Pastors of Temple Deliverance Church receive historic district award for work in Mitchelltown

A husband-and-wife pastoring team of the Temple of Deliverance Church has received the first Pride of Olde Kinston Award given out in five years for their work in Mitchelltown.

“They are such good neighbors, good stewards of a historic property and just such a contribution to the district and the community, which is why I felt they were deserving of the award,” said Rose Clark, president of the Mitchelltown Preservation Society, who nominated Pastors Robert and Lorraine Brown for the award, which is given by the city of Kinston and the Kinston Historic District Commission.

Robert Brown is a Kinston native; his wife Lorraine is a Lenoir County native. Clark is also a member of the Historic District Commission.

The award is given to home or business owners living in one of the city’s five historic districts — Mitchelltown, Downtown Commercial, Hill-Grainger, Queen-Gordon and Trianon — who have preserved their properties or contributed to “the health, safety and general welfare of their community,” according to a statement from the city of Kinston.

The Browns established their congregation at the West Lenoir Avenue church about five years ago, after operating a church in the Kmart shopping center on North Queen Street.

The building had been home to the First Free Will Baptist congregation for more than 100 years, but the membership was aging and much of the facility was unused and falling into disrepair.

“The other church, they were a blessing to us,” Lorraine Brown said. “They helped us and when we purchased the church, it helped them, so it’s been win-win.”

The First F.W.B. congregation was able to re-establish itself in another church building in Kinston.

Since the Browns took over the pastorship, they have cleaned and repaired much of the facility, such as putting in new windows and a roof, and new paint and carpets, and they have improved the exterior of the red-brick church.

Some outdoor maintenance still needs to be done, such as resurfacing the parking lot. Lorraine Brown said having a pleasing exterior is critical to creating a good first impression.

“Before people enter our doors we want to make sure the outside tells a story,” she said.

The Temple of Deliverance congregation has grown to about 150 members, many who live within a five to six-block radius and walk to services.

“We liked this structure and the building and the opportunity it presented to us. … We came in this community because we felt like we could make a difference,” Robert Brown said.

The church, fellowship hall, and grounds play host to a number of community outreach activities, including several meetings between residents and city officials in the wake of crimes in the neighborhood this past summer.

Community outreach efforts include the “Brown Bag Initiative” where the pastors bring bag lunches to the Kinston homeless shelter, youth events, and encouragement from the pastors to people to come in and find a different way of living.

Mitchelltown, home to some of Kinston’s wealthiest residents a century ago, is now dealing with crimes, petty and major. Men and women can often be seen wandering the streets aimlessly. The Browns have tried to encourage those folks to get involved in the church.

“We try to convince some of the young guys out in the streets there’s a better way,” Robert Brown said.

Brown said he was surprised by the award — which comes with a tan sign to be placed outside the building — but thanked Clark for her nomination.

“We’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing to make them feel proud of us in this community,” he said.

David Anderson can be reached at 252-559-1077 or danderson@freedomenc.com. Follow him on Twitter at DavidFreePress.