Written by Ben Cox – Sitting a couple blocks off of Coggin Avenue, in the midst of the A, B, C’s and 1, 2, 3’s of Brownwood’s residential area, the Brownwood Evangelism Center reaches families of all walks of life, and has been the church home to some of its members for its entire 70 year existence.
Pastor Ken Colgrove has been in the pulpit at BEC for 18 years now, after spending most of his life in ministry. Feeling the call at 16, Colgrove knew early on that the pulpit was where he belonged.
Colgrove started as a youth minister, returning to his home church after graduating from Texas Bible College in Houston. He then embarked on a ministry of his own after a few years, but not in one specific church.
“I started an evangelistic ministry, where I traveled to churches preaching and conducting revival services on a full time basis. Thats all I did, I didn’t work on a church staff exclusively, I just traveled and stayed busy preaching revivals in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and other parts.”
After five years on the road, with small children at home, Colgrove decided a single church was where he was meant to be. He spent 10 years preaching at a church in Ranger before settling in Brownwood almost 20 years ago.
The Brownwood Evangelism Center celebrates serving Brownwood for 70 years this October, and has been in its current building at Ave D & 14th St since the mid fifties. “What’s amazing is that some of the same people that were a part of this church as charter members are still here, which is incredible.”
The church will hold a special Friday night service on October 12th, to mark the exact day the church was founded. In attendance that night will be the General Superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church International, who will speak during the celebrationg.
Also in attendance that day will be State Representative Mike Lang, who recently honored the church. Colgrove says Lang “had the Texas Legislature pass a resolution expressing acknowledgement and gratitude on our 70th year, and he will present that to the church as well as the flag that flies over the Capitol that day.”
The church is Pentecostal in practice, which Colgrove describes as an enthusiastic and vibrant worship experience. “The name itself is borrowed from Acts Chapter two” says Colgrove.
“On the day of Pentecost (when the Spirit of the Lord fell onto Jesus disciples as he ascended to Heaven, Acts 2:14-36) the Bible says those that witnessed the phenomenon said these men are drunk. So there had to have been such an emotional response, such a physical response to the outpouring of the Spirit that it caused those that witnessed it to think these men might even be intoxicated. So our worship is trying to emulate that.”
Colgrove continues “no one here is going to break their neck turning around to see who the fanatic is who shouted Amen or Alleluia to the preaching. It’s very interactive.”
The Brownwood Evangelism Center has three services every week, Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday night. The church can be reached via their website, by calling 325-643-3500, or by visiting 2515 Ave D in Brownwood.
