We write to you with some sad news about the death of the Reverend David W. Brown. Information regarding his service can be found below. We give God great thanks for his life and his dedication to the life and ministry of The Episcopal Church in Connecticut. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Yours in Christ,
Bishop Jeff & Bishop Laura
Ecclesiastes 12:7
And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the breath returns to God who gave it.
Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Let Us Pray
Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant: the Reverend David W. Brown. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.
May the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
The Reverend David W. Brown
August 23, 1926 – September 1, 2024
The Reverend David Wooster Brown died on September 1 in Ivoryton, CT. He was the Organist/Choirmaster at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Naugatuck, where he met his future wife Carole Bower.
In 1959, Father Brown received his Master of Divinity from Yale-Berkeley Divinity School, and was ordained in the Episcopal Church that same year. He served churches in Norwich, CT, before taking the position as Rector at Christ Church, Montpelier, VT, in 1966. In Vermont, he also taught theology and was a member of the ACU Theological Committee, and he was an Associate of the Order of Holy Cross in West Park, NY.
As Rural Dean in Northeastern, VT, and later Canon Missioner for the Diocese (from 1975-1980), he championed the ordination of women, the full empowerment of all the baptized for ministry, and developed the concept of cluster/team ministries—in which small, underfunded churches share resources and clergy. This work included the groundbreaking Border Ministry, involving congregations in the three dioceses of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Quebec.
The Browns relocated to Durham, CT, in 1980, and Fr. Brown served as Senior Priest for the five-point CT Middlesex Area Cluster Ministry for the next nine years. He then retired from full-time pastoral ministry, and continued his work with the Roland Allen Forum, the Transfiguration Community, the Leadership Academy for New Directions, and New Directions Northeast.
Fr. Brown went on to shepherd the emerging Greater Hartford Regional Ministry for five years, and directed the Regional Ministry Leadership Seminar, which he founded. Throughout his ministry, he published reviews and editorials for The Living Church and Ministry Renewal Journal, among others, and was a much sought-after consultant in the areas of Total Common Ministry, Regional Ministry, and theological/ecclesial formation.
A memorial liturgy will be celebrated at Emmanuel Church, Killingworth, CT, at 10:00 AM on September 28, 2024. The Church will also stream the service over Facebook Live. Rather than flowers, memorial gifts might be made to the New London Homeless Hospitality Center, P.O. Box 1651, New London, CT 06320.