Arthur M. Brazier

Arthur M. Brazier (July 22, 1921 – October 22, 2010) was an American Oneness Pentecostal bishop, pastor, and community organizer in Chicago. He served as pastor of the Apostolic Church of God in the Woodlawn neighborhood from 1960 until his retirement in 2008, overseeing major building expansions and membership growth.

Brazier was also a leading figure in Chicago’s mid-20th-century community organizing, including the founding leadership of The Woodlawn Organization (TWO), which became a major force in neighborhood advocacy and civil-rights-era civic life on the South Side.

Early life and education Brazier was born in Chicago on July 22, 1921, and grew up on the South Side. Public tributes report that he attended Douglas Elementary School and Wendell Phillips Academy High School, later completing a high school correspondence course and night school while working.

Ministry According to official and legislative tributes, Brazier felt called to ministry in the late 1940s and began formal ministerial preparation in the 1950s while still working for the postal service.

A 2008 Illinois House resolution further stated that Brazier met Martin Luther King Jr. in 1966 and protested with him in Chicago against segregated housing and schools, while also supporting community programs intended to reduce violence and strengthen neighborhood stability.

Transportation advocacy In the 1990s, Brazier supported proposals related to transit infrastructure in Woodlawn. In 1994, reporting on community debate over the future of the CTA’s Jackson Park “L” branch noted that Brazier argued for demolishing the portion east of Cottage Grove, linking it to neighborhood blight and redevelopment concerns. In 1996 the CTA Board ultimately voted to tear down the three-quarter mile section of the elevated structure. Today, Cottage Grove is the eastern terminus of the Green Line, though some have called for the restoration of the elevated service, particularly in the wake of the Obama Presidential Center opening.

Personal life Brazier was married to Esther Isabelle (Holmes) Brazier.