by Larry Chowning
A former pastor of Philippi Christian Church in Deltaville, Dr. David G. Brown Jr., and more than 25 former Christian Youth Unlimited (CYU) members gathered for a CYU reunion at the church on Friday, August 23, to celebrate the impact Dr. Brown made on their lives.
Dr. Brown was minister at Philippi from 1963 to 1978 and shortly after arriving in Deltaville he assumed leadership of the CYU that was started at Zoar Baptist Church by Rev. Edward Harrow Sr.
“We would meet every Sunday evening and we had anywhere from 35 to 50 kids,” said Dr. Brown at the reception and covered-dish supper held in his honor. “We had kids come from West Point, Gloucester, Urbanna and all over Middlesex.
“We had one main requirement and that was that CYU members from other churches had to attend their own church on Sunday before coming to our CYU meetings,” he said. “We never tried to take members from other churches.
“The thing I remember most about our CYU group was that all the kids who came were good kids,” he said. “There are almost 30 here tonight and all of them have done well in life.”
Dr. Brown, 84, has been living in North Carolina for 35 years where he has been a minister and a licensed professional marriage counselor. He was in the ministry for several years in Florida.
The CYU is most noted for having raised funds that led to the construction of the Ricky Taylor Memorial Community Pool that opened in August of 1969.
The group raised money by doing odd jobs, tearing down a house right in the heart of Deltaville, holding bake sales, and other projects. A very popular money maker was a monthly dance.
Jack Hurd recalls when “Ray Pittman and the Soul Beats,” drew crowds from five counties to the Deltaville Community Center building. “When Mr. Brown was taking up tickets, he would lean up close to you to see if he could smell any alcohol on you,” said Hurd.
Betsy Glascock Hudgins, who organized the August 23 reunion, said, “We are so happy to have had the opportunity to have Rev. Brown come back to Deltaville. We are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the pool that we as a group helped raise money to build. It is only fitting that he came home to celebrate with us.
“We got to see him again and feel like teenagers again,” Hudgins said of her experience at the reunion. “Being in the CYU was one of the greatest experiences of my 66 years of life and Mr. Brown made a positive difference in my life.”
In one letter written from the group thanking Dr. Brown it stated, “We just wanted to thank you for all you did for the youth of Middlesex. You made a lasting mark that has impacted generations. Many of the young people you touched went on to succeed in life and much of that success can be attributed to the example you made on us all as a young, vibrant minister who cared enough to touch our lives.”
