Rev. Amos Brown stepping down from pulpit at Third Baptist Church
Rev. Amos Brown retiring
Civil rights activist Rev. Amos Brown is delivering his final sermon as the senior pastor of Third Baptist Church this Sunday, as he steps down from the role he’s had for nearly 50 years.
SAN FRANCISCO - Civil rights activist Rev. Amos Brown is delivering his final sermon as senior pastor of San Francisco's Third Baptist Church this Sunday, as he steps down from the role he’s had for nearly 50 years.
Instead of calling it a "retirement," he said it’s a transition as he becomes "pastor emeritus."
The backstory:
Rev. Brown has been a leader in social justice movements across the country, saying that no one – no matter their race, gender, or sexual orientation – should be left out of the American dream.
"If we don’t learn to live together as brothers and sisters, Dr. King said it best, we will all perish as fools," he said.
His advocacy and work spanned over 70 years, demonstrating with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and making "good trouble" along the likes of Jesse Jackson and John Lewis.
"We did it peacefully. We did it strategically," he said.
He was a freedom rider and his peaceful protests took him all over the country.
A longstanding leader of the San Francisco NAACP, he serves on the national board of directors.
"It was in 1955 when I organized the first youth council of NAACP," he said.
The reverend came to San Francisco in 1976 to lead Third Baptist Church.
He was appointed to the Board of Supervisors by Mayor Willie Brown, who said the reverend brought together people from all backgrounds.
"The faith movement of our city became a part of what Amos Brown became relatively well known for," said Willie Brown, calling the reverend irreplaceable.
Reverend says movement made great strides, but country has gone backwards
"There’s a constitutional crisis now with this president, and America still has not fulfilled the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all people," he said.
His final sermon as lead pastor falls on the same day as Juneteenth celebrations in the city, a coincidence well-fitted for the occasion.
What's next:
The city is renaming a couple blocks of Pierce St. alongside the church "Dr. Amos Brown Way" in his honor.
On Saturday, city leaders will gather on Pierce Street to rename Pierce St. adjacent to the church "Dr. Amos Brown Way" at 11:30 a.m.
On Sunday, the church is hosting a free designation service starting at 3 o’clock, followed by a reservation-only reception.