A Catalyst For Change

Posted by nlydstaff in Motivational Stories

Keon Gerow: A Catalyst for Change

Pastor Keon Gerow

“I promised to never let me down again.” – Pastor Keon Gerow

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Through his ministry, Pastor Keon Gerow is showing us that, aside from faith, the biggest asset to those who are struggling, are those who have struggled. The creator of Catalyst for Change Church, Gerow has fashioned a place where truly anyone can go to worship; a place that accepts everyone despite their personal turmoil. By discussing issues that are difficult for many to hear, Gerow said he hopes to “create a platform for the church to speak truth to power, for those who are suffering silently.”

Gerow said, “I’m much more convinced that the real ministry of Jesus was outside the four walls of the church. Church is on a swift slope of decline, it’s just not relevant to the twenty-first century.”

He explained that, in a traditional church, people often have the Bible forced upon them. Gerow emphasizes the fact that people want to be met where they are, “you have to meet them at their need.” As an example, he cites Jesus’ work, “When people were hungry, Jesus fed them before he mentioned anything about God or his work.

Gerow grew up in Baltimore, Maryland with his brother and mother. He struggled during his parents’ bitter divorce; he felt as if it were his own fault. The death of his grandparents, with whom he was close, was very painful for him. With the family struggling on welfare, his mother worked two jobs while going to school for her Bachelor’s degree. Gerow stated, “My mom was determined to see my brother and me become a success.” However, facing turmoil in his household and within himself, Gerow ran away from home on three different occasions.

As a teenager, Gerow dreamed of attending Morehouse College, but he allowed his grades to slip and was kicked out of high school. Although he did enter Morehouse College, academics presented a challenge once again and he was asked to leave. “I think the reality of being dismissed from college turned on the light of common sense in me and challenged me to rise above my own personal defeat,” Gerow said.

Catalyst For Change Newspaper Article

He wrote the President of the college a sincere letter. It was his honesty and commitment to improve that changed the mind of the President and Gerow was given his second chance. Besides the disappointment of letting down his family and friends, he realized the biggest person he’d let down was himself. Gerow said, “I promised to never let me down again.”

Where did this man of faith and compassion get such inspiration? When he was nineteen years old, Gerow felt a strong calling into ministry. He chose to continue his education at Princeton, receiving a Master’s in Divinity.

At first, Pastor Gerow never wanted to start a church. He felt extremely unqualified, insecure and unprepared. It was his own Pastor who encouraged him to start a church. “He saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself,” Gerow said. He also explained that growing up with his mom provided him with an example of what success looks like every day. He said, “I had no excuse as to why I could not achieve.  She is what triumph looks like in human form.”

For Pastor Gerow, “Never Let You Down” is a promise we must first make to ourselves. With this promise, we can decide to live up to our potential. He believes that by making this one promise to ourselves, one’s whole life can change.  He said, “It calls forth the greatness inside each of us and demands that we live on purpose.”

For more information on Pastor Gerow and his church visit www.achangeiscoming.org

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