Presiding Elder-Retired AME Church O’Neal Hayes Brown Sr. was a native of West Columbia, South Carolina. He was born to Laura West Brown and Hayes Brown. His parents, four brothers, John, Rodney, Tom, and Crosby and two sisters, Cleo and Corinne preceded him in death. As a boy, he often testified that he was born to preach the Gospel. At the age of 5, he designed his own pulpit from a cardboard box and began preaching.
Brown was converted and baptized at an early age and united with Double Branch AME Church in West Columbia (now Turner Memorial AME Church). In 1927, at age 12, Brown was licensed to preach. Brown traveled as a boy evangelist es, conducting revivals and preaching the Word of God. He organized the first choir at Turner Memorial AME Church and directed the Young People’s Choir.
In 1933, Brown was ordained as an Itinerant Deacon in the AME Church. In 1935, he relocated to St. Louis to fulfill a request of his late mother to be with his brothers John and Crosby.
In November 1935 Brown was ordained as an Itinerant Elder. His first pastoral appointment in the Missouri Conference was at Buren Chapel AME Church in Herculaneum.
In 1936, he united in holy matrimony to Rosie Lee Jackson and to this union nine children were born. He was a proud and devoted father who encouraged his children to get an education.
Brown served faithfully and diligently for 42 years as a pastor of eight churches in the Missouri Conference. He was referred to as the “Resolution Man” who wrote and read Resolutions in the Missouri Conference for 25 years. The 1965 Resolution is published in his book: From Boy Preacher to Serving God & Humanity.
In 1977, he married Ernestyne K. Clay.
Brown transferred to the Northwest Missouri Conference where he served as a pastor in a Kansas City church for eight years before being appointed Presiding Elder of the St. Louis-Cape Girardeau District. He served the district for 19 years and licensed 66 men and women to preach.
In 2006, Reverend Brown received a Meritorious Service award at the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the General Board.
He leaves to cherish his legacy, his devoted and loving wife, Ernestyne; nine children, Robert Hayes Brown, Helen Louise Hairston (Attral), Joyce Katherine Phillips (Charles), O’Neal Hayes, Jr., Roland Samuel Brown (Naomi), Paul Frederick Brown (Janice), William Louis Brown Sr. (Patricia), Ruby Christine O’Quinn (Jerry), and Macie Monica Lee; two stepchildren, Loyse Clay Jr. (Charlet) and Alisa K. Jones; and five generations of grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins.