Deacon Brown serves others in ministry and career

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

A licensed marital and family therapist since 1992, Deacon David Brown of Boone noted he was drawn to that profession because he wanted to help and serve people.

“That is why I am in my career and my vocation,” said the deacon, who is a behavioral health state specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach based out of Ames. He is assigned to serve as a deacon at Ascension Parish of Boone County.

It was with that same desire to serve people that motivated him to say yes to God’s call to the permanent diaconate. Ordained Oct. 4, 2008 on the Feast of St. Francis, his deacon class included Deacons Bill Black, Gary Schon and Butch Stone.

Saying yes to service
He cited two Scripture quotes that have “spoken” to him through the years as both a therapist and a deacon. “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:28 “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” – Luke 1:38, from the Annunciation

“I’ve taken on the prayer often, ‘I am a servant of the Lord, do unto me as you will.’ I think what I’ve done in my career is to follow Mary’s example of saying yes,” said Deacon Brown. “Those two passages not only define my ministry but define my job. I have been called to serve. I’ve been called to say yes if it is going to benefit others.”

Some permanent deacons work for the church such as serving in parish ministry, but many have careers in the secular world working as farmers, doctors, lawyers and any number of professions. As a mental health therapist, while Deacon Brown does work in the secular world he sees many parallels between his professional career and church ministry because they both serve people and can bring them healing.

At the time he was going through formation for the diaconate, the deacon noted he was working for Iowa State University Extension before spending more than five years as a behavioral health provider to the military in Iowa. He was the director of psychological health for the 132^nd Fighter Wing in Des Moines.

“I worked closed with the chaplains to make sure the mental and spiritual health needs of our airmen at the base were taken care of,” explained Deacon Brown, who noted he went back to the ISU Extension 10 years ago. 

In his current position at the extension his primary duty is to manage educational programs and grants which help participants to better assist others.  He is also directly involved in teaching/facilitating workshops and training.

“I get a lot of funding through the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to support educational programs and most of it is directed towards those individuals experiencing farm economic stress or disaster related stress,” he explained, noting there were even programs related to the stress of COVID-19 during the pandemic. “The flooding and tornado disasters in Iowa have been the most recent crises we have received funding to respond to.” 

Helping people help others
Most of the programs he is involved in help teach people to take better care of themselves as well as train others how to teach and help others.

Currently, the three large projects he manages include Project Recovery Iowa, a subcontract from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services for FEMA funding for disaster impacted areas in Iowa; North Central Region Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Program, a subcontract from the University of Illinois for USDA and USDA Farm Service Agency Staff Training, which is a two-year subcontract from the University of Illinois for USDA.

Through Project Recovery Iowa the ISU Extension and other partners provide emotional support, disaster response education and financial consultation services to counties in Iowa impacted by disaster last summer. There is an Iowa Concern Hotline for confidential access to stress counselors and an attorney for legal education as well as several workshops such as Mental Health First Aid, Money Smart, Farm Financial Analysis and others. Through this grant services are available to several counties within the diocese: Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Lyon, O’Brien, Plymouth, Shelby, Sioux and Woodbury.

He has managed the North Central Region Farm program since 2019 that provides stress assistance and suicide prevention training as well as the Iowa Concern Hotline to the agricultural population and advocates in Iowa.

With the Farm Service Agency Staff Training, the deacon noted this grant provides suicide prevention and communication skills training to USDA Farm Service Agency staff across the country. He is scheduled to do three trainings in Pennsylvania in about a week.

“Their job is to work very closely with farmers,” said Deacon Brown. “We want to make sure the Farm Service Agency Staff are better prepared to work with farmers who might be struggling.”

He pointed out that farmers typically have higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicide rate than the general population.

“With the economic stress that they are experiencing right now, we want to make sure the system is set up and we have providers ready to meet with them who better understand the stressors of the farmers and to communicate better with them,” said the deacon.

Deacon Brown co-developed a program that works with mental health professionals in Iowa to help them learn more about the culture of farming.

“Because what we know is that many times farmers or farm families will not go to mentalDeacon David Brown proclaims the Gospel at Ascension Parish. health professionals because they don’t think they know anything about farming or rural life and so they do not think it will be a benefit. We hope mental health professionals can come to this class and have a better understanding of what farming is like so they are better able to serve their farm clients,” he explained, noting he recently taught that class in Fort Dodge to 19 mental health care professionals.
Love of vocation
At Ascension Parish, his diaconal duties and ministries include serving the altar weekly at Mass, preaching on a monthly basis and assists with the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) that recently replaced the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) – the process used when people are becoming Catholic.  

He acknowledged that presently his workload is so heavy that he is not as able to do as much as he would like or what he has done in the past. Previously, when he worked for the National Guard, his schedule allowed him to make hospital visits.

“That is the reality sometimes – depending on your career choice – you may have more time to better balance between your ministry and your work. Right now, I’m a little overbalanced with work,” said Deacon Brown, who noted he may be busier in his work than he should be but it comes from the desire to say “yes” to programs that will help others. “When you say no, then nothing happens but when you say yes like Mary did, then miracles can happen.”

Just as he continues to have great zeal for his career, the deacon said he loves the diaconate.

“I still get goosebumps any time I am at the altar – just to be so close to the sacrifice of the Mass,” said the deacon. “It’s an amazing spiritual experience every time.”

For any man who feels as though he might be called to the permanent diaconate, Deacon Brown encouraged him to check it out.

“Follow the example of our mother Mary,” he urged. “Do not be afraid to say yes to a potential vocation that can bring forth healing and service to others.”

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