Obadiah Bruen Brown
Encyclopedia
Obadiah Bruen Brown was a Baptist
clergyman who served as Chaplain of the House (1807–1809 and 1814–1815) and as Chaplain of the Senate (1809–1810).
, on July 20, 1779, the son of Mary Bruen Brown and Eleazar Brown. Raised a Presbyterian, Brown started attending the Baptist Church when it was organized in Newark. At age 24, he joined this church and soon the members of the congregation began encouraging him to enter the ministry. Within a few months, O.B. Brown had gone to Scotch Plains, New Jersey
, to study theology with the Rev. William Van Horn, pastor of the most prominent Baptist church in the New Jersey-New York area.
in 1807 to preach several sermons as a test of his ability. The Washington First Baptist Church voted, without a dissenting vote, to appoint him as their first pastor. The church could not financially support a pastor. So Brown obtained a clerkship in the United States Post Office and eventually held the post of Chief of the Contract Division. He became the fiscal agent representing several Congressmen in Washington during the months they returned to their home states. He and his wife Elizabeth turned their home into a boardinghouse. Brown was the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Washington for more than 40 years.
Brown served as Chaplain of the House (1807–1809 and 1814–1815) and as Chaplain of the Senate (1809–1810).
At the encouragement of President James Monroe
, Brown was among a group of Baptist leaders who created the Columbian College, which decades later became the George Washington University
. In 1822, Columbian College was formally inaugurated. The college property was in Obadiah Brown's name on the deed. He was the president of the college trustees.
Brown died on May 2, 1852. For years, Washingtonians still thought of the sanctuary he had built for the second meetinghouse of the First Baptist Church as "Brown's Church"; when the congregation moved, it was renovated to become Ford's Theater. O. B. Brown's body was buried in the Congressional Cemetery
; the remains were moved to Oak Hill Cemetery on November 10, 1868.
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
clergyman who served as Chaplain of the House (1807–1809 and 1814–1815) and as Chaplain of the Senate (1809–1810).
Early life
Obadiah Bruen Brown was born in Newark, New JerseyNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, on July 20, 1779, the son of Mary Bruen Brown and Eleazar Brown. Raised a Presbyterian, Brown started attending the Baptist Church when it was organized in Newark. At age 24, he joined this church and soon the members of the congregation began encouraging him to enter the ministry. Within a few months, O.B. Brown had gone to Scotch Plains, New Jersey
Scotch Plains, New Jersey
Scotch Plains is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the township population increased to a record high of 23,510.-History:...
, to study theology with the Rev. William Van Horn, pastor of the most prominent Baptist church in the New Jersey-New York area.
Ministry
Brown was invited to Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1807 to preach several sermons as a test of his ability. The Washington First Baptist Church voted, without a dissenting vote, to appoint him as their first pastor. The church could not financially support a pastor. So Brown obtained a clerkship in the United States Post Office and eventually held the post of Chief of the Contract Division. He became the fiscal agent representing several Congressmen in Washington during the months they returned to their home states. He and his wife Elizabeth turned their home into a boardinghouse. Brown was the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Washington for more than 40 years.
Brown served as Chaplain of the House (1807–1809 and 1814–1815) and as Chaplain of the Senate (1809–1810).
At the encouragement of President James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
, Brown was among a group of Baptist leaders who created the Columbian College, which decades later became the George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
. In 1822, Columbian College was formally inaugurated. The college property was in Obadiah Brown's name on the deed. He was the president of the college trustees.
Personal life
Brown married Elizabeth Jackson Reilly. Their four children include Mary Elizabeth Brown, Dr. William Van Horne Brown and Thomas B. Brown.Brown died on May 2, 1852. For years, Washingtonians still thought of the sanctuary he had built for the second meetinghouse of the First Baptist Church as "Brown's Church"; when the congregation moved, it was renovated to become Ford's Theater. O. B. Brown's body was buried in the Congressional Cemetery
Congressional Cemetery
The Congressional Cemetery is a historic cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the final resting place of thousands of individuals who helped form the nation and the city of Washington in the early 19th century. Many members of...
; the remains were moved to Oak Hill Cemetery on November 10, 1868.