Submersed in Her Faith, Gina Brown Breathes A Prayer Before Every Move

Brown was a 90s Era Message Columnist, and now a 2023 National Humanism in Medicine Winner

By LaTasha Hewitt

ne Friday evening after Sabbath preparations were complete, seven-year-old Gina Brown settled down in her grandmother’s living room to read the Adventist Review magazine. She dreamed of writing for the magazine some day and whispered a prayer to God to make it so. Little did she know that God would fulfill her dream and many more that He had for her.

THE HONOR

When Brown received the call from Richard Levin, the then-president of The Gold Foundation, she assumed he wanted to pick her brain about COVID initiatives as he had done in the past. So, when he told her the committee unanimously voted for her to be one of the four recipients of the 2023 National Humanism in Medicine Award, she was in disbelief. “I didn’t see it coming” says Brown.

The award, which recognized Brown’s “transformational global leadership, innovative educational practices, and embodiment of nursing at its most human,” was presented at a gala in June of 2023. “It still has not hit me fully, to be recognized nationally by such a prestigious organization,” Brown reflects. However, looking back it is evident how God had been ordering her steps.

THE JOURNEY

Growing up as one of five siblings, the reality of her family’s financial challenges was heightening for Brown when her parents were not able to pay tuition and she had to leave an Adventist school in the third grade. This became the catalyst for Brown to strive for more for herself and family.

After graduating high school, Brown applied to eight different colleges, seeking an educational experience that would not compromise Sabbath observance. She attended Loma Linda University her first year, before deciding that Oakwood College (now University) was a better fit.

Since her grandmother was a nurse, Brown knew she also wanted to pursue medicine and was set on becoming a doctor. She double majored in biology and nursing. “My plan was to use nursing to pay for medical school,” shares Brown. However, once she began working in nursing, she fell in love with the profession.

Motivated by the field, Brown decided it was time to diversify and obtain her master’s in healthcare administration, which then fueled her desire to get her Ph.D. However, she wanted to do it without student loans. She told God, “I believe this is what You want me to do, so please pay for it.” She successfully enrolled, with a full-ride scholarship, into George Mason University as the only black in her doctoral class.

However, during her second year, one semester was not paid. When she went to class, the instructor informed her that her name was not on the class roster. “I told him, ‘Oh, it will be,’” remembers Brown. She began praying a familiar prayer. That night, Brown had dream of a man holding a check for the exact amount of her tuition. The next morning, she felt the Holy Spirit prompting her to call the world headquarters of the Adventist church to ask about graduate scholarships. When she subsequently visited the office, she discovered the man in her dream was Meade Van Putten, an associate secretary of the church, as he handed her a check totaling the amount of her tuition. God provided Brown’s tuition for the remainder of her doctoral program.

THE TEACHER

While working in the nursing field, Brown felt compelled to teach. She thought about the possibility of working at Washington Adventist University (WAU), but was unsure about the salary cut that would come with accepting the position. Yet, God spoke to her in a dream, once again. This one included a check with a specific dollar amount. When she received her offer letter from WAU, it was the exact figure from her dream. She knew God was leading, and accepted the position.

“I experienced no change in my lifestyle and God provided all my needs,” remembers Brown. She served there for 12 years before God opened another door.

Gina Brown smiling in green jacket with both hands in front of her

Brown was invited to join the staff of Loma Linda University. After commuting from Washington, D.C., to California several times a year, she was impressed again that she would be called elsewhere. Around that time, three different individuals, who were not connected in any way, told her about an opening at Howard University for a Dean of Nursing. Once again, she felt this was God’s leading. After a four-month interview process, she was offered the job. Before fully accepting, Brown shared with them her conviction not to work on Sabbath. After some deliberation, they agreed to honor her request.

THE INFLUENCE

Brown considers her biological and church families to be her greatest influencers. Her grandmother’s determination, her mother’s drive, and her father’s diligence have formed Brown’s value system. Brown, who is a member of the Dupont Park church in Washington, D.C., is proud of her Adventist community, “There is no other denomination I’d rather be a part of, because it feels just like family.”

THE SERVICE

Aside from her role as dean, Brown enjoys serving her community, whether it’s teaching teen Sabbath School at her local church, or serving as a member of the Columbia Union executive committee or Adventist Healthcare board, or as chair of the Pine Forge Academy board. Brown’s prayer is “God, help me be able to give back, and use me in a way that will affect Your kingdom.”

THE FUN

When she is not working or serving, Brown may be found 170 feet or more underwater, scuba diving. So far, she has dived in Tahiti, Turks and Caicos, Bermuda, Grenada, Cabo, and Costa Rica. “When you’re under the water, you only have one job, breathe. You forget all your troubles and appreciate God’s awesome creation,” says Brown.

THE PERSISTENCE

Brown accounts her professional success to persistence and trust in God. “I’ve always believed that if God told you to do it, just do it.” Though her plans and God’s plans have not always aligned, she walks confidently. “I told God, close every door I shouldn’t walk through and swing open every door I should, and I’m just crazy enough to believe that God will do what He says He will do.”

LATASHA HEWITT is the Communication Director for the Allegheny East Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

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