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Distinctively Thinking Blog
Where bold ideas
and thoughtful strategy
meet to challenge the ordinary.


The Treadmill Trap: Why 2026 Requires Momentum and Meaning
Momentum is seductive—it feels like progress. But the treadmill proves you can sweat and still go nowhere. As we step into 2026, the goal isn’t more motion; it’s meaning. Directional anchors and formation rhythms help you stop running in place and start becoming who you’re called to be.

Matthew L. Brown
Jan 164 min read


The Haman Effect: How Evil Destroys Itself
The Haman Effect reminds us that evil always carries the seeds of its own destruction. From Haman’s gallows to modern systems of hatred and oppression, arrogance and injustice inevitably collapse. True leadership is found in humility, justice, and love—the only foundation that endures.

Matthew L. Brown
Oct 4, 20255 min read


The Art of Being Covered: Restoring the Leader's Soul
This isn’t just my story—it’s an invitation to look at your own. In this post, I pull back the curtain on the moments that shaped me, the lessons that tested me, and the shifts that brought me closer to the truth of who I am.

Matthew L. Brown
Aug 11, 20254 min read


The Transparency of Transition: Lifting the Veil on My Journey
A powerful reflection on shedding self-neglect, embracing necessary endings, and stepping boldly into the brilliance that’s been buried beneath the surface.

Matthew L. Brown
May 25, 20254 min read


Preaching in the Tension: Balancing Prophetic Fire and Pastoral Compassion in a Culture of Chaos
The pulpit is not a place of passivity. It is the sacred space where heaven’s authority confronts Earth’s reality.

Matthew L. Brown
Feb 12, 20252 min read


APPALLED!!
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke) As a male descendant of African enslaved...

Matthew L. Brown
Jul 22, 20232 min read


CHURCHING AT THE GUARD RAIL
Op/Ed/Blog The Right Reverend Designate Matthew L. Brown + Howard Thurman, famed theologian, author, educator, civil rights leader and...

Matthew L. Brown
Apr 9, 20219 min read


Thriving Beyond Familiar
Boy, has this been a season! I cannot believe how quickly we moved into a new calendar year while continuing in the same season of...

Matthew L. Brown
Mar 17, 20213 min read


Now What? Chaos or Community?
The Brick, The Gun and The Pen 🖊 “O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our...

Matthew L. Brown
Jun 11, 20208 min read


Mr. Governor: Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should
Mr. Governor: Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should Proverbs 19:2: Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, and...

Matthew L. Brown
Apr 23, 20205 min read


HOW EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY IS OUR SPIRITUALITY?
Relevant to the question of faith and emotional wellness is the need for discipleship development in the area of emotional health.

Matthew L. Brown
Jun 1, 20184 min read


DISTINCTIVE MOMENTS
Moments are manifestations of specific opportunities exactly timed and aligned to our unalterable purpose.

Matthew L. Brown
May 15, 20182 min read


A Reflection on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 50th Anniversary of his Assassination
Fifty years after Dr. King’s assassination in this Black History Month we find ourselves echoing his prophetic question:“Where Do We Go from

Matthew L. Brown
May 5, 20185 min read


PEOPLE, PASSION AND PURPOSE: THE PATHWAY TO EFFECTIVE MINISTRY
God is all about people and his church should be as well.

Matthew L. Brown
May 2, 20184 min read


WHAT IS A MINISTRY OF DISTINCTION?
What is a ministry of distinction? Distinction is defined as "a marking off, or distinguishing as different."

Matthew L. Brown
May 25, 20172 min read


ONE (DIVIDED) NATION
The well being of my beloved community is at stake.

Matthew L. Brown
Apr 11, 20173 min read


Overseeing vs. Looking Out
The Role of the Post Modernist Overseer in The Lord's Church The word "overseer" (Gk. episkopos [ejpivskopo"]) is used a limited number...

Matthew L. Brown
Mar 15, 20175 min read
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