Before they ever met, both Dick and Ruth planned to be missionaries. Dick studied at Practical Bible Training School in Johnson City, New York, and then graduated from Washington Bible College in Lanham, Maryland. Ruth graduated from Nyack College, New York, then worked as a Christian Education director at a church in Massachusetts where she and Dick met. They were married in 1971 and a year later began ministry with InterAct Ministries (then Arctic Missions) in British Columbia. They served fifteen years among the Shuswap First Nations people at Canim Lake, Dog Creek, and Clinton. In 1987 they moved to North Battleford, SK, to church plant among the Cree people, and then to Meadow Lake to serve at the Waterhen Lake First Nation. Since 2000, the Brownings have served in a different capacity as facilitators among the Cree people in the Native Fellowship of Loon Lake, Saskatchewan, located on the Makwa Sahgaiehgan First Nation reserve. They encourage and help the leadership as well as have a discipleship ministry. They also teach a relapse prevention program for people with addictions.