COLUMBUS, Ohio — Sitting in his office, Pastor David Sanders prepares for his Sunday service.
Sanders is the pastor of Victory Deliverance of Missionary Outreach Church of Christ on 246 North 20th Street, which he started under the most unconditional circumstances.
He flips through the pages of his bible and realized it’s a full-circle moment for him.
"I started my church when I was in the Franklin County Correctional Institution,” said Sanders.
Sanders is from New York and moved to Columbus in 1985. Sanders said he went down a dark path.
"I got involved and tangled with crack cocaine,” said Sanders. “I did drugs for over 30 plus years. I got stabbed, set on fire, thrown in the back of trunks of cars. Man, I had surgery where they had to rip me open.”
Sanders sees some of the same things that happened to him every time he turns on the news.
On Tuesday, a 16-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man were killed during a drug deal.
Sanders said young people should be growing old, not having their lives cut short because of gun violence and drugs.
"Everybody's about drugs, gang-banging violence. Get a job, Try to accomplish and achieve goals. Go bowling. Get a girlfriend. Do something constructive," Sanders said.
That’s why he shared his story, hoping it would resonate with someone, to keep them away from the streets.
“Life is beautiful,” said Sanders. “When you do what's right and what's good most of the time, it comes back on you".