I Must Be About My Father’s Business
Sometimes people look at different chapters of my life and wonder how they all connect.
New Birth. Chicago. Los Angeles. Compton. The ministries. The people. The experiences. The things I survived.
For me, they are not random chapters. They are pieces of a story that has been unfolding for decades.
New Birth Was More Than a Church to Me
New Birth is where I worked as an Executive Sous Chef and leader in the Food Service Ministry. This is where I served Coretta Scott King, I hung out with Bernice King and served Bishop Long, his family and guests (that is how I met each Pastor, less Dates).
TD Jakes, Bishop Noel Jones, Bishop Clarence McClendon, and more.
But my involvement went far beyond the kitchen.
I was also a driver for the Mother’s Board, College Ministry, Step Team, and José Feed the Homeless Ministry.
I served wherever I believed I could be useful.
Food was one of my gifts, but service was bigger than food. I learned that ministry is not always about standing behind a pulpit. Sometimes ministry is preparing a meal. Sometimes it is driving somebody somewhere. Sometimes it is feeding someone who does not know where their next meal is coming from.
That period of my life shaped me.
Salem, Chicago and My Church Journey
Salem Baptist Church is my community church in Chicago.
Holy Name Cathedral is my home church.
And City of Refuge became one of the many churches I attended while I was living in Los Angeles between 2018 and 2020.
Those experiences may look different to someone looking from the outside, but my faith journey has never been confined to one building.
I have worshipped, served, learned and listened in many places.
Why Compton? Let Me Explain.
Compton has a very specific place in my personal history.
In 1984, before Debbie died, I was sent to Los Angeles for protection. My cousin Tony yes, the same Tony associated in my memories with "Training Day" was in Compton, and I stayed there with him.
That experience gave me an early familiarity with the community.
I later returned to Los Angeles in 1987 while working for a company called Austin Diversified Products (ADP), doing door-to-door work.
By then, I was already comfortable navigating the community.
Years later, I returned to Los Angeles again.
In 2018, while living in my car, Compton became one of the places where I stayed.
That chapter of my life is difficult to explain unless you understand the circumstances surrounding it.
I wasn't in Los Angeles on vacation.
I was trying to rebuild my life.
I was applying for opportunities in Inglewood, including 911 dispatch-related work, and pursuing opportunities involving background investigations in Santa Monica.
And yes, I spent time in Compton.
There is also a personal connection I have always associated with that period involving Dr. Dre and the people around him. My memories of that community made me feel that I was not completely alone while I was there.
I have my own story about how I came to know of Dre and his circle, and I understand that some parts of my story may sound unbelievable to people who were not there.
But I lived those experiences.
Then Nipsey Was Shot
While I was living in Los Angeles, I was living approximately two blocks from Nipsey Hussle's store.
Then Nipsey was shot.
I also remember an interaction in which he attempted to sell me an RV.
These are the kinds of moments that make my Los Angeles story difficult to summarize in a few sentences.
There are connections, circumstances and experiences that only make sense when you understand the timeline.
So when people ask me about Compton, Los Angeles, Dre, Nipsey, City of Refuge or the churches I attended, I cannot simply give them one sentence.
There is history behind all of it.
And Yes, There Is a Reason I Talk About Dr. Dre
I have been asked questions about why certain things happened, including why Dre performed at the Super Bowl.
I can tell you my perspective and my personal history, but I cannot claim to know another person's private motivations unless they have publicly stated them.
What I can say is that my years in Los Angeles, my time in Compton and the people I encountered there are part of my life story.
That's why I say:
Does that help you?
Maybe it does.
Maybe it helps explain why certain places and names mean something different to me than they might mean to someone else.
I Must Be About My Father's Business
At this point in my life, I have to stay focused.
I must be about my FATHER'S business.
That means I cannot spend my life trying to convince everybody to understand me.
I cannot apologize for every decision I make about where I worship, who I follow or whose ministry I support.
I do not support or follow Lisa.
That is not my job.
That is not my faith.
That is not my religion.
My responsibility is to God.
When Bishop Eddie Long died, I made a personal decision to continue following pastors and ministries where I had personally served and where I had personally fed people.
I remember the pastors I served.
I remember the people I cooked for.
I remember the ministries where I worked.
I remember the people who were hungry and the people who needed help.
Those experiences are real to me.
And I am not going to apologize for the path God has taken me through.
My Story Is Bigger Than One Church
New Birth is part of my story.
Salem is part of my story.
Holy Name Cathedral is part of my story.
City of Refuge is part of my story.
Chicago is part of my story.
Los Angeles is part of my story.
Compton is part of my story.
And every difficult season taught me something.
I have spent enough time trying to explain myself to people who were never there.
Now, I am focused on what comes next.
I have survived too much to become distracted by everybody else's expectations of who I should be.
I know what I have done.
I know where I have served.
I know what I believe.
And most importantly
I know who my Father is.
So, respectfully, I am going to keep doing what I believe I was called to do.
I MUST BE ABOUT MY FATHER'S BUSINESS.
