Rev. David K. Brawley, Senior Pastor
Passion, love and fervor for the Word of God are manifest in the life and preaching of Rev. David K. Brawley. His obedience to the call of ministry is evidenced in his leadership, his commitment to the demands of ministry is affirmed by his availability.
Rev. Brawley began his full time career in ministry in 1994 at St. Paul Community Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York under the tutelage of Rev. Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood (Senior Pastor 1974-2009). An integral part of the St. Paul leadership since his arrival, specifically serving as Dr. Youngblood’s Assistant Pastor since 1995, Rev. Brawley was named Pastor Successor of St. Paul Community Baptist Church in January 2008. David Keith Brawley cultivated a relationship with God’s Word when he was quite young. At the age of sixteen, Rev. Brawley responded to God’s will upon his life and was ordained by Rev. Winifred Pippen of First Baptist Church in Deer Park, New York. He became the youth minister at First Baptist where he maintained his membership for thirteen years.
During his tenure at St. Paul, Rev. Brawley has served in a myriad of roles: Coordinator of the Men-in-Training program for the St. Paul Community Board of Elders, pastoral counseling, officiating at sacred events such as weddings, baby dedications and home going services, community organizing, leading worship services and as an on-call teacher to the congregation. His organizing efforts play a dynamic role in the church’s community development activities where he serves as a member of the Governance Board and Strategy Team of East Brooklyn Congregations (EBC), an organization which has been at the forefront of construction projects that have resulted in over 3000 affordable homes in the borough of Brooklyn. In his position at EBC, Rev. Brawley has been an outspoken advocate for public school reform and has addressed issues such as public safety, housing and quality of life concerns on behalf of neighborhood residents. Rev. Brawley’s community involvement also includes his role as Vice President of E.D.I.F.Y. Communities of East New York. E.D.I.F.Y. seeks to increase the vitality and value of urban communities by pooling resources and charitable funds. E.D.I.F.Y. is a not-for-profit organization whose acronym stands for Empower, Develop and Improve Families and Youth, which succinctly describes its mission.
In 2004, Rev. Brawley joined the ranks of distinguished alumni of the Faith Seminary of Tacoma, Washington having earned his Masters Degree in Theological Studies. Currently, he is preparing to become Rev. Dr. David Keith Brawley as he purses his doctorate in ministry, also at Faith Seminary.
As Rev. Brawley contemplates the growth of ministry, he envisions the pastor’s role being redefined to become a true reflection of the pastor as a human being and as a leader. His four principles for a strong, productive ministry are: (1) creating a thriving worship experience; (2) actively engaging in community organizing; (3) edifying God’s people and (4) becoming a beacon of economic development for the community the ministry serves. As a pastor, Rev. Brawley possesses the gifts of exhortation, inspiration, motivation and encouragement. He doesn’t only share these gifts in worship services, but across the nation at men’s conferences, revivals and youth group programming.
Rev. David K. Brawley resides in Brooklyn, New York with his wife Debra and their two children, Rhonesha and Michael.
