Local pastor uses ministry to help bring change in community

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – With the recent string of violence, one Starkville pastor is now on a mission to bring about change.

He’s putting his words into action.

On Monday, Pastor Abdural Lee took his ministry into Brookville Garden Apartments praying with residents in that community.

You may recall, a fatal shooting happened at that complex just last week.

Lee said he’s disheartened and turned off by the recent violence he’s seeing, now he wants to use his platform to spread God’s word, and put an end to the senseless violence that he believes is plaguing the community.

“I just think it’s an opportunity to let people know that somebody does care,” said Lee, pastor of Sand Creek Chapel Missionary Baptist Church.

For Lee it’s personal, not only is he from Starkville, but he also once lived in Brookville Garden Apartments.

“I’ve dealt with a situation where one of my sons got in his own ordeal and I’ve lost mine before so my heart goes out,” said Lee. “It really touches me deep down in my soul to see a parent have to lose their child or even have to deal with the fact of having a child be locked up. I take that extremely personal.”

Lee’s ministry takes him out of the pulpit and into the community he serves.

He wants others to learn from his mistakes and know they don’t have to resort to drugs or violence.

“I’m not a judgmental pastor,” Lee explained. “I understand what they’re going through. I understand that the kids are doing their thing, they’re going through their transition and they just need somebody to care enough about them without judging them. You have to love on people in order to get them where you need them to be.”

The pastor said if he wants to bring change he knows he has to meet people where they are.

“I understood that in order for us to bring people in, we got to go out and get them,” said Lee.

Lee knows that a problem this big is going to require a bigger answer and more involvement from the community.

“One person can’t make the difference,” the pastor expressed. “I can do what I can, but what about the rest of the people that are sitting at home and being judgmental about what’s happening but never doing anything about it. I would just love to see more people come together and start to reach out in communities like this and having more activities and things of that nature. We got to pour back into our community.”

Others joined Lee as he prayed for those in the community on Monday.

Pastor Lee said he won’t quit.

He plans to go all throughout the city spreading the Lord’s word and trying to bring about positive change in his hometown.