REV. DR. ARISTIDE BROWN, SR.

The Reverend Dr. Aristide Brown, Sr. was born at Charity Hospital, New Orleans, Louisiana to Fred and Queen Brown on July 18, 1930.  On Sunday, September 12, 2021 at 3:40PM, he departed this life at his appointed time.

He was the youngest of eight children.  His sibling’s names in order of their ages from oldest to youngest are Douglas, Lucile, Larence, Roseleone, Arthur, John and Mildred.

Born into a God-fearing home, he attended the Old Saint Mark Baptist Church in Louisiana where he accepted Jesus the Christ as Lord and Savior and experienced scriptural baptism.

Reared and raised in Batchelor, Louisiana, he attended school in the Pointe Coupee Parish School District.  He continued his educational pursuits through the United States Army. In 1989, Aristide achieved a Doctorate degree through the Guadalupe Theological Seminary in San Antonio, Texas.

He married the love of his life, Mary Jane Young of Morganza, Louisiana, at the Little Rock Baptist Church on the 20th day of June 1953, Reverend Louis Pearson, Officiant.  Official witnesses to this ceremony were Rev. J.H. Thomas Jr., Roosevelt Johnson and John Boone, Sr. along with family members, friends and many from the communities of Batchelor, Innis, Morganza and New Roads.  Aristide and Mary Jane were married for 68 years until death separated them.  The Fruit of this union is Gregory Lee Brown, Linda Queen Brown Hatch (Deceased 2018), Ray Darrel Brown, Michael Steve Brown and Aristide Brown, Jr. 

Aristide worked many places growing up, to include the family farm, and the Coca Cola Bottling Company.  In 1953, he voluntarily signed up for military service in the United States Army.  He served in two wars, The Korean War and the Vietnam War. Awarded numerous citations, certificates, awards and medals to include the Good Conduct Medal, given to him 5 times for honorable and faithful service and the Bronze Star Medal, given for heroic and meritorious achievement.

While serving in the United States Army, Aristide Brown, Sr. was chosen to be a Deacon.  He later accepted his call to preach under the leadership of Pastor Walter Abercrombie Sr. at the Marlboro Heights Missionary Baptist Church, Killeen, Texas.  He pastored his first church in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and later served as the assistant Pastor of the St. Stephens Baptist Church of San Antonio, under Dr. L. C. Griffin.

He retired after 20 years from distinguished military service on October 31, 1973 at Fort Sam Houston Army Base.  After retirement from the United States Army, he worked in a Civil Service position and taught at San Antonio’s only HBCU, St. Philips College until he became a full-time Pastor of the then, Tree Mount Temple Baptist Church of San Antonio, Texas September 2, 1972.

Under his leadership at Tree Mount, the church grew spiritually, evangelistically, numerically and in missions. Pastor Aristide erected two structures for worship, study, fellowship and administration and remodeled two structures during his tenure.  

In 2005, Pastor Aristide Brown retired.  In 2006, he came out of retirement to give pastoral leadership to the Anointed Rock Baptist Church and in 2010 he later merged the Anointed Rock Baptist Church with the Greater Tree Mount Temple Baptist Church and the church became known as the Anointed Tree Mount Temple Baptist Church. 

Pastor Aristide Brown retired a second time in 2012.  The City of San Antonio honored Pastor Aristide Brown for his dedicated 40+ years of service to the community by renaming “G” Street, the former address of the Tree Mount Temple Baptist Church to “Reverend Aristide Brown Way”.

Family members who celebrate Pastor Aristide, Sr.’s presence with the Lord are his wife, Mary Jane Brown, his four sons, Gregory Lee Brown, Ray Darrell Brown (Marilyn), Michael Steve Brown (Joy), Aristide Brown, Jr.;  his eight grandchildren, Robert Percy Wilson, Natasha Deshawn Wilson, Lauren Ashley Gertman (Alvin), Ray Darrell Brown, Jr., Tremond “T.J.” Brown, Spencer Brown, Mychael Jenise Brown, Aristide Brown III, Angelo Christian Brown and a host of great grandchildren and other relatives and friends.