About Rev. Dr. Jia Starr Brown

This website is a platform to help myself and others access the education, tools, and community that we all need to live whole and liberated lives. 

My personal mission statement: “I give what I need.” 

My life’s work is to create access.

My experience in community education, engagement, and outreach spans more than 20 years as I’ve advocated for underrepresented and marginalized communities. Here are highlights:

My passion to increase accessibility of affordable academic and enrichment opportunities for youth and families led me to create REACH Education Solutions, a community education business network operating in 8 school districts. Through REACH, I designed and facilitated more than 160 programs for youth and parent education in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas.  

I have served on several committees and advisory councils, working to improve the quality of early childhood education in Minnesota and teaching childcare professionals while Adjunct Faculty at Rasmussen College.

In 2012, I co-founded Reaching Up Ministries, a 501(c)3 non-profit with a mission to “create hope, help, and opportunities by bringing community members together to respond to the local needs of youth and families.”

In 2015 I received a United States Congressional Award for service in the community after serving more than 500 youth and families.

After receiving the Call to ordained ministry, I attended Luther Seminary where I was the recipient of the Fund for Leaders Mission Developers / Redevelopers Scholarship and the Richard Wallace Scholarship.

In 2019 I received my Master of Divinity degree in Congregation, Mission, and Leadership from Luther Seminary. I completed my Doctor of Ministry in "Social Transformation" from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities this upcoming Spring of 2023. My dissertation title: "We're Still Here: Decolonizing Anti-racist Pedagogical Praxis in Faith Communities."

Awards and recognition include the following:

2014: Dakota County United Educators Apple Appreciation Award

2015: United States Congressional Award

2019: Minnesota African American Heritage Calendar Award

2019: Frederick Buechner Preaching Award

I am  am the mother of five inspiring children who are teenagers and young adults. In Summer of 2022, I became a first-time grandmother!

My life scripture: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:4