I am back, rested and ready to keep going!

I'm back!

After a 3 month sabbatical from pretty much everything, I am back, rested and ready to keep going. On behalf of my family, I want to thank the members of Pleasant Hope Baptist Church for caring enough about us to release us from our commitments to you for this period of time. I don't take it lightly. The Black Church is slowly moving in the direction of recognizing that pastors need extended breaks (in addition to scheduled vacations) in order to be renewed. As the old saying goes, you can't pour from an empty cup.

Today, I can say that after extended time away, "my cup runneth over!" God blessed me to spend important time with my family - helping me to see more of what I needed to do in order to be a more present/supportive husband and father. God gave me the strength to make great progress on my forthcoming book (keep praying!). God sparked my intellectual growth - providing me space to read and reflect in a deeper way on topics such as capitalism, socialism, abolition, political prisoners, cooperatives, Queer theologies, and more. God also pressed me with respect to the changes needed in Pleasant Hope's leadership and organizational structure for sustainable viability. You'll hear much more on all of these topics through sermons, newsletters, and Bible Studies very soon.

In the meantime, please know that I not only miss you, but need to see you! We've been away from one another for so long! While we must remain vigilant in light of this pandemic, there are relatively safer ways for us to gather. I'm looking at outdoor events and worship services that we can hold this summer that will give us a chance to reconnect. God did not design us to do life without community. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to get re-acquainted with your church family!

God bless,

Rev. Dr. Heber Brown, III