Journey Church – (File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. — The brother of fired longtime Journey Church Executive Pastor Jon Brown is publicly blasting church leadership over Brown’s termination, accusing the Board of withholding the real reason it fired a pastor who served the church for about 25 years. His comments come as multiple Journey Church members have separately contacted Kenosha County Eye with concerns involving church finances, attempted property sales, membership voting rights, staff firings and what they describe as an effort by church leadership to maintain control.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Tim Brown, Jon Brown’s brother, posted a Facebook video Sunday, September 20, saying Journey members have repeatedly demanded an explanation for his brother’s firing. “So my brother got fired after 25 years of service to one church, a mega church, and they didn’t explain why and they won’t tell people why,” Brown said. He alleged that some Board members have told members they “wouldn’t want to have him be your pastor if you knew what we knew,” while still refusing to publicly explain what they mean.
Brown challenged church leadership to substantiate whatever it is insinuating about his brother. “If that’s the case, you should press charges or whatever you are insinuating,” he said.
Brother Says Firing Was About Power And Control
Tim Brown went further than his brother has publicly gone, alleging Journey’s dispute with Jon Brown was ultimately about whether the Board could control him. He accused church leadership of acting “because they wanted to retain power at that organization and they felt like they couldn’t control him.” Brown acknowledged being angry but said the situation should serve as a lesson about poor leadership, succession planning and the damage caused when an organization refuses to clearly explain major decisions.
Brown pointed to hundreds of supportive comments made about his brother and described Jon’s decades of ministry, including weddings, funerals and late-night hospital visits. Toward the end of the video, he accused Journey of disrespecting his brother after a quarter-century of service and of making insinuations “behind closed doors” without clearly telling the congregation what Jon supposedly did wrong.
Those public accusations closely mirror concerns Journey Church members have separately expressed to KCE.
Members Raise Questions About Money And Church Properties
Journey members told KCE that leadership began exploring the potential sale of the Burlington campus before receiving congregational approval. According to members, some wanted proceeds from a possible sale applied to Journey’s Kenosha mortgage and other church debt, while then-Lead Pastor Kevin Taylor and Board members maintained that the Board would determine how the money was used. Members ultimately voted against the Burlington sale.
Another Journey member separately raised the same issue, questioning why proceeds from selling church property would not be used to reduce existing debt.
Members have also raised questions about the Beach Park campus. They told KCE that Journey leadership considered selling or transferring that property even though the campus was performing well. Members allege the proposal emerged amid disagreement between Beach Park leadership, Taylor and the Journey Board. They also say the Beach Park property originally became part of Journey without Journey paying for it after the former congregation voted to join Journey, prompting some members to question why Journey would now seek payment if the goal is to establish an independent church there.
Members Fear Church Voting Rolls Are Being Changed
Several Journey members have also contacted KCE with concerns about an internal review of church membership.
They say the Board is auditing membership status and fear people who oppose leadership decisions could lose their ability to vote on future church business. One member alleged that a previous church meeting was canceled because leadership did not have sufficient votes and that membership is now being reviewed before another vote.
Another member expressed the same concern, saying the review could be used to change voting numbers before future decisions involving church property and leadership.
KCE has not obtained documentation showing that the membership review is specifically intended to remove opposing voters. However, the concern has been raised by multiple Journey Church members.
Members Say Those Who Question Leadership Are Being Pushed Out
Journey Church members have also told KCE that Brown is not the only staff member to face consequences after questioning church leadership.
One member alleged that other pastors and staff had been restricted from preaching or from prominently interacting with the congregation following Brown’s departure, claiming leadership wanted the congregation focused on the Board’s direction and Taylor’s vision.
KCE has also been told by Journey Church members that staff members have been fired or removed after raising concerns about leadership decisions. Those accounts closely parallel Tim Brown’s public allegation that the conflict surrounding his brother ultimately involved power and control.
Kevin Taylor’s Continued Influence Questioned
Taylor left Journey Church after being elected Superintendent of the Wisconsin/Northern Michigan Ministries Network of the Assemblies of God, but members continue to question how much influence he retains at Journey.
KCE previously learned that Taylor’s son-in-law, who remains employed in a leadership role at Journey, became a specific subject during Jon Brown’s interview for the lead pastor position. Board members asked Brown whether he would keep Taylor’s son-in-law employed if Brown became lead pastor. Brown responded that he would need to pray about that decision.
Brown was later removed from consideration for lead pastor and eventually fired from Journey.
Journey Church members told KCE they believe Brown was terminated because he had significant support from the congregation and would not simply fall in line with the Board. They have also expressed concern that Taylor continues to influence Journey through family and leadership connections despite no longer serving as lead pastor.
Who Is On The Journey Church Board?
Journey Church publicly identifies seven elected members as its Board:
- Don Daniels
- Bryan Drummond
- Michelle Erzberger
- Sly Marinca
- James Mathews
- Frank Porcaro
- Wil Siewert
Journey says the Board is made up of elected members of the church family responsible for guiding the church through its leadership transition.
Board Previously Admitted Communication Failures
Following Jon Brown’s firing, Journey’s Board sent a lengthy communication to members acknowledging that it had failed to communicate clearly and quickly enough about Brown and the search for a new lead pastor.
The Board said Brown had been a leading internal candidate but that concerns arose over a multi-level marketing business operated by Brown and his wife. According to the Board, those concerns later expanded beyond the business itself to include how disagreements over the issue were being handled.
The Board ultimately decided Brown would not be the candidate presented to members for a vote and later determined that he could no longer remain employed as Executive Pastor.
Church leadership acknowledged significant division, unanswered questions and strained trust within Journey.
Tim Brown and the Journey Church members who have contacted KCE say that explanation does not tell the entire story.
What began as a dispute over who would replace Kevin Taylor has now grown into a much broader fight involving pastoral leadership, church property, debt, financial transparency, membership voting rights, staff terminations and the question of who ultimately controls Journey Church.
