Jesse's Background

Rev. Dr. Jesse Brown joined the Foundation's board in 2013, and three years later became the chairperson of the Board Advancement and Nominations Committee. He is the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Chicago, the oldest Baptist congregation in that metropolitan area.

Jesse graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in political science in 1972 and earned his Master of Divinity degree (1977) and Doctor of Ministry degree (2012) from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a past president of the American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago and was part of the leadership team for Immerse 2012, the National Youth Event of the American Baptist Churches USA, held in Washington, D.C.

He has taught Christian education workshops in the Chicago area and has led mission teams to Alaska, Jamaica, Cuba, and Costa Rica. For 19 of his 38 years as a pastor, Jesse worked for the General Motors Acceptance Corporation as a finance and insurance consultant.