How it all Began
Hi, I'm Pastor Edward Brown and for me it took a lot to finally find that part of needing to stop doing what I was doing. In 2009 I was arrested for a DUI in Colorado. My blood alcohol was more than 3 times the legal limit. I was still functioning without much of a problem since I was a high functioning alcoholic drunk 24/7. This is even after the life scare I had in 2007 with a triple bypass.
After my arrest I could say that I needed to change but it wasn't until I went to the classes for the DUI that I had that epiphany. As the Song by Ray Wiley Hubbard says in a conversation with the devil some get spiritual because they see the light while some because they feel the heat. I think it was the later part of that statement since I had already felt the heat but did not change. I returned to AZ and stayed sober for a few years until I started to hate myself again.
I hid it well from my family and friends until my wife realized I was drinking heavily again. It wasn't until after my second knee surgery that I realized again that I needed to change my life for the better again. During the time of my deep depression while I was waiting for the knee replacement I said to myself that if I did not change I would not see my 60th birthday. I started working the steps like I learned before and I found God in an all new way. Yes even as a Pastor I had lost my connection to God and was just going through the motions.
Every day now I wake up and look at the day before and ask what did I learn from yesterday. I had to reteach myself to look at the wisdom tradition that we find in Proverbs. I wrote a sermon called Wisdom. She is all around us.
I find my connection to God in many different ways now and I always remind myself that God is right here with me and in me and wants me to be connected. By reciting the serenity prayer I remind myself the only thing I can change is me and it is wisdom that teaches me that. By changing me I can help affect others and help them connect to God and help them out so they can see the light and not have to feel the heat.
If I never had these personal experiences, I would have never wanted to start this. I never thought I would become a pastor, then I realized I have something better to do. If you tell these people that they are sinners and that they are bad, they are never going to realize that they are worthy and are going to find God in the small places.
About the Program
Moving On
With people battling addiction in mind, Pastor Edward Brown of First United Methodist Church took the initiative to create a program that will benefit both addicts and their families. The “Moving On” program was designed to be a spiritual community for addicts and the loved ones of addicts. For Pastor Ed, the program carries a deeper meaning, as he previously battled his own addiction with alcohol. He says that the time is now to fill a need for members of the community to have a place they can come and get help for whatever addiction ails them. So often, the church looks down on people with addictions. Once he learned about all the issues with drugs in Eloy, and there is no 12-step program available, he realized that he needed to go and do this.
This program is to help show people battling addictions that there is a place for them that they can come to seek help, as well as for the church to be able to talk about things that they normally would not discuss during a service. We have to start talking about the hard stuff. If we are not talking about it, we are not celebrating people who are clean and sober. Even if they have a setback or have a relapse, we are not going to hold that against you or shame you, we are going to work with you and help move you forward to find that peace again. We want to celebrate recovery with the new program rather than focusing solely on telling addicts what they are doing wrong.