Henry Brown (minister, born 1848)

Henry Brown (July 20, 1848 – 1931) was a Methodist missionary and minister in Washington state at the turn of the century, a prohibitionist, and an author of one book.

Born in Guernsey County, Ohio, Reverend Dr. Henry Brown was the presiding elder of the Spokane District of the Columbia River Conference for many years during the 1890s to the early 1900s.

[1] Brown was a prohibitionist, and continually challenged local papers coverage of prohibition and its supporters, especially the Daily Journal in Walla Walla, which in January 1888 announced it would not publish a proposed article in support of prohibition.

[1] In his preface, he went as far as to say that popular amusements were "insidious attacks" and that they emanated "evil"[5] His book also describes his support of prohibition – specifically, that he believed that as God created the ten commandments, the "moral law", it was up to religious leaders like himself to help make moral laws, as "the world has not yet been won over to righteousness.

Brown’s book pushed back against the increasing desire for more liberal rules and fewer restrictions, asserting that if the rules were to be loosened, current members would leave the church and the church would begin to attract people who were less committed than current members.