Church Built by Reaching Out to the Inner-City Lost
"Our men's house director used to be living on the streets, was on methamphetamines, alcohol, and stuff. We met him through one of our outreach parties, and he got saved. Never been to church in his life, but got discipled and sort of raised up through the ranks through servanthood, commitment, and prayer... Now he's on staff at the church."
(Charleston, South Carolina)—OneNewsNow reports that Hope Assembly of God has built its church by reaching out to the lost in their inner city, noting that "many of the members are former drug addicts, alcoholics, and people with mental problems who received a touch straight from Heaven."
"Our men's house director used to be living on the streets, was on methamphetamines, alcohol, and stuff," says Pastor Gordon Cashwell. "We met him through one of our outreach parties, and he got saved. Never been to church in his life, but got discipled and sort of raised up through the ranks through servanthood, commitment, and prayer... Now he's on staff at the church." (Photo: Hope Assembly of God)
"Probably 70 [to] 80 percent of the people are right from the inner city. About half of them who come are people who were previously on drugs, on the streets," Cashwell adds. "Some of them are previously schizophrenic, manic depressive—and now they've been discipled. And through these groups, they're actually leaders now in the church."
Notes reporter Charlie Butts, the pastor credits their success to their insistence on reaching beyond church walls and going where hurting people are.
