Christy Brown is grateful for the opportunity to join Vine Street as an intern minister this year.
A native Tennessean, Christy grew up in McMinnville, and attended the University of Tennessee, where she met her husband Wendell in Architecture School. After graduation, the couple lived in Nashville where Christy pursued an MBA at Vanderbilt and went on to work in commercial real estate and construction. Eventually, she transitioned to residential real estate to have more flexibility to be home with their children.
Wendell and Christy raised their 3 sons in Nashville and Brentwood and have been members of Woodmont Christian Church for the past 26 years, where Christy has served as Deacon, Sunday School teacher, VBS Director, Stephen Minister, and one of the less-talented members of the Handbell Choir. In addition, she has been an advocate for special education and gifted students’ rights in both Metro Nashville and Williamson County school systems, and she was a Destination Imagination team manager for 17 years.
Christy’s path to the ministry began when she first volunteered with Freedom Schools in 2017. The experience opened her heart and mind to working with and learning from minority populations as well as opening her heart to the black church. “I believe that there is a joy and truth in many black churches that many white congregations have lost, and I am committed to learning from black leaders and creating opportunities for black and white congregations to come together to form the full body of Christ.” To pursue this calling, Christy enrolled as a full-time MDiv student at Vanderbilt in 2023, where she is pursuing concentrations in Black Religion and Culture Studies as well as Global Christianities and Interreligious Encounters. Christy currently serves as a student member of the board of the Disciples’ Divinity House and on the Tennessee Disciples Anti-Racism/Pro-Reconciliation Committee. She is excited to become a part of Vine Street, a church with a legacy of pursuing ecumenical ministries and not shying away from challenging conversations.