Dr. Mark V. Brown Sr. is the Senior Pastor and founding member of New Wineskin Ministries, a multi-generational, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic church planted in 2001 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He holds Master of Arts in Ministry (MA) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees both from Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) in Marion, Indiana, and a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Mathematics from Purdue University at Indianapolis, Indiana. Finally, he earned a IWU Doctorate in Ministry with an emphasis on Ministry Leadership and Pastoral Transition.

Since 2007, Dr. Brown has been serving families and ministries within the New Wineskin Ministries International network as a servant leader in the areas of motivational speaking (preaching/teaching), pastoral counseling (mentoring/coaching) and organizational development (vision casting/technology planning).

Prior to 2007, Dr. Brown enjoyed a 20 year career at International Business Machine (IBM) where he held various leadership roles including service manager, project executive, offering developer and global marketing manager.

He has researched the impact that technology has on effective ministry to the Millennial generation within his Masters project entitled, “Communicating the Gospel to the postmodern generation of New Wineskin Ministries Central using Screen Driven Technologies.” He has also utilized technology in various “glocal” mission projects in Brazil, Haiti, India, Israel, Nigeria and Russia.

Dr. Brown has a great interest in enhancing the Kingdom of God by combining ministry innovations and technological business acumen. He has been married since 1987 to his wife (Anne) and has two adult children (Vincent and Jordyn).

Founder and Apostolic Covering A native of Chicago, Illinois, Bishop Byron Johnson graduated from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry, after which he was certified as a medical technologist by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. Later he attended McCormick Theological Seminary, where he earned two Master’s Degrees while teaching computer programming in evening schools.

In 1972 he began employment as an instructor at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, where he also earned a Ph.D. in Education, majoring in Instructional Materials. From 1978 through 1991, Bishop Johnson enjoyed a distinguished career as a Professor in the School of Technical Careers at the University of Southern Illinois at Carbondale.

Bishop Johnson began his spiritual leadership as Sunday School teacher in Morgan Park Assembly in Chicago, where he also served as Sunday School secretary and Director of Christian Education. He was ordained in the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World in the early 1970’s, and has served in the Illinois District Council as Assistant Secretary, Secretary and District Elder. In 1993, he was consecrated to the office of Suffragan Bishop. During the summer 2001 convention of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, he was appointed the Diocesan Bishop of the Western Nigeria Diocese.

In 1972, he assumed the pastorate of the Apostolic Church of God in Harrisburg, Illinois, and held that position until his call to Christ Temple Apostolic Faith Assembly in June 1990. Under his leadership Christ Temple grew spiritually, numerically and financially. Christ Temple also built churches in the cities of Akureand Ibadan in Nigeria, West Africa, and began construction of a third in Lagos, and financially supported mission efforts in other international fields. He has also served as an instructor at Aenon Bible College. Bishop Johnson has traveled to the Philippines, Israel, Africa and Russia. He remains actively involved with missions, both international and local. While on a missions trip to Russia in April 2001, he was strongly impressed of the Lord to begin a new ministry in Indianapolis. In response, he resigned his previous pastorate, and began New Wineskin Ministries.