WS Chronicle

By Busta Brown

At the age of 12, my Person of the Week felt a deep, undeniable calling to become a pastor. But when God’s call came to fulfill that purpose, he resisted. “It was as if God had to knock me over the head,” he reflects.
“I fought it! I ran from pastoring for years, resisting everything He was asking of me.”

In 2010, that all changed. “I finally gave in. That’s when it all started. It wasn’t something I was looking for, but it found me. I’ll never forget, it was during a cookout at my mom’s house when the chairman of the deacon board called me over. He said, ‘Hey, do you have a minute?’ And I’m like, ‘Sure, what’s going on?’” 

It eventually hit Brandon Smith like a ton of bricks. “The chairman of the deacon board hit me with ‘Well, we just finished the vote … and you won.’ I’m like, ‘What vote?’ He says, ‘to become my pastor.’ And I’m in shock. I didn’t even know there was a vote happening.” 

I asked Brandon if his decision to run from his calling was related to not wanting to give up certain personal things in his life. “I don’t think it was so much about what I wanted to give up, but more about what I had to accept. A lot of it was realizing that leading people isn’t easy. I love the work I do, I love ministry. But leading people can be challenging, especially when you’re dealing with different personalities. I think for me, the hardest part was accepting that there are times when I’ll have to lead and pray for people who don’t like or appreciate me,” he said. 

After high school, Brandon enlisted in the military, where he developed valuable skills in leadership and conflict resolution. When God later called him to become a pastor, these experiences equipped him to navigate the challenges of ministry with wisdom and grace. For 12 years he has faithfully served as a well-loved and respected pastor. 

Now God is calling the Burlington native to serve His people in an even higher capacity. In addition to his pastoral work, Brandon, a dedicated father of three, serves in the National Guard. He was deployed to Asheville to assist with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, demonstrating his ongoing commitment to serving others in times of crisis. As he steps into this new chapter, Brandon is ready to answer God’s call to expand his impact and leadership in the church and beyond.

I asked Brandon to describe what he saw when he arrived. “Busta, man, the best way I can describe it is like the scene from the movie “Independence Day.” When Vivica A. Fox is driving that dump truck through the devastated town, picking up survivors. The destruction was overwhelming, like nothing I’d ever seen. It was chaos. Houses were leveled completely to the ground, reduced to nothing but debris. The air felt heavy with brokenness. People had lost everything! Their homes, belongings, and even a sense of normalcy.”

He continued, “There were some who were still trying to hold on to hope, but for the most part, you could feel despair. It was in the atmosphere, this deep, palpable sense of helplessness. You could see it in the eyes of the people. Some tried to piece their lives back together, but it was clear that many were simply trying to survive in the aftermath of this disaster. The depression was overwhelming, Busta,” he said with a heavy heart, while holding back his tears. 

The personal banker and former music teacher’s mission involved going to different sites to pick up supplies and transport them to Asheville, as well as various points in between. For example, if they received a call that a specific location needed a pallet of water, they would go and pick up the pallets, and then transport them to the next destination. “Busta, over time, our role expanded. We became a support operation for other units, especially for soldiers who were operating farther out in the field. While they were going deeper into areas with limited resources, our job was to ensure they had the supplies they needed to keep going. Essentially, we were the logistical link, bringing necessary supplies to those who were venturing beyond the areas we were operating in.”

He shared how chaotic, heartbreaking, and completely surreal it felt. “It was like the world had turned upside down, and you didn’t know where to even begin to help. It was the most intense scene of devastation I’d ever experienced,” he said. 

Brandon’s mission is far from over. When the National Guard calls, he must return to Asheville or wherever he’s needed. As he spoke, I silently prayed for God to grant him, the families, and everyone involved the strength, patience, and understanding they would need after experiencing such devastation. I shared my prayer with Brandon, and his response brought me to tears. “My God, I just kept feeling the weight of it, you know? The burden of what they were going through. I couldn’t stop thinking this could be us, Busta. This could have been us.

“I kept asking myself, how would I react if I were in their shoes? Watching a wall of water come down, destroying everything, and knowing you can’t find your loved ones. I kept trying to put myself in their situation, but it was so hard to even imagine. The shock of it was overwhelming. I was frozen at that moment, stunned. I couldn’t grasp the full weight of it. It was like my mind couldn’t keep up with what I was seeing.”

Given the widespread misinformation circulating on social media, I asked Brandon what assurance he could offer that aid is reaching the most affected or isolated communities. “There was a lot of effort to make sure people got what they needed. There were checkpoints at every stage, ensuring that if we couldn’t get the supplies directly to someone, they could still go to a location where they could pick them up. On top of that, there were consistent welfare checks to make sure everyone was okay and had access to the essentials. Behind the scenes, there were people literally working around the clock to ensure that supplies were being distributed and that no one was left without what they needed. It’s frustrating when the hard work and dedication of so many gets overlooked because of miscommunication or misperceptions.”

I asked Brandon how we can unite now and love each other as neighbors, before we experience a devastation such as this. “There are so many communities that are divided, and it’s the people coming after us who end up suffering the most. The challenges we face today shouldn’t be left for future generations to solve. The ball is in our court right now and it’s our responsibility to take action and make things better for those who come after us. If we wait until a disaster happens, it may be too late. We need to build stronger, more resilient communities today so future generations don’t have to spend their time fixing what we could have addressed beforehand.”

I asked Brandon, when you’re going through your personal trials and tribulations, what scripture do you turn to? “Romans 8:31: If God is for us, who can be against us? Whatever I go through, it ain’t my fight. It’s on God, so I’ve been guaranteed victory.” 

My Phenomenal Person of the Week is Brandon Smith.