A Place of Refuge, A Beacon of Light

In a neighborhood where children’s lives have been lost to gun violence, Pastor Lawrence McFall and Lamb of God Church are on a mission. They are saving children.

“This is a place of refuge, a beacon of light,” he says. “The children, they are the light. They are the future. They are the church.”

The children flock to Lamb of God every day, seeking refuge and bringing light. The congregation is 65% youth, with about 120 youngsters attending Children’s Church every Sunday.

“Our children here are a mixture of children,” McFall says. “We got the whole world here.”

Indeed, the children represent a broad spectrum of God’s kingdom, tiny to teen, light to dark, quiet to outgoing. A rainbow of children. And for McFall, their presence is fulfilling a prophecy.

“I was assistant pastor at another church for seven years,” McFall says. “Then one day, God told me to start a new church.” McFall resisted. As the pastor wrestled with God over the next several months, he lost 40 pounds. Without trying. But still, he did not heed the call.

Then one Saturday morning, he heard it again. When he told his wife, Moyra, she was skeptical. He explained the call to her: that the church would be a deliverance ministry, helping people out of drugs, alcohol, prostitution. It would attract kids and teens, many of whom were broken by circumstances beyond their control. In His call, God had whispered over half of your ministry will be children.

He would call it Lamb of God.

Moyra was not convinced. As they discussed the possible risks, McFall picked up his Bible. To listen for the Word of the Lord, he opened the book, well-worn from years of study. He put his finger randomly on the page. Together, the McFalls looked at the scripture: Behold the Lamb of God.

In that moment, they both knew. They were convicted. Days later, McFall was driving all over town, looking for a place for his church. God led McFall to a storefront space, where he knocked on the door unannounced. The landlord was waiting for him. “God told me you were coming,” he said as he opened the door. On November 19, 2002, McFall held the first Lamb of God service there, their first worship space.

Now, nine years and five moves later, the congregation is thriving. They bought the current church building at 57 Rena Street SW five years ago. The building had stood for more than nine decades, but it had been closed for many years. The Lamb of God congregation came in, restored wholeness, and opened it up to the neighborhood.

“We were having a food drive to serve this neighborhood, and I had one city commissioner tell me ‘You’re in the lost community,’” McFall says. “But God put us here for a reason: the children. We feed them. We clothe them. I go to their schools. I have lunch with them, see how they’re doing, encourage them.”

As if on cue, a young boy pushes McFall’s office door open and peeks in, eyebrows raised expectantly.

“You come back in a little bit,” McFall tells him. “I’ll have a soda for you then.”

That, the Pastor explains, is a Sunday tradition. The six-year-old regularly stops in for a soft drink and an encouraging word after worship.

“I have four children, and I have 225 children,” McFall says. “I’m a spiritual father to all of them. I have them stand on the scripture Philippians 4:13,  I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. No matter what they’re going to do, they can stand on that scripture.”

Parishioners Kim Watson and her son, William Pugh, have found both strength and community at Lamb of God.

“Everyone around our church has been like a family to me,” said Pugh, who is a senior at East Kentwood High School. “They call and check up on me.”

The congregation works as a united community to support kids in school. “We hope they all stay in the church, and make God the head of their life,” Watson says. “We hope they all graduate and go on to college.”

Youth groups at Lamb of God play an important role in keeping young people on the path to graduation. Daughters of the Lamb teaches young women how to dress, practice good manners, and exhibit qualities of self-respect. Sons of the Lamb teaches abstinence and respect for the young women in their lives.

“We look at education as very important,” McFall says. “We’re working to prevent the crises that can interfere with our young people completing their education and achieving their potential.”

As Lamb of God embarks on its Family Leadership Initiative through Gatherings of Hope, McFall is optimistic about bringing more families into the fold.

“That’s what we’re doing here, gathering hope in these babies,” he says. “Gathering hope that they’re going to be doctors, teachers, lawyers, prophets, evangelists, leaders.

“This church is a beacon of life, and it’s open to all.”