Jerry was saved at a young age. He surrendered to preach at a tent meeting under the preaching of Tony Hutson. Jerry’s parents answered the call to missions in 1993 and arrived on the field of Tanzania in 1995. While in Africa, Jerry was always involved in the ministry by teaching out in the villages, public schools, Bible Clubs, and Sunday school. He also worked on the evangelistic puppet team that has seen hundreds of people saved. When Jerry was seventeen years old, he surrendered to go back to Tanzania. God’s calling was clear during a sermon at Pastors’ School. Soon after surrendering, he enrolled at Hyles-Anderson College and graduated in 2007. While attending college, he captained a bus route and taught a boys Sunday school class. He also worked at the college for two of the years he was enrolled.

Rachel was born and raised in a Baptist preacher’s home (Dr. Larry Brown). At the age of nine with the help of her mother, she received Christ. As a young person, Rachel surrendered to do whatever God wanted. In February of 2003, her father hired her as the full-time secretary of their church, Marion Avenue Baptist Church. She worked in this position until September of 2005, when she enrolled in college. Jerry and Rachel met at college and began dating. While dating, Rachel was able to visit Tanzania, and after a time of praying and seeking God’s will, she knew that the mission field is what God had in store for her.

Jerry and Rachel were married on July 6, 2007. On November 5, 2010, the Lord blessed them with a son, David Jerry Wyatt; and on June 13, 2012, they were blessed with a second child, Kate Dianne.

Jerry is currently the pastor of Faith Baptist Church Morogoro. He and his wife have served the Lord in this ministry since arriving on the field in 2009, and in 2012 Jerry became pastor. The Lord has truly blessed this ministry with the inception of an orphan home in 2013 and many other new ministries. Pray as God continues to work in this truly needy field of Tanzania.

Our sending church, Marion Avenue Baptist Church, is the church that my wife grew up in as a child and teenager. This was also the church were my father-in-law pastored for thirty-eight years. The current pastor is Joseph Brown, my brother in-law, who has visited Tanzania on three different occasions. Marion Avenue truly has a heart for missions. Groups from the church have made multiple trips to Tanzania to help us with conferences and special building projects, as well as many other ministry opportunities.

July 2011 – Pastor Larry Brown resigned the pastorate, delving into full-time world evangelism. He is loved and will be missed, but to the glory of God, the pulpit of the Marion Avenue Baptist Church will still be located “under the spout where the glory comes out”!

July 17, 2011 – Joseph Brown, son of Pastor Larry Brown, became the new pastor of the Marion Avenue Baptist Church. Pastor Joseph Brown has a vision and a passion to shepherd the flock, preach the Word, and reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Through these wonderful thirty-eight years, God has led His dear children along. He has blessed in ways innumerable and used this ministry to change thousands of lives. Because of His blessings, the church is continuing to grow and reach Southeast Iowa for the cause of Christ. The buses are still rolling, the Gospel is still being preached, and lives are still being changed. To God be the glory, the pulpit will remain hot, souls will walk the aisles for salvation, and the baptismal waters will continue to be stirred!