Dorothy Brown (‘19) already had a long and successful career as a special education teacher before she came to study at the Philadelphia location of Lancaster Bible College | Capital Seminary & Graduate School. For 36 years, she brought her passion for educating minds in the classroom. Now, she’s preparing to educate minds in the church.
Today, Brown is working towards a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies to fulfill her call to become a minister. Informally, she’s been doing just that for many years. She’s the assistant minster at her home church, New Psalm Baptist Church and an ordained Baptist minister. She also works with the young adults and youth at her church and teaches in the church, as well as a host of other positions and activities adjacent to ministry. She jokingly refers to herself as a mother of 36. “I have three biological children,” she explained. “And 33 church kids who I like to call my ‘adopted’ children.” Clearly, Brown’s heart for service has always been a significant part of who she is.
After Brown retired from teaching, she decided it was finally time to answer the call she’d felt for years. “After first feeling the called to ministry in 2009, I relented and finally listened to God in 2010,” she said. “While I was fighting it, so many things seemed to go wrong – I was diagnosed with illnesses, suffered from few strokes and I knew I was resisting what God had for me. What’s amazing is that when I finally got on my knees and said, ‘Lord, your will be done,’ things instantly started to fall into place.” She had heard about LBC | Capital from her pastor and friends and decided to inquire about the college’s program. After speaking to the Philadelphia site director, Zachary Ritvalsky, she had a feeling it was the right choice for her. And so far, that’s proven to be true.
“I am very glad I chose LBC for my bachelor’s degree,” said Brown. “LBC gives you a truly holistic education. It is an institution concerned with the students’ spiritual, physical and mental stability. The Bible tells us to love the Lord with all your mind, heart and soul and that is the attitude at LBC. They really desire to engage their students’ heart, mind and soul.” And while Brown is officially retired from teaching, she’s still found a way to use her education skills: she’s tutoring other LBC students. In her own words, she referred to it as, “Each one teach one.”
Brown also said that she’s been deeply impacted by her topic of study. “Something that’s really impacted me while studying the Bible at LBC is learning to understand the culture and the historical context of to specific passages,” she said. “It helps me to help others understand why it was stated and gives me a deeper understanding of scriptures.” Brown also shared that she’s already used what she’s learned in the classroom while preparing teachings for the church. “I’m growing in my knowledge of God’s word so much,” she said. “And I can’t wait to see how God will use me in this next phase of my life.”