Dreams Come True
On October 2, 2018, then Mayor Todd Strange said to Ken Austin that God could use him to help change West Montgomery. Ken was doing some great things, but Mayor Strange had a vision of how God could do even greater things. Ken Austin, a black man, listened to a vision from a white man and decided that it was God’s purpose for him and he obeyed it.
Ken asked God for people to help him carry that load. County Commissioners, Elton Dean and Doug Singleton, and a host of people of all races went to work. A young white man, Drew Woods, became Chairman of the Board. Seven years later, here are some of the amazing results.
- The New Walk of Life Church—where the gospel is preached to the poor is located on Council Street. A picture of people arrested early in the Civil Rights movement hangs in the lobby and a picture of Mother Dean Albritton, the leader of Dean’s Army renovation team. Today Ken Austin as Pastor is seeing amazing things happen as people are coming to know Jesus Christ. A good friend, Walter Albritton, a white retired preacher who is 94 years old, serves as an Elder of the Church and preaches there every fourth Sunday. God is using a white retired preacher to make a difference in a black pastor’s church.
- Mercy House—an old house located in the midst of an aging neighborhood, just across the street from New Walk of Life. On a normal residential stove, they cook 500 meals a day and serve them! Out back there is a pavilion for people to come and get a drink of water and plug in a phone. A friend of mine, Pat Mathews, went with me one day to the Mercy House and saw the need for concrete flooring in that pavilion. He gave a check to provide that.
- The Pathway House—a house next to the church that houses a computer lab, library to help people read, a job placement, parenting classes, life skills, Bible Studies and other ministries.
- The Map Center—located in WSFA’s old building that has 40,000 square feet. Consolidated Homeless Service Center houses a multitude of ministries including tutoring programs, clothes closet, a partnership with Trenholm College where adults can come and get their High School Diploma or GED and be trained in a specific trade.
- The Youth Navigation Center—An Enrichment Program Picking up 200 children from 10 different schools for tutoring and homework help. We praise God that Goodwin Construction Company did a major renovation of the facility.
- The Manna House—This is the old Corsinos restaurant on Court Street. It has taken thousands of dollars to bring it up to code. A volunteer, young Kyle Kyser, has helped oversee multiple building enhancements to bring it up to code. This will allow them to cook 2,000 plus meals every day and deliver them with food trucks.
- The Servant Maker House—a house with 15 bedrooms in downtown Montgomery. Cathy Cadell helped purchase and refurbish it to offer housing to college interns who will work with specific groups of children on an on-going basis. This summer, over 200 children were served. It’s a house dedicated to making servant leaders for the future.
On October 2, 2025, you are invited to the WSFA’s Day of Dreams Telethon from 5:00am to 7:00pm, at the MAP Center, the Mercy House and the MAP Youth Navigation Center to Celebrate that their Dreams are coming true. Please give to a ministry making a difference in our city!
What if Mayor Strange had not challenged Ken? What if Ken had not obeyed God’s call? What if you miss seeing the door that God is opening for you? What if you don’t respond and be obedient to making Montgomery and the world different? What if you do respond to make a difference?
What if?
