M artin L u th er K in g J r .
January 16. 2013
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Page 44
201J sp ecia l e o i lion
M inistering
the Fatherless
c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 38
PHOTO BY CARI HACHMANN/THE PORTLAND OBSERVER
Pastor Mark Strong is following in the path of Dr. Martin Luther King’s belief in the beloved
community by taking stewardship to the issue of fatherlessness. His Life Change Christian
Center in north Portland offers classes to help young fathers as well as single-moms.
worst case scenario ror tne tatherless, there is hope for
people to overcome.
Strong tells the story of a young man, an unfamiliar
face to the church, who sat in for a service at Life
Change Christian Center one morning. Strong was
speaking to people in the pews about growing up
without a father, when after the service, he noticed the
same boy crying.
Strong asked the young man in tears what troubled
him and the boy said his father abandoned him. Since
then, Strong says the boy has maintained a solid
relationship with the church and is trying to make peace
with himself and his situation.
In the spirit of Martin Luther King, Strong says
everybody can do something to help a child that doesn’t
have a parent. As the saying goes, it takes a village to
raise a child. Strong and the church continue their work
through outreach to mobilize mentors for young people.
Life Change Christian Center offers classes to help
young fathers as well as single-moms.
A pastor at Life Change for 25 years, Strong said his
passion is about making a difference in people.
With any issue that’s detrimental to people,
altruistically you hope that it will go away, but that’s
not reality,” said Strong. “Our goal is that if we can
help one family, one child, one hurting adult, then
we've made it.”
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