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The Sandals Church is one of the fastest growing Protestant denominations in the US, and this can be attributed to the leadership, guidance and teachings of its founder and lead pastor, Matt Brown.
Together with his wife Tammy and their three children, he has been preaching God’s word for over 20 years. Here are other facts about Matt Brown.
Biographical Information
Pastor Brown founded the Sandals Church in 1997 in Riverside, California, in the Browns’ living room when Matt and Tammy realized the people needed a church that they can identify with and express genuine emotion for God and themselves.
Pastor Brown began with 8 people in his living room that day, but through the grace of God the word spread quickly. Today Sandals Church has thousands of members through its Inland Empire locations.
As the church continued to grow, Pastor Brown and the other pastors have kept looking for ways to further spread the word of God. In 2016 Pastor Brown started the Debrief Podcast where he answers questions about the Bible every week.
Core Teaching and Beliefs
According to Pastor Brown, the Bible is the true word of God. All the books in the Scripture were written by men under the divine guidance of the Lord. The Bible is God’s revelation to man and is considered by the Church as the ultimate authority on we should live our lives.
Pastor Brown also teaches that God created and maintains the universe. He has three equal personas, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, all equal but separate from each other. Man is God’s special creation and is made in His own image.
Sin and Salvation
The sins of Adam and Eve led to the spread of sin throughout the world, and it persists to this day. This is what separates man from God and from other people, and also their true nature and calling.
Since he began his Church, Pastor Brown has shown that Scripture is very clear about how to overcome sin. Man alone cannot do it as he needs the grace of God. Salvation is offered free by way of faith in Jesus who died on the cross.
The Growth of the Sandals Church
With his long blonde hair and surfer looks, Pastor Brown does not resemble the typical preacher, and he isn’t. Unlike other preachers, he doesn’t hesitate to use strong words to drive home a point.
The same can be said for the Sandals Church, as it combines traditional teachings with a more modern, open atmosphere. Their members can attend services in casual attire and they accept women who have had abortions.
Pastor Brown and the Sandals Church also welcomes diversity, so members can come in a 3-piece suit or a leather jacket. The other pastors can talk about politics or not, it’s up to them. What’s important is they stay true to the teachings of the Lord. As Pastor Brown says, they are Bible conservatives, but not with culture.