From the Desk of Bro. Rev. Dr. Arlester Brown, R.C

Bro. Rev. Dr. Arlester Brown was born in Homer, Louisiana. He attended high school in Grambling and was drafted into the service in 1943; completed basic training at Camp Ellis. Peoria, IL, then to New York City where he boarded a transport ship that took him to Southampton, England.

Bro. Brown is a proud graduate of Grambling State University, class of 1949 where he received bachelor’s in Teaching Education. He also holds a master’s degree in Education Administration from Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas, and ascended to Principal in the Shreveport, Louisiana Public School System, before retiring in 1970.

Subsequently, Bro. Brown called to Methodist Ministry. He attended Wesley Theological Seminary from 1969 – 1972 and continued his education at Howard University School of Religion, graduating with a Master’s of Divinity and additional theological studies in 1975. He was pastor of several United Methodist churches in Maryland and Washington, DC and served with the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church as a presiding elder overseeing churches in Virginia, Maryland, and DC. He was chaplain and an instructor for the Oak Hill Youth Prison Center (a program that helps young boys to become productive citizens upon release). He was also chaplain of the Capitol Hill Hospital for several years.

Never one to let the grass grow under his feet, Bro. Brown was initiated into Mu Lamba 4/3/1980. Since retiring in 1991, he served as an interim pastor in several churches and received an honorary doctorate from the Universal Life Church in California in 1999. In 2003, he was inducted into the Preacher Hall of Fame at Simpson Hamline United Methodist Church in Washington, DC. He also served as a chaplain of Mu Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

He currently resides in the Washington, DC metropolitan Veteran Retired Home as a retired Methodist clergy. He continues to enjoy networking, being a blessing to others, gardening, reading, an advocate for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and bowling as well as his church the National United Methodist Church, and currenlty working on writing his legacy book. Bro. Brown was married to the late and loving Ozeal Shyne Brown - past Basileus of Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Washington, DC. She was Basileus of Xi Omega Chapter when the chapter home was purchased.

Respectfully submitted,

Rev. Dr. Arlester Brown, R.C.