of thelaw Al Maloney as Officiant and a son in the minis-atPayneChapel.HereceivedcommunityawardsNAACPColoradoSpringsBranchwhereheservedtry, Pastor Anthony Bell Sr., as Eulogist. The service and accolades from Howard University, the Urbanuntil 2021. was attended by many, including educational, elect-League,theHousingAdvocacyCoalitionandwasPastorBrownwasprecededindeathbyhised, public service, faith, and civil rights leadership.namedaLivingLegendbytheNAACPColoradopreciousspouse,JuneChristineMahoneyBrownAngela N. Stevens, President of the NAACP Colorado Springs Branch.whopassedawayonJuly1,2021.HehadbeenSprings Branch, reported that the Branch held its herprimarycaregiverduringanextendedillness.ownmomentofremembranceforPastor,andis Heissurvivedbythreesons,twosiblings,twoconsidering ways to publicly memorialize the many Rosemary Lytle is a member of Christ Templegrandchildren, and a host of others who knew himcontributions of Pastor Jesse Brown and Sister June CommunityChurchandhasheldthepositionas a Brother in Christ a father for those whoseChristineBrown,bothSilverLifeMembersofthe ofPresidentintheNAACPCO-MT-WYStateearthlyfatherswerenotpresent,andasadearorganization.Conference since 2012. mentor and friend to untold numbers. They are dearly missed in the community.2 DECEMBER 2021 BOCNEWS.com'