PREACHER’S CORNER
Full
Circle By Pastor Kameron Adams
M
y story isn’t uncommon. There are many preachers who have the story of growing up with a childhood that reflected a desire for ministry. I grew up thinking I was the only one who experienced this type of journey. Over time, I discovered I wasn’t alone. To hear the stories of those I’ve admired, experienced similar journeys was very encouraging for me. I always knew I was different, but I couldn’t deny my reality. As a child, preaching is all I did. In fact, my mother went into labor while being pregnant with me at church. She tells me often that there would be times when my spiritual father, the early Honorable Bishop Edward C. Roberts would preach, and I would literally start kicking in her womb. I guess all of that kicking eventually led to my mother going into labor at church. As time progressed, I continued as a very young child to display signs. In fact, my father and mother both agree that my first word wasn’t “mom” or “dad,” but it was “preach.” Though I was a kid, I do remember the days of coming to church with a purple Fischer-Price echo microphone; I also had a toy guitar, and I would bring these items to church all the time. I would stand on the pew bench, leading praise and worship with the praise and worship leader. I directed the choir from that same pew bench. In addition to that, when Pastor would preach, and get into high gear, guess who was preaching and stomping on the bench of the pew with him. Yes, you guessed right—me.
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THE CHRISTIAN OUTLOOK
This was my life as a child. It wasn’t foreign for me to come home from school, take one of my mother’s choir robes, convert my bedroom into a sanctuary with a selfmade pulpit, set up my tons of figurines and have straight church. There were days when mom would be in her bedroom taking a nap, and my whooping and hollering (which sounded more like screaming) would wake her up. Honestly, my parents would tell you they thought something was wrong with me. They discerned something was different about me, but still couldn’t quite understand. To them, my journey was just a phase. Yet, God had a different plan for me, and I wasn’t oblivious to it. At the age of ten years old I preached my very first message at my home church. At age 11, I had my very first engagement at an AME church. My seventh grade teacher invited me to come and minister. Many at school—teachers and students—could recognize my difference. It was normal for people to call me “Rev,” without even knowing my name. I’ve always fought for normal. I’ve wrestled with my yes that I gave God so eagerly at a young age. I’ve made many mistakes along the way. However, I’m a witness to the power of God’s love and mercy. In 2010, I experienced one of the greatest losses in my life: my spiritual father, the Honorable Bishop Edward C. Roberts made his transition. When I received the news, the impact of the devastation knocked the wind out of me—literally. It packed greater anxiety on to what I already struggled with in my life due to bullying as a child and low self-esteem.
“POSITIONED FOR PROMISE”
MAY/JUNE 2021
