If you ever visit the Teen Empowerment building on Genessee Street, you’ll likely be greeted by a man with a bright smile and joyful disposition.
Jerrard Brown is usually the first face the teenagers see, something that's been the case since he joined the organization about two years ago as the office and facilities manager.
“My passion for the youth, my passion for community, it just makes sense,” Brown said.
And he has another passion.
Around the same time that he accepted the position at Teen Empowerment, Brown was installed as the youngest-ever senior pastor at Holy Trinity Baptist Church on North Street. Since he assumed leadership, Brown said, the church membership has more than tripled as he worked vigorously to change the culture within his congregation.
“Most of my accomplishments were done while I was unsure of who I was supposed to be,” Brown said while reflecting on his journey. “This is the first time I've actually paused to celebrate anything, because I just keep going.”
Brown grew up on the east side of Rochester as the youngest — by minutes, anyway — of triplets. He has an identical brother and a fraternal sister. They and their older brother had a humble upbringing. Brown said he recalls shopping with food stamps, going to food pantries, and sometimes being physically abused.
“I had wished for a better life,” Brown said. “But now I'm grateful for that life, because I have grace for people that live in that life.”
It’s that ability to relate to the masses that has allowed Brown to navigate both worlds as a church leader and a “homie."
“I think the pastor should be the homie,” Brown said. “I'm not Jesus. I represent him, but I'm not perfect.”
Syeire Foster appreciates that attitude. The 16-year-old is normally the first teen to arrive at Teen Empowerment for after-school programs. Being in the facility hours earlier than his peers has allowed Foster to develop a bond with Brown that he said keeps him returning.
“(Brown) just brings a positive energy for everybody who walks into Teen Empowerment,” Foster said. “He's smart, he’s kind, he's uplifting, and overall, he just has a good personality.”
When Foster found out that Brown is also a pastor, he said he was surprised.
“He’s got that cool person vibe. You wouldn’t typically get that vibe from pastors,” Foster said.
Brown’s “coolness” was not always well-received among congregations. His clergy history includes being ostracized from various churches.
“I was too crazy for them. I was too radical for them,” he said. “I was a revolutionary.”
He ultimately began his own church until he took over at Holy Trinity.
Shanterra Mitchum, associate pastor at Holy Trinity and director of programs at Teen Empowerment, described Brown as the type of pastor who will leave the pulpit and worship on the floor with the people.
“He eliminated, just so organically, this divide between church leadership and the congregation,” Mitchum said.
She also applauds Brown for his unifying intergenerational approach to leadership.
“Being able to bridge that gap has been difficult, but he has been very strategic in navigating that; to align all of us and bring us all together,” Mitchum said.
Recently, Brown’s sermons have gained popularity within the community, after preaching at funeral services with a more youthful audience. His style is gaining respect from those outside the church walls as well.
“I mix in truth with reality, and so it's almost like culture,” Brown said. “For me, it's all about knowing your audience and then not feeling like you’re better than the audience.”
