Ronald Eugene Brewer

Ron was born on November 1, 1948 in Knoxville, TN. He spent his childhood in Knoxville and moved to Tulsa, OK in 1964. In 1966 he graduated from Will Rogers High School. During that time he attended Tulsa Baptist Temple and accepted the Jesus as his personal Saviour. Through this church, he was able to participate in some summer mission programs. After graduation he attended Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Owatonna, MN and later went on to complete several degrees at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Minneapolis, MN including a Doctoral Degree in Missions. It was while at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College he met Kathie and they were married on April 6, 1968. During his early years of ministry, he served as a youth pastor in Claremore, OK, at Faith Baptist Church in Tulsa, OK, also in Chattanooga, TN and Hutchinson, KS. He also served as a Church Planting Missionary in Pryor, OK and served as Senior Pastor at Baptist Church in Sleepy Eye, MN for seven years. It was during this time that God directed him into Missions. In March of 1987 Ron and Kathie headed for New Zealand and spent the next 10 years in ministry there. During this time, he pastored Faith Baptist Church in Northcote in the Auckland area for 5 years. He also helped out missionaries in Tauranga and Christchurch and started a church in Te Awamutu in the final years of his ministry in New Zealand. In 1996 he returned to the States and settled in Mesa, AZ to establish a home base. After teaching at a small Bible college in Tempe, the Lord directed him to become involved in Missions in Eastern Europe thru BIEM. There he worked helping to train national pastors and start churches. He traveled back and forth to the states to raise funds to help build church buildings and assist several orphanages. In August, 2006, Ron and Kathie became members of Desert Gateway Baptist Church. After being a supporting church for several years, this church became their sending church. Due to health issues, Ron stepped back from this ministry and joined the Pastoral Staff at Desert Gateway Baptist Church in April 2008. In his capacity as Missions Pastor, he was still able to be involved in Missions and was able to visit several of our missionaries on various fields. He also taught the Senior Adult Sunday School class and had opportunities to preach. Ron is survived by Kathie, his wife of over 46 years; sons, Ronald Brewer of South Point, OH and Andrew Brewer of Mesa, AZ; and four grandchildren, Benjamin (18), Anna Joy (11), Abigaella (8), and Alex (4); his mother, Betty Tankersley of Inola, OK; brother Ray Tankersley; and sisters Linda Hestand of New Whiteland, IN and Marie Bertram of Blair, OK. Ron was preceded in death by his stepfather, H,C.Tankersley.