Mt Zion/Pleasant Hill United Methodist Churches
Bennett-Seagrove, North Carolina 27341
336-309-0087

• Education: A.Div, Pastoral Ministries New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans, La Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC BA, Biblical Studies Luther Rice Bible College, Lithonia,Ga MA, Theology Jacksonville Baptist Theological Seminary, Jacksonville, Fl D.Min, Preaching Jacksonville Baptist Theological Seminary, Jacksonville, Fl
• Experience: Pastor 1982 - present Churches in Louisiana, Florida and North Carolina.
• Comment to those looking at my sermons: Read the Scripture seriously. Don’t take me that way!
• Sermon or series that made a difference: The "One Anothers of the Bible" published (Spring 2000) by: Proclaim Magazine Lifeway Christian Resources 127 Ninth Ave Nashville, Tn 37234
• One of my favorite illustrations: While attending seminary our two older children (ages 9 and 7) seemed to attract every other child in the mobile home park for after-school games of hide and seek. Our youngest, Carrie, was not quite 3-and (in the minds of the older siblings) always in the way. It was something you could count on; ten minutes into the games our little one would get pushed aside or skin a knee. One afternoon she came through the front door crying for mommy. She had gotten the worst again. My wife, Elizabeth, at
• Family: Russell and Elizabeth were high school sweethearts. That was 47 years ago! (They’re not in high school any more, but the sweetheart thing still goes!) Raised in rural New York, the Brownworths migrated in 1977 to Florida with young children Jennifer and Jason. Carrie was born a true "Southerner".
• What my parents think of my sermons: Billy Graham should have attended my ordination to formally announce his retirement. (I asked Dr. Graham to ignore their telegrams).
• What my spouse (really) thinks of my sermons: She told me I had to ask Dr. Graham to ignore my parents’ telegrams.
• Best advice given to me about preaching: "Don’t miss the opportunity to end." -- Pat Giffin (my mentor) "Start it well, end it soon." -- Luther Dorr (teacher)
• Books that have had an impact: Frog In the Kettle -- George Barna How Now Shall We Live -- Chuck Colson The Greening of the Church -- Findlay Edge
• Hobbies: Golf
• If I could Preach one more time, I would say...: I beseech ye therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye might prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Romans 12.1-2
• Something funny that happened while preaching: We baptized at the start of the service. The baptistry was located underneath the platform. Considering it took four grown men to lift the covers off, we didn’t take the time to replace the covers until after the service was over. Every time I preached after a baptism, I would have to roam around "the hole" in the platform. If I walked near it, the whole congregation seemed to be swaying with me, wondering if the preacher was going to fall in and get baptized again!
• What I want on my tombstone: He wasn’t perfect, but he was His!

• The Pastor's Points
• Russell Brownworth - Sermons on Video