It was hard to keep track of Ron Brown when he attended EMHS. Juggling the demands of multiple activities like soccer, basketball, SCO, choir and course work kept Ron busy and focused while a 2 boarding student, away from his missionary parents.
As a missionary youth, Ron never knew the concept of a stranger and lived the example that his parents set of being Christ-like to all he met. He recalls that same sense of welcoming extended to him at EMHS as a boarding student. It was not uncommon for Ron to be “taken under the wings of the loving Mennonite community” who had become his family. Whether it was going to classmates’ homes for a meal, getting rides to activities or “just generally being loved on,” Ron instantly felt he was a part of this special community and formed lifelong bonds of friendship which he still holds today. He also credits Touring and Chamber choirs and the opportunity to travel and minister to others as pivotal to his future career in the mission field.
Ron received his B.S. in Biology from Asbury College (KY ) and a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling from Eastern Kentucky University. The call to serve and extend the kindness he so gratefully received from others was answered when he and his wife Becky served the Native American community in Arizona. There Ron had the “privilege to lead in countless ways”: as teacher, coach, parent, and being ‘dad’ and now ‘grandad’ to students in dire situations. His love for service in the world came full circle as he served as a missionary in Barcelona, Spain. His son’s sudden battle with thyroid cancer brought Ron back to the U.S. and to employment with the Christian Medical & Dental Association, and ultimately to Global Health Outreach. There Ron has been instrumental in outreach services and placement of medical teams in closed countries, and involved in planting churches in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Ron credits his wife and four children for any measure of success he’s ever witnessed. He quipped, “Behind every successful man is a surprised wife. But in all seriousness, nine-tenths of any success I’ve seen in my career is credited to the Lord and the rest to my family. I take no credit except to give it to those around me.” Humbled to receive this award Ron stated, “Receiving this honor is truly a living tribute to my parents, who raised us for the kingdom, with the notion of service above self.”
