by Mike Blagg

A new Christian ministry organization, the Beacon of Light Ministries, is just getting started, with the goal of reaching the youth of Central Texas.  The Beacon of Light is led by Cathryn Davis, and will be located in the former Church of the Nazarene building at 7th Street and Avenue I in Brownwood.

For Davis it was a long and winding road that led her to Brownwood and this ministry.  Davis is a native of England.  At the age of 21 she was planning to join the Royal Air Force and pursue a career as a physical education officer.  But before she did that, her mother, who had emigrated to the United States, begged her to come visit.  “I came over and just absolutely fell in love with it. We were in the mountains of northern California and it was just incredible.  I met so many amazing people.  I was a scuba diver and I was diving up and down the coast of California, and it was just incredible.”  Davis went back and forth to her home in England a few times, but ultimately decided to stay in America, and became a citizen.

California is not the only thing Cathryn fell in love with.  She met Mark Davis, a law enforcement officer in California.  It was love at first sight for both, and they quickly got married, 22 years ago.

But after a while Mark and Cathryn decided to leave California.  “We wanted to move somewhere south, someplace that aligned more with us.”  After looking all over, they moved to Georgetown, Texas in 2005.  Mark took a job with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department, and they began raising their three children there:  Dylan, Damon, and Caeleigh.

But Georgetown changed over the years as the Austin area grew rapidly.  Mark’s job was very stressful, and Cathryn developed some health problems, which the stressful environment didn’t help.  “After being there for 14 years we decided it was time to move on again.  We drove all over, trying to decide where to go next:  Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona.  We drove through Brownwood on the way home one day.  We went over Bangs hill, and we thought Oh My God!  We have to see what this town is.  I don’t know why, but it really spoke to us.  We went home and looked up real estate, and the next thing you know we were buying a house in Brownwood.”  That was in 2019.

Mark Davis initially went to work for the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, but soon was hired by the Brown County Water Improvement District as Chief of the Lake Patrol.  Cathryn got her real estate license and began a successful career with Texas Goldstar Real Estate.  They love it here.  “I have been all over the world, and I can honestly say that I will never leave Brownwood.  I love it here.”

Cathryn’s illnesses while in Georgetown were serious, and life-threatening.  At one point her daughter Caeleigh “got down on her knees on the front porch and told God that if He healed me, she would dedicate the rest of her life serving Him.”  Cathryn underwent surgeries and treatments for cancer and a serious stomach ailment.  But she endured all that, quickly got much better, and now considers herself to be healed.

The experience transformed her life.  “Not long after we came to Brownwood I told my daughter ‘one of these days we are going to own a little white church.’ ”  She didn’t know why.  She just knew.

Last fall the church building of The Church of the Nazarene was listed for sale.  “We came to see it with no intention of buying it, we just came to see it.  But we sat in the chapel and we thought ‘This is our church.  We have to buy this church. ”  So they did.

Cathryn Davis explained:  “I love America so much.  You couldn’t pay me to go back to England.  And I love England, it’s my home country.  I miss it, but I love this country.  And my husband and I love Texas.”  Which led to a calling.  “I feel called to do something deep and special with the kids here in Brownwood.”  She told her daughter Caeleigh to be all in:  “I want a college-age led youth ministry.”

And so it begins.  While the focus of the ministry will be on youth, it is not exclusive to youth.  “I want to bring in anyone who wants to find their way to the Lord.  Anyone who is ready to give their heart to the Lord, our doors are open.”

The first order of business will be some renovations to the church building itself.  It needs work with plumbing, air-conditioning, foundation, etc.  Also behind the church building is a hall that will be renovated for the youth groups, where they plan to have many activities like summer camps, Bible studies, home-school classes, and dances.  And Davis plans to work with other churches in the area.  “We want to do events here where other churches can bring their youth groups.”  The youth ministry will be led by Caeleigh Davis along with her friends Elsa Leake, Bri Carter, and Sam Lykins.  Lykins is a graduate of Howard Payne University, while the other three girls are currently students there.  They plan to work with Howard Payne University too.  Caeleigh commented “I want to reach the community.  I want to reach the kids of the community.  A big thing for me is seeing families come to the Lord, just like my family did.”

Left to right:  Caeleigh Davis, Bri Carter, Elsa Leake, Sam Lykins

Beacon of Light Ministries will be non-denominational.  Davis does not plan to have scheduled worship services on Sunday mornings, but instead will have informal worship services, Bible studies, conversations without judgment.  After getting some of the basic building renovations completed, Davis hopes to begin operation of the ministry within a couple of months from now.

Cathryn summed it all up:  “I have a passion for youth and community.  It’s always been a dream of mine to have some kind of youth center.  Our mission is right here in Brownwood.  Our calling is right here in this town.”