Story of the Month

The Purpose Driven Life:

Pastor Keon Gerow shares his motivational story on how faith & determination changed his life forever.

Written by: Elena Ponce

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. As the founder of Catalyst for Change Church, Gerow has fashioned a place where truly anyone is welcome.

By discussing issues that are difficult for many to hear, Gerow hopes to “create a platform for the church to speak truth to power for those who are suffering silently.” He reaches out to those who are hurting and believes whole-heartedly that, “All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord.”

Pastor G from NLYD Productions on Vimeo.

Gerow believes that the real ministry of Jesus can be found outside the church. “Church is on a swift slope of decline; It’s just not relevant to the twenty-first century.” He explains 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.”

Gerow was raised in Baltimore, Maryland, with his brother and mother. He struggled during his parents’ divorce, feeling as though he was to blame. His grandparents’ death was also very hard for him, as they were very close. 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 separate occasions.

As a teenager, Gerow dreamt of attending Morehouse College, but he allowed his grades to slip and was kicked out of high school. Although he did eventually enter Morehouse College, academics once again, presented itself as a problem, and Gerow was asked to leave the University. Besides the disappointment of letting down his family and friends, he realized the biggest person he’d let down was himself.

“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. 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, who decided to give him a second chance. “I promised to never let me down again”, says Gerow.

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 degree 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 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 a human form.”

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

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