TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Many call New Birth Tabernacle of Praise, the heartbeat of Harlem Street. Located in the Griffin Heights neighborhood on the border of french town, the area has seen heightened crime over the past several years; but now one man is making it his mission to change all of that.
He lives there, he works there, and he's raised a family there. It's a place that Pastor Rudy Ferguson Sr. has called home for more then 30 years.
During his youth, Ferguson admits he dealt with drugs and was familiar with the streets. Through his faith, Ferguson was able to overcome those obstacles becoming a pastor in 2010. He then returned to the church he grew up in, with the vision of revitalizing the Griffin Heights community back to its former glory, "the goal is to make the community better for them to walk the streets again....and for the children to get out and ride their bikes again, play football, or hide and seek....and have the kids say you know what I love Griffin Heights."
Ferguson has led several neighborhood initiatives including the redevelopment of the John G. Riley Park and the creation of the Front Line Project, a faith based community organization made up of city leaders and community members. Through the Front Line Project, Ferguson approached Tallahassee Community College to develop a free GED program in January of 2015.
In 2014, Griffin Heights was named neighborhood of the year. In 2015, the church worked with the Tallahassee Police Department to co -host a gun violence discussion. Before becoming a pastor full time, Ferguson served the Tallahassee Urban League, creating a teen crime prevention program.
Ferguson resigned from the league on January 19th of this year, to focus on the revitalization of Griffin Heights.
Ferguson says he will continue to use his platform to rebuild the community that he calls home.
