God, community making a difference in Laurinburg, preacher says

LAURINBURG — Michael Edds says God is at work in this Scotland County town, and so are folks such as Jason Watson, Mackie Swailes, Bonnie Pressley, Karen Roche, Jean Edds, Coty Gainey, Shelley Clark, Nate and Ashley Concepcion and many others.

You'll find the downtown nestled under the tall oaks, scenic enough for any picture postcard, and not far from the South Carolina line. But Edds will tell you that Laurinburg, like any community, has its issues.

“This small city is the fourth most violent place in the state, has the highest unemployment rate and the highest extreme child hunger rate in North Carolina,” says Edds, pastor at Cross Pointe Church. “The children go hungry in the summer. Kids are being recruited by five vicious gangs because there is nothing for kids to do or to go to.”

Not, if you give a listen to the good preacher, a pretty picture.

But keep listening.

“An incredible thing is happening here in Laurinburg,” Edds says. “Three weeks ago, a small group of us started reaching out to the children in the many housing projects here. We started busing kids into our facility on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. It has grown to 64. By the end of the month, we are expecting 80 to 100. Our new facility is the only community center in Laurinburg. We feed them, have great praise and worship with them, have an incredible brother called Mackie the Bum, a clown, who brings God’s word to them on their level, then have basketball, foosball, cornhole and other games with them. God has even sent in workers from other churches to help us.”

Edds says 30 of the young folks have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior.

“We have a 4,000-square-foot space on the second floor that we are going to expand to tutor, mentor, counsel, help with homework and meet these kids' needs,” Edds says. “I just received a $10,000 grant toward helping finish the space. A general contractor called me and offered his services free of charge to oversee the work on it. An electrical company is considering doing the electrical work.

“Thursday, five new iPads with educational games on them were given to us. Two police officers are coming to play with the kids this week. Five area businesses have sent in food and money for us to feed the kids for the next four months, a couple bought us a larger bus to bring in more kids and a church from Baltimore is sending $1,000 to help with gas and food. Thursday, a crew working on the highway heard about what we are doing and took up an offering for food. The county parks and recreation department is going to send in staff and games.

“What is so amazing is that we just started ministering to these children,” Edds says. “And all this help has come in suddenly, without us asking or even expecting anything.”

Praise God, Edds says, and he shouts his words for all to hear.

“I am running to keep up with the Lord,” he says. “Help is coming in from everywhere in such unexpected ways. It just suddenly happened.”

Those folks like Jason Watson, Mackie Swailes, Bonnie Pressley, Karen Roche, Jean Edds, Coty Gainey, Shelley Clark, Nate and Ashley Concepcion and others in area churches, including McColl, South Carolina, are making a difference in the lives of young people in Laurinburg, and Michael Edds believes the young people may just become an answer to a better community for all.

“We have been praying for seven years for community transformation,” Edds says. “As God changes the hearts of the children, our city will be transformed. When God decides to work, heaven and Earth cannot stand in his way. I am just in awe of God.”

Columnist Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at bkirby@fayobserver.com or 486-3571.