Good food and Glory to God

Some see Michael Brown as a chef – a man devoted to bringing great food to good people. But he sees himself as a believer.

“I’m a very spiritual man,” he says. “I mean what I say, and I say what I mean.”

Take his restaurant, Fresh Soul. Brown had no idea how he’d turn a rundown, ice cream parlor (vacant for 40 years) into the home of southern staples. But when he put out the word, help came calling.

The City of Spokane chipped in for a new roof, and Brown was thankful. An all-female construction crew installed the drywall, and Brown was thankful. The Local 44 stepped into update the plumbing, and Brown was thankful. Then Lowes donated $15,000 and 1200 hours of volunteer labor, and Brown was really thankful.

“The community rallied around me,” he says. “It became a reality.” But he doesn’t call it luck. He calls it prayers fulfilled.

“I’ve been reading the Word all my life, but I didn’t get close to it until after my mom died in 2005. From then on, I’ve been a warrior on the battlefield, fighting to make a difference in people’s lives…as many people as God allows me to reach.”

For Brown, the restaurant is a ministry—a way of thanking God for a life full of grace. “God has me right where he wants me,” he says. “I bring folks a lot of kindness. My dream is to bring people together. When we come together--when we work together--anything is possible.”

Pops 4