Stay tuned to meet the latest
foundation of our faith team.
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My name is Yvonne Lewis
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and you're
watching Urban Report.
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Hello and
welcome to Urban Report.
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My guests today are
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Pastor Cory
Jackson and Louis Cleare.
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Welcome to Urban Report, yeah...
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Thank you.
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You know,
"Foundation of our Faith"
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is one of my favorite
programs because it incorporates
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preaching, from
powerful speakers
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and presenters, men of God
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and powerful musical
evangelists so it's kind of like
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you get so much
from that Program
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and you guys are here and
we're going to be doing some
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I know, by the grace of
God, amazing programming.
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So Pastor, let's start with you,
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let's talk to you a bit because
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you are the
Pastor of Detroit Burns,
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and how long
have you been there?
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I've been there for
four years and a few months.
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Okay, and was that one
of your first assignments
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because you look kind of young.
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Actually that's
my third assignment,
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I've been
pastoring for 14 years.
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Oh, wow, see, the baby
face, you have the baby face,
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All right, all right...
It's the diet, it's the diet.
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Is it... all right, I love it,
it's that Adventist way of life
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that lifestyle,
right? That's right.
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So you've been there and
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what kind of
challenges do you find
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in the inner city as a pastor?
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Well, being in the
inner city, of course
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the first
challenge is the violence,
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we have a lot of
blight in Detroit,
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we have a lot
of economic issues,
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and so it has quite a bit
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of challenges that you
don't see on an everyday basis.
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Hmmm... hmmm... and
so, do you feel that
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when you're at a
church, do you have to tailor
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your messages to meet the needs
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of that particular
segment or do you just kind of
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just kind of go
from the Word and...
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how do you do it?
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I think all of it has
to be practical in itself
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but I think,
you have to be aware
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of the
environment that you're in
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because the environment of
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where the church is located
and the people that come,
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all the messages are tailored
towards those individuals,
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and families and
things of that nature.
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Have you always
been an Adventist?
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I have not, it was in
1997 when I came to the church.
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How did you, how
did you find the Lord?
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Well, He found me, so...
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actually a mentor of mine
named Richard Magsme and I
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were working
together at a Youth Home,
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and during this
time I was studying
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to become a Black
Panther and a Black Muslim,
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and so we were
having these debates,
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going back and forth about Jesus
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and the things
that I was learning
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and he just became a
mentor to me, father-figure,
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and eventually he asked
if I wanted Bible Studies
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so the Bible Studies initially
were to combat his religion
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but instead, it converted me.
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Come on now...
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so that's what happened.
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So you were studying to be
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a Black Panther and a Muslim
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Well, I wanted to be a part
of the New Black Panther Party
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but also studying
to be a Black Muslim.
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Wow! and so, you
took these studies
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actually to...
kind of counteract him
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and you began to
find Jesus. Correct,
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yes, right, right, exactly.
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And had you ever been exposed
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to Christianity prior to that?
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Well, I don't know what
you may mean by exposure.
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In your home.
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No, not really, my
mother... I love her to death
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but we really
didn't go to church,
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there was a church
in our neighborhood,
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and for the poor
families, of course,
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they had some programs
and free lunch programs
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that we would attend but
it wasn't anything regular
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there wasn't any
prayer in the house
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or any religion, there
was a Bible in the drawer
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but that was its
place, but other than that
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no Christian experience.
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Were you raised in a
single-parent household?
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Yes, my father left my mother
when I was three months old
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and so my mother raised me
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in the heart of
Chicago in the inner city
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along with my
older brother, James.
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In the heart of Chicago...
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In the heart of
Chicago, correct.
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Wow! wow! so, you
were surrounded by gangs?
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Gangs, drug dealers,
hustlers, pimps, prostitutes,
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single mothers... everybody
on my block was a single mother
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so, and single
fathers at home, growing up.
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So how did that
affect your determination
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as... because
you're a father, correct?
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I am. How did that shape
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the father that you are?
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Well, I knew how I
felt when my father left so,
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when I had kids I was
determined not to be as he was,
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to make my children feel
the way I felt growing up
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because there
was a piece missing
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and so it really motivated me
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to be a better dad
than my father was to me.
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So you studied the
Bible, you came to Jesus
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Correct. did you
decide from there,
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how did you get
into ministry from there?
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That's... you don't have
enough tape to go into that.
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We got time, we got some time.
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I was a Probation Officer
after I came to the Church
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and a gentleman by the
name of Dr. Andre Trubear
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was part of ASI, and
there was a school called
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Black Hills
School of Evangelism,
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Mission College of Evangelism,
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so he just said,
"Cory, why don't you go... "
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because I love talking to people
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to make the long story short,
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I went out
there for three months
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came back home and just
wanted to do some Bible work
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I wanted to keep my
jobs, I had a nice paying job
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and so things
just went up from there
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so in a little church named
Maranatha had about six members
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and Michigan
Conference asked me to come in
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and to be the Bible
Worker, they gave me four months
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and after four months,
we baptized eight people
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and then the
church grew from there
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and a year or two later
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they called me
into full-time ministry
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so it's not something I
woke up saying I want to do,
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it was truly a calling,
the Lord opened every door
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in every church I've
been, the Lord has blessed it
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in terms of the
population growth of members
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so, I guess the
brethren felt I was called.
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Yes, yes, one of
the things we talk about
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on this Program a lot is
"walking in your divine destiny"
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knowing that where you
are is where God has you
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the path that you're on is
the path that God has you on
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and to me, there's
nothing greater than that.
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There's no greater
satisfaction, you know,
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when you're doing what
you've been called to do,
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it comes with its
challenges, yeah, right, but,
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but when you're doing
what you've been called to do,
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what you know... you've
been put on the planet to do,
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to me...
finding out your purpose
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walking in your divine destiny,
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there's nothing
greater than that.
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Well, I totally
agree and I believe
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that's how I came to be a...
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I believe this is
what I was supposed to do
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I believe wholeheartedly
every job I've had
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kind of prepared me for this job
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for the ministry, I
don't even call it "work"
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it's ministry for me,
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when I was a Probation Officer,
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it really helped
me to be a pastor
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because of the type of
people I had to deal with
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and things of that
nature and the discipline
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and so, I don't see
myself doing anything else
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but this... this for me
is the greatest experience
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I love what I do, so,
it's really... I love it
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I'm at church six to
seven days a week anyway
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so doing
programs for the Community
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and things of that nature so,
I'm a very active pastor, so...
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See that's critical too because
the church isn't just there
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to be there just for
Sabbath. That's right.
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You're reaching
out into the Community
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putting tentacles out
there to draw people in
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to get them
involved in church work
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that's wonderful
and when... again...
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when you're doing what you've
been placed on the planet to do
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it's not work That's right.
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it's just what you love to do.
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Louis, I want to
introduce our Viewers to you,
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and we're going to
come back to Pastor but
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I want to talk to
you a bit about...
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because, we're talking about
walking in our divine destiny
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and you are still in school
but let's talk about your music
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because you are
such a wonderful singer,
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how did you,
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when did you
know you could sing?
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Well, I've been singing
since I was pretty young
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but I didn't really know that
I could actually sing a solo
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or sing as I sing now,
surprisingly I've never had any
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training at all but basically
what is the common thread
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throughout my tenure
from ten years' old to now,
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is that I've been
in a lot of choirs
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and getting the
exposure through that
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so basically from let's
say ten is when I found out
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that I could actually
sing but recently like
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15 or so, I found out
that I can actually sing a solo
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or sing as a solo artiste.
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So, you started
kind of branching out
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into being a
soloist, when you were 15
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but you were doing
choirs and chorale stuff
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so, you had to kind of go
through all the voice changing
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and all of that stuff and then
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what kind of songs did
you sing when you were ten,
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what kind of songs did you sing?
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Well, basically, we
were in the kids' choir,
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the children's
choir at my local church,
00:10:02.56\00:10:04.67
Hillview Seventh-day
Adventist church in Bahamas
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and so we sang with tracks
and sang at Christmas concerts
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and during Divine Service
and Adventist Youth Service
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those types of
songs like kids' songs
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similar to the ones that you
would find in a normal church
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during children's service,
00:10:21.38\00:10:24.22
so, during that time,
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we were singing
those types of songs
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and one day I realized
that my voice was getting deeper
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and I went to my
Director and I told her, I said,
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"Ma'am, I can't sing
with the choir anymore
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since my voice is now deeper and
I'm sorry, but I have to leave"
00:10:39.37\00:10:43.41
she was disappointed
but we have to move on
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and I had to now figure out
a way to continue on singing
00:10:46.78\00:10:50.05
with a lower register.
00:10:50.08\00:10:51.51
And so, who has
kind of mentored you
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through the process of
doing all this "solo" work
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what mentors have you had?
00:11:01.56\00:11:03.12
Surprisingly
none, I must say that
00:11:03.16\00:11:07.20
where I am today,
00:11:07.23\00:11:09.46
I can give
glory and honor to God
00:11:09.50\00:11:11.53
for he brought me here, yes,
00:11:11.57\00:11:13.50
but at the same time it
actually takes a lot of practice
00:11:13.54\00:11:16.71
that I've been doing
over the years, after school,
00:11:16.74\00:11:20.31
when I got home, I
would spend an hour or two
00:11:20.34\00:11:22.98
in the bathroom and
just rehearse a song
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or do some notes so
that I could work on my range
00:11:25.88\00:11:29.12
there are some teachers like,
00:11:29.18\00:11:31.25
that I had at
the Bahamas Academy
00:11:31.29\00:11:33.76
in my high school
years, Mr. Forbes and Mr. Bain
00:11:33.79\00:11:38.83
but basically those
teachers were there to
00:11:38.89\00:11:42.03
help me with the chapel because
00:11:42.06\00:11:46.17
during my 12th senior year,
as a senior at Bahamas Academy
00:11:46.20\00:11:49.37
I was one of the main persons
00:11:49.40\00:11:51.94
who would
actually give a Special
00:11:51.97\00:11:53.34
during the chapel
sessions, during Week of Prayer
00:11:53.38\00:11:56.14
and they had helped me
there during that space
00:11:56.18\00:11:58.95
and during that time,
but basically, it's more so
00:11:59.01\00:12:01.72
practice and a lot of prayer.
00:12:01.78\00:12:03.99
Hmmm... so, you
would come home every day
00:12:04.02\00:12:07.79
and practice for an hour or so?
00:12:07.82\00:12:09.46
Yeah. Now, see
that's great discipline
00:12:09.52\00:12:11.73
Hmmm... hmmm...
that's great discipline
00:12:11.79\00:12:13.90
just as some kids come
home and practice piano
00:12:13.93\00:12:17.37
for an hour, you
would come in and practice
00:12:17.40\00:12:20.80
with your voice,
would you do scales,
00:12:20.84\00:12:23.14
would you...
like... how did you...
00:12:23.17\00:12:25.07
what kind of system did you use?
00:12:25.11\00:12:26.91
All I had was a
little Cassio Keyboard,
00:12:26.94\00:12:29.48
that's all I had to work
with, I did my scales and
00:12:29.51\00:12:33.42
and going into other
choirs like, for instance now,
00:12:33.45\00:12:37.32
now, at The
College of Bahamas Choir,
00:12:37.39\00:12:39.55
we actually used sheet music
00:12:39.62\00:12:41.12
so I'd used that sheet
music and sing along with that.
00:12:41.16\00:12:44.93
All right, is music
00:12:44.96\00:12:48.06
what you want to do in life,
00:12:48.10\00:12:50.43
I know you're in
College and you're studying
00:12:50.47\00:12:53.54
but what do you want
to do in life as a career?
00:12:53.57\00:12:56.54
I'm looking at Marine
Biology as a career path for me.
00:12:56.60\00:12:59.57
All right. Hmmm... hmmm...
00:12:59.64\00:13:01.18
basically,
right now I'm studying
00:13:01.21\00:13:02.94
at the College of The Bahamas
00:13:02.98\00:13:04.95
and Small Island Sustainability,
that's going to be
00:13:04.98\00:13:09.08
a degree that focuses
on how best we can develop
00:13:09.12\00:13:13.15
a small island nation
using more... not acceptable but
00:13:13.19\00:13:18.89
more beneficial
resources and what's there
00:13:18.93\00:13:21.63
and at the same time
preserving our resources
00:13:21.66\00:13:23.70
and our natural flora and fauna,
00:13:23.73\00:13:26.10
yes, that's where I am right now
00:13:26.13\00:13:28.40
and the next step is to
continue on in Marine Biology.
00:13:28.44\00:13:32.37
So, that's
going to be your focus
00:13:32.41\00:13:34.51
and what's your intention
with your music ministry?
00:13:34.54\00:13:37.95
Oh, my intention
with the music industry
00:13:38.01\00:13:40.45
I intend to continue with it,
00:13:40.52\00:13:42.78
I intend to go as
far as possible as I can
00:13:42.82\00:13:46.19
right now, I'm looking at
how we can best work on a CD
00:13:46.22\00:13:51.16
and basically work on
different programs within the
00:13:51.19\00:13:56.13
Bahamas Conference,
00:13:56.16\00:13:57.50
I haven't really
looked into that yet
00:13:57.53\00:14:00.20
but I intend to
continue on with my music.
00:14:00.24\00:14:03.04
Well, that's wonderful because
00:14:03.07\00:14:04.51
God has
certainly given you a gift
00:14:04.54\00:14:06.98
and I'm looking
forward to having our
00:14:07.01\00:14:09.11
"Foundation of
our Faith" Viewers
00:14:09.14\00:14:11.21
watch and just kind of
participate in ministry
00:14:11.25\00:14:15.82
you know, there's one
thing, it's one thing to perform
00:14:15.85\00:14:20.99
it's another... to minister
00:14:21.02\00:14:23.63
and when we came
over to the Bahamas
00:14:23.66\00:14:26.23
3ABN went over to the Bahamas,
00:14:26.26\00:14:28.96
and that's when I first
heard Louis sing and I thought,
00:14:29.00\00:14:33.07
"Wow! we need to
have him on 3ABN"
00:14:33.10\00:14:36.10
so, we are so glad
that you are with us
00:14:36.14\00:14:38.64
and Pastor, I want
to come back to you
00:14:38.67\00:14:40.51
because you have
an amazing testimony
00:14:40.54\00:14:44.71
I first watched
you on "Making it Work"
00:14:44.75\00:14:48.92
Correct. and I thought,
00:14:48.95\00:14:50.79
"Wow his testimony is so strong"
and you were so transparent
00:14:50.82\00:14:55.36
and I think that people that
watch... Viewers and Listeners,
00:14:55.39\00:14:59.89
need to understand that
the pastor also has a journey
00:14:59.93\00:15:05.00
you're not going
through life unscathed,
00:15:05.03\00:15:08.94
you have a journey too,
00:15:08.97\00:15:11.34
would you share a bit
of your journey with us?
00:15:11.37\00:15:13.27
Well, you know,
since you say that,
00:15:13.31\00:15:15.74
because a lot of people e-
mail me, text me after that
00:15:15.78\00:15:18.75
that Show...
00:15:18.81\00:15:20.15
I think
sometimes people think that
00:15:20.18\00:15:22.42
a pastor's life is
perfect, all he gets up...
00:15:22.45\00:15:24.35
and does his
preaching here and there
00:15:24.39\00:15:26.25
but you mentioned
earlier in the segment
00:15:26.29\00:15:28.42
that we have challenges too,
00:15:28.49\00:15:29.82
about four years ago,
my wife... my ex-wife,
00:15:29.86\00:15:32.66
decided that she
was done with this life
00:15:32.69\00:15:35.43
and she walked away
from the church, the family,
00:15:35.46\00:15:38.70
and things of that nature,
and so, it took me by surprise
00:15:38.73\00:15:43.71
because, she passed me a note
and then proceeded to leave,
00:15:43.74\00:15:48.68
and... Passed
you a note at church?
00:15:48.71\00:15:50.65
at home, I came
home from the church
00:15:50.68\00:15:52.51
we went for a
meeting, gave me a letter,
00:15:52.55\00:15:54.32
came upstairs, bags were packed
00:15:54.38\00:15:56.95
and she left the
boys and I at the house
00:15:56.99\00:15:59.99
and for a while I
thought I was dreaming
00:16:00.02\00:16:03.22
because we didn't
fight, we didn't argue.
00:16:03.26\00:16:06.39
So you really
didn't see it coming?
00:16:06.43\00:16:08.66
I didn't see it... and you know,
00:16:08.70\00:16:10.37
a lot of people
asked me about it,
00:16:10.40\00:16:11.97
I wasn't looking
for it, I mean...
00:16:12.00\00:16:14.80
to me we had a good relationship
00:16:14.84\00:16:17.57
the kids, and so,
that took me by surprise
00:16:17.61\00:16:23.14
I had to really
wake up from that
00:16:23.18\00:16:25.38
and it took me about two years
00:16:25.41\00:16:27.58
it was a dark
time, it was a hard time,
00:16:27.62\00:16:30.25
being the pastor
of the church I had,
00:16:30.29\00:16:32.89
the size of the church,
you know, it was just rough,
00:16:32.92\00:16:36.56
and I was five
months into Burns,
00:16:36.59\00:16:37.93
it wasn't that as
though I was there for years
00:16:37.96\00:16:40.36
but I had just started
00:16:40.40\00:16:41.73
and continued... the
church was on a momentum
00:16:41.76\00:16:44.10
and the church was growing
00:16:44.17\00:16:45.50
and all of a sudden
in September of 2011
00:16:45.53\00:16:48.74
it happened, and so,
00:16:48.77\00:16:50.37
I didn't really
know how to react to it,
00:16:50.41\00:16:52.04
because it came unexpectedly.
00:16:52.07\00:16:55.78
How did that affect your
relationship with the Lord?
00:16:55.81\00:16:58.81
Initially, I had
a lot of questions
00:16:58.85\00:17:04.39
and a whole lot of questions
00:17:04.42\00:17:07.06
and trying to figure out,
00:17:07.09\00:17:09.59
"Well, why did you
allow this to happen?"
00:17:09.62\00:17:12.49
and I gave Him the resume
00:17:12.53\00:17:15.00
like Hezekiah did
00:17:15.06\00:17:16.46
when he was told
that he was going to die,
00:17:16.50\00:17:17.83
and...
00:17:17.87\00:17:19.70
and so it
00:17:19.73\00:17:21.50
it fractured a little bit,
00:17:21.54\00:17:23.44
you know, you
don't pray as much,
00:17:23.47\00:17:25.21
you don't study as much,
I went through a depression
00:17:25.24\00:17:27.94
and yet, I still had to preach,
I had to come to Prayer Meeting
00:17:27.98\00:17:31.15
and do all the things,
and smile before the people
00:17:31.18\00:17:34.28
and I cried a lot after
every appeal, I was crying
00:17:34.32\00:17:37.35
my sons were...
00:17:37.39\00:17:38.72
How old were your children?
00:17:38.75\00:17:40.92
At the time, Seir was a
Senior at Oakwood University,
00:17:40.96\00:17:45.49
Cory Junior was 18,
and a Senior at High School
00:17:45.53\00:17:49.66
and Isaiah, at the time, was 11
00:17:49.70\00:17:53.07
and so it was a tough period.
00:17:53.13\00:17:56.34
And she left the children too?
00:17:56.37\00:17:59.51
Yeah, and eventually
we shared custody but
00:17:59.54\00:18:02.88
when she initially left,
00:18:02.91\00:18:04.51
the boys were with me,
the children were with me,
00:18:04.55\00:18:06.58
and so, that was a rough
part of it, and so, it's just...
00:18:06.61\00:18:12.52
it's dark and
sometimes as a church
00:18:12.55\00:18:15.82
people don't know
how to respond to you,
00:18:15.86\00:18:18.19
they don't know
what to say to you,
00:18:18.23\00:18:20.16
and so, you're in this
journey seemingly by yourself
00:18:20.20\00:18:25.27
I didn't have a father to go
to, as my father left my mother
00:18:25.33\00:18:28.27
so, I had some spiritual
dads but they weren't local
00:18:28.30\00:18:31.74
and so you go through this pain
00:18:31.77\00:18:35.64
and I thought about
leaving the ministry
00:18:35.68\00:18:37.48
even though I knew
this was my calling,
00:18:37.51\00:18:39.25
I tried to enroll in Law School,
00:18:39.31\00:18:41.98
that was my "dream"
that I've always had
00:18:42.02\00:18:45.89
and I went to the Orientation
00:18:45.92\00:18:48.39
and was going to
take the LSAT Test
00:18:48.42\00:18:52.29
and all this stuff.
00:18:52.33\00:18:53.76
You really gave it some thought.
00:18:53.80\00:18:55.86
I gave it a lot of thought,
because I didn't see myself
00:18:55.93\00:18:59.27
credible anymore,
00:18:59.30\00:19:01.20
I mean, what can I
tell people, you know,
00:19:01.24\00:19:03.10
what can I say to couples
who are going through it,
00:19:03.14\00:19:05.41
and how can I give
marriage counseling,
00:19:05.47\00:19:07.81
and so, you know,
a lot of things just
00:19:07.84\00:19:11.05
didn't pan out,
so, I remember I had
00:19:11.08\00:19:13.98
the LSAT Book on my couch,
00:19:14.02\00:19:17.22
and every time I go
towards it to study for it,
00:19:17.25\00:19:19.99
something would take
place, or a phone call
00:19:20.02\00:19:22.66
but I could never get to
that, I always did a U-Turn.
00:19:22.69\00:19:25.59
Some kind of distraction?
00:19:25.63\00:19:26.96
It was always a
distraction every time and...
00:19:27.00\00:19:29.00
and even though I had
rented it out from the library
00:19:29.03\00:19:31.63
I always miss the
due date and take it back
00:19:31.67\00:19:34.64
I didn't look at it one time.
00:19:34.67\00:19:37.21
You never got into it the book.
00:19:37.24\00:19:39.37
Six months it was
sitting on my couch.
00:19:39.44\00:19:40.81
And so, finally, after the Lord
and I were wrestling like Jacob,
00:19:40.84\00:19:46.21
I said, "Okay Lord, I'm going
to have to trust you even more"
00:19:46.25\00:19:51.62
and I did, and so,
it's a "Job experience,"
00:19:51.65\00:19:56.66
it's an "Abraham experience,"
00:19:56.69\00:19:58.09
it's all the
experiences you can think of
00:19:58.13\00:19:59.93
and so... but the Lord has
blessed abundantly even more
00:20:00.00\00:20:04.00
since then, and
it's only been four years
00:20:04.03\00:20:07.17
and so, it's a rough road
so now when I hear pastors
00:20:07.20\00:20:10.61
and families who
are going through it
00:20:10.64\00:20:12.04
and I'm kind of the
"staying guard" for them
00:20:12.07\00:20:14.84
because I didn't have anybody,
00:20:14.88\00:20:16.28
maybe the Lord
allowed it to be that way
00:20:16.31\00:20:18.21
so I can depend on Him even more
00:20:18.28\00:20:20.32
but it was rough on
the kids, with the church,
00:20:20.35\00:20:23.69
our family, so...
00:20:23.75\00:20:26.12
Yes, what can someone say to...
00:20:26.15\00:20:29.72
if someone that you
know is going through
00:20:29.76\00:20:33.46
that kind of situation,
00:20:33.50\00:20:35.46
what would you have
wanted someone to say to you?
00:20:35.50\00:20:37.67
You know, I don't know if there
is so much... people can say,
00:20:37.73\00:20:40.97
people can offer
prayer, Hmmm... hmmm...
00:20:41.00\00:20:42.77
they can pray for
the kids, Hmmm... hmmm...
00:20:42.80\00:20:44.57
you can just keep them company
00:20:44.61\00:20:46.31
you know, I mean,
there are a lot of nights
00:20:46.34\00:20:48.71
that I just was alone,
depressed, discouraged, crying
00:20:48.74\00:20:53.35
trying to hide it from my kids,
00:20:53.42\00:20:54.98
they're in the
same boat and sometimes,
00:20:55.02\00:20:57.55
just take me out to eat,
it's just company, you know,
00:20:57.59\00:21:00.49
you don't want to
leave too many thoughts
00:21:00.52\00:21:02.02
to a person alone
when they're going through
00:21:02.09\00:21:04.29
a rough patch. Hmmm... hmmm...
00:21:04.33\00:21:06.13
and I think sometimes we think
00:21:06.16\00:21:07.90
that we need to say
something to people,
00:21:07.93\00:21:09.76
sometimes, people just
need somebody to sit...
00:21:09.80\00:21:12.10
I just needed somebody
to sit and watch TV with me.
00:21:12.13\00:21:14.14
Hmmm... hmmm... we
would say, "kick it with me"
00:21:14.17\00:21:16.10
there's nothing that
anyone can really say
00:21:16.14\00:21:18.21
but at least I
know you are right there
00:21:18.24\00:21:20.24
and so, for me, I
can't speak for anybody else
00:21:20.28\00:21:23.31
but for me, that's what I needed
and eventually some people
00:21:23.35\00:21:27.25
eventually started doing that,
00:21:27.28\00:21:28.78
and that is what
helped get me out of it,
00:21:28.82\00:21:31.09
there was a day when I
never answered the phone,
00:21:31.12\00:21:33.29
I would just show up at church
00:21:33.32\00:21:34.92
not really prepared,
the Lord still blessed but
00:21:34.96\00:21:38.09
you just... you start
taking on, "I don't care"
00:21:38.13\00:21:41.20
because your
whole life is fractured
00:21:41.23\00:21:43.40
and the picture frame is
broken, the glass is everywhere,
00:21:43.43\00:21:46.87
and there's really
nobody to sweep it up, and so...
00:21:46.90\00:21:50.01
so that was the challenge
but when people started
00:21:50.04\00:21:53.07
coming around, and
just sticking in with me
00:21:53.11\00:21:57.61
and so the Lord shined and so,
00:21:57.65\00:22:00.08
I'm in a different place now.
00:22:00.12\00:22:02.52
Amen, amen, and do you find that
00:22:02.55\00:22:04.89
after having gone through that
00:22:04.92\00:22:07.22
even though you wouldn't
00:22:07.26\00:22:08.59
ever want anybody to go
through anything like that,
00:22:08.62\00:22:10.36
I wouldn't wish it on my enemy.
00:22:10.39\00:22:11.73
right, right,
right, that you're stronger
00:22:11.76\00:22:14.50
as a result of it
because it forced you
00:22:14.53\00:22:17.47
to depend more on the Lord.
00:22:17.50\00:22:19.73
Yeah, I don't know...
people have asked me...
00:22:19.77\00:22:22.07
but I don't know if
I'm necessarily stronger
00:22:22.10\00:22:24.37
I think I'm
more dependent on Him
00:22:24.41\00:22:28.51
and I'm more cautious, and so...
00:22:28.54\00:22:32.58
Cautious about what?
00:22:32.61\00:22:33.95
Just watching different
things, paying attention,
00:22:33.98\00:22:37.59
being more alert,
because I don't know
00:22:37.62\00:22:42.22
if you can get stronger
the next time it should happen,
00:22:42.26\00:22:45.03
I mean, I hope it won't
ever happen again, but...
00:22:45.06\00:22:46.96
I don't know how
I can be so strong
00:22:47.00\00:22:49.03
because it's just
such a human emotion
00:22:49.06\00:22:51.07
it's like, you can be strong,
00:22:51.10\00:22:53.30
and you know
someone's going to die
00:22:53.34\00:22:55.14
but it still
breaks you down, Right.
00:22:55.17\00:22:58.07
so I think, I
gained a dependency on God
00:22:58.11\00:23:01.01
and not take things for granted
00:23:01.04\00:23:02.38
that's the cautiousness,
00:23:02.41\00:23:03.75
sometimes, we
take life for granted
00:23:03.78\00:23:05.71
I never did think that
in 2011 I would be divorced
00:23:05.75\00:23:08.52
after so many
years married and...
00:23:08.55\00:23:11.45
How long were you married?
00:23:11.49\00:23:12.82
Eighteen years, and so,
you take things in perspective
00:23:12.85\00:23:18.96
you appreciate
the smaller things
00:23:18.99\00:23:21.13
that maybe you didn't before,
00:23:21.16\00:23:23.26
you take a certain
special look at your life
00:23:23.30\00:23:26.03
and things of that nature,
it made me look at "Cory"
00:23:26.07\00:23:29.10
not "Pastor Cory" but
it made me look at "Cory"
00:23:29.14\00:23:31.77
and some things
that I had to change
00:23:31.81\00:23:34.44
differently about
myself, and it humbled me,
00:23:34.51\00:23:37.45
to be honest with you,
it humbled me a great deal.
00:23:37.48\00:23:40.42
So, that's
understandable because
00:23:40.45\00:23:43.02
it's such a horrible
experience to go through
00:23:43.05\00:23:46.82
and even what you're telling
us, it came from left field
00:23:46.86\00:23:51.63
and you were
totally unprepared for it,
00:23:51.66\00:23:53.60
so, it's like, bam! and
your world is shattered,
00:23:53.63\00:23:56.70
Yes. just shattered,
00:23:56.77\00:23:58.33
we had just celebrated
our anniversary a month before
00:23:58.37\00:24:01.90
and then, a month to the
day almost... it was over.
00:24:01.94\00:24:05.47
Man! So I can smile about it now
00:24:05.51\00:24:08.54
before, I just,
I couldn't... but,
00:24:08.61\00:24:11.81
you know, this
older preacher taught me
00:24:11.85\00:24:14.52
the first two
words in divorce is "die"
00:24:14.58\00:24:17.19
and everything
around you is a living death
00:24:17.22\00:24:19.32
even though it
sounds like an oxymoron but
00:24:19.35\00:24:21.42
God shows you things
and He didn't give up on me
00:24:21.46\00:24:26.09
even though I
was ready to give up
00:24:26.13\00:24:27.46
or my purpose... my calling...
00:24:27.50\00:24:28.93
and He just didn't
let me go to be the lawyer
00:24:28.96\00:24:31.93
I thought I was going
to be, so He kept me in
00:24:32.00\00:24:34.94
in this part of the vineyard
00:24:34.97\00:24:36.30
and so He's taken
me places from there
00:24:36.34\00:24:38.97
as a result of this thing.
00:24:39.01\00:24:40.74
Praise the Lord,
00:24:40.78\00:24:42.11
so where do you
see your ministry going
00:24:42.14\00:24:44.98
what are you... I
know you're at Burns and
00:24:45.01\00:24:48.18
and you seem to love your church
00:24:48.22\00:24:50.42
I do. the church loves you,
00:24:50.49\00:24:51.92
are you expanding
your ministry there
00:24:51.95\00:24:56.69
to do a lot of
00:24:56.73\00:24:58.66
divorce and marriage and
re-marriage kind of counseling,
00:24:58.69\00:25:02.10
where has this
brought your ministry?
00:25:02.13\00:25:05.23
Well, I think what
it has done for me is
00:25:05.27\00:25:08.30
try to make Christianity
00:25:08.34\00:25:10.31
practical I think
sometimes it's so lofty,
00:25:10.34\00:25:13.48
people don't think they
can reach the standard of it
00:25:13.54\00:25:15.58
Hmmm... hmmm... and so,
I make it very practical
00:25:15.61\00:25:17.65
in real-life experiences
and that's one of the reasons
00:25:17.71\00:25:20.98
why the church is
open as much as it is,
00:25:21.02\00:25:22.58
so that people who have
real issues and real problems,
00:25:22.62\00:25:26.42
come to church, for example,
00:25:26.45\00:25:28.59
an alcoholic... he
needs Alcoholic Anonymous
00:25:28.62\00:25:30.93
and it's open seven days a week
00:25:30.96\00:25:32.76
because we're so addicted
to sin I keep the church open
00:25:32.79\00:25:36.46
so that, you know,
people can come and learn
00:25:36.50\00:25:40.04
how to continue to overcome
00:25:40.07\00:25:41.40
and so we do a lot
of Community things
00:25:41.44\00:25:43.17
in the neighborhood,
that's not just locally
00:25:43.20\00:25:45.87
to just one issue
but it's very broad-based
00:25:45.91\00:25:48.54
and so we hit every area
whether it's at-risk youth
00:25:48.58\00:25:53.18
whether it's family,
whether it's economics
00:25:53.21\00:25:56.22
you name it, you
know we try to hit it
00:25:56.25\00:25:58.69
so that it's a buffet
type of practical experience
00:25:58.72\00:26:04.56
I love it, so it's
wherever the need is
00:26:04.59\00:26:07.13
That's right.
00:26:07.16\00:26:08.50
you meet the need
just like Jesus did.
00:26:08.53\00:26:10.57
That's right, that's
what we're called to do so
00:26:10.60\00:26:12.67
we don't specialize in one area,
00:26:12.70\00:26:15.10
we hit everything.
00:26:15.14\00:26:16.47
That's awesome
00:26:16.50\00:26:17.84
and now, we just
have about a minute left
00:26:17.87\00:26:19.94
tell us, and I want
to hear from Louis too,
00:26:19.97\00:26:22.48
what are the sermons going
to be in your series on FOOF,
00:26:22.51\00:26:27.08
"Foundation of Our Faith?"
00:26:27.12\00:26:28.45
Well, I'm
dealing with character,
00:26:28.48\00:26:29.82
I'm dealing with
character transformation
00:26:29.85\00:26:31.95
and the power of it,
00:26:31.99\00:26:34.32
I think we don't
talk enough about
00:26:34.36\00:26:36.69
our characters being transformed
00:26:36.73\00:26:38.93
Ellen White says,
"When the character of Christ
00:26:38.99\00:26:41.43
has been perfectly
reproduced in His people,
00:26:41.46\00:26:43.77
then He will come to
reclaim them as His own"
00:26:43.80\00:26:46.00
so that's what I focused on,
so... you go from rags to riches
00:26:46.03\00:26:49.30
giving it one more shot,
you didn't know that was in you,
00:26:49.34\00:26:52.54
and going toe-to-toe with God.
00:26:52.57\00:26:54.18
I love it, four
powerful sermons I love it.
00:26:54.21\00:26:57.31
What are the songs
you're going to do, Louis?
00:26:57.35\00:27:00.42
Well, the songs I'm
going to do, I'm going to do:
00:27:00.45\00:27:02.88
"What a Friend
we have in Jesus,"
00:27:02.92\00:27:04.79
"If He carried the weight of
the world, He will carry you. "
00:27:04.82\00:27:08.59
And then, "He Hideth My
Soul in the Cleft of the Rock"
00:27:08.62\00:27:11.73
and then, "Come Thou
Fount of Every Blessing. "
00:27:11.76\00:27:14.13
Oh, praise the Lord,
00:27:14.16\00:27:15.90
this is so
exciting to me because
00:27:15.93\00:27:18.57
whenever we have
Foundation of our Faith,
00:27:18.60\00:27:21.00
I love to talk to our
Speaker, our Musical Evangelist,
00:27:21.04\00:27:24.84
and just kind of find
out a bit about their journey
00:27:24.87\00:27:28.64
and I thank you
so much for sharing
00:27:28.68\00:27:30.51
your journey with us today.
00:27:30.55\00:27:33.01
Thanks for having me. Thank you.
00:27:33.05\00:27:34.85
Do you have, quickly,
have one thought for someone
00:27:34.88\00:27:40.12
that's going
through a really bad time,
00:27:40.16\00:27:42.92
take ten seconds
and give them a thought.
00:27:42.96\00:27:45.69
In the book,
"Ministry of Healing"
00:27:45.73\00:27:47.06
we're told that,
"God has a thousand ways
00:27:47.10\00:27:49.43
to work with my one problem. "
00:27:49.46\00:27:51.97
See, he's there just like that,
00:27:52.00\00:27:54.44
praise the Lord,
in season and out.
00:27:54.47\00:27:56.81
Thank you so
much for joining us.
00:27:56.87\00:27:59.14
Join us next time
because, you know what?
00:27:59.17\00:28:01.41
It just wouldn't be
the same without you.
00:28:01.44\00:28:03.68