He rejected his childhood faith and followed his friends toward a life of crime. Today, he's a street-smart youth pastor.
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Reporter: WHEN REGGIE
WILLIAMS WAS A BOY, HE HAD
TO MAKE A CHOICE -- FOLLOW
THE CHRISTIAN FAITH OF HIS
FATHER OR HIS FRIENDS ON THE
STREET.
HIS DECISION WOULD SET THE
COURSE FOR HIS LIFE.
THE STREETS DREW ME.
THEY WERE MORE ATTRACTIVE.
MY PEERS WERE MORE
ATTRACTIVE.
THE CRIME WAS MORE
ATTRACTIVE BECAUSE THAT IS
WHAT THEY WERE INTO.
YOU SEE THAT GROWING UP, SO
YOU DON'T SEE THAT AS WRONG,
ACTUALLY.
AND IT IS LIKE A SNOWBALL
EFFECT.
I WOULD BEFRIEND YOU AS LONG
AS YOU HAD ONE I WANTED.
AND ONCE I GOT IT, YOU NEVER
EXISTED.
Reporter: AS HE GREW
OLDER, THE CRIME GOT BIGGER
AND THE STAKES GOT HIGHER.
WHEN HIS BROTHER WAS FIRED
FROM THE FAST FOOD
RESTAURANT, HE CAME TO
REGGIE WITH AN IDEA.
THEY SET OUT TO ROB THE
McDONALD'S, AND THEY DID.
HE HAD A BIG IDEA, LET'S
ROB THEM ALL.
AND WE DID.
IT WAS THE SAME EVERY TIME,
PUT THE GUN TO THE MANAGER'S
HEAD, AND THREATEN THAT --
WHATEVER YOU THAT TO DO SO
MAKE SURE THEY COOPERATED.
WHATEVER IT TOOK TO GET THE
MONEY.
Reporter: HE GOT USED
TO THE LIFESTYLE OF A
BIG-TIME CRIMINAL, BUT IT
CAME AT A COST.
YOU'VE GOT THE CASH, AND
YOU CAN BUY THIS AND THAT.
BUT YOU'RE NOT THINKING
ABOUT ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT
CAN GET HURT.
YOU'RE JUST THINKING ABOUT
THE MONEY.
WHEN YOU'RE AT THAT PLACE,
IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS
PLACE.
Reporter: FOR THREE
MONTHS, HE AND HIS FRIENDS
ALLUDED POLICE.
ONE NIGHT THEY ROBBED A
CONVENIENCE STORE.
A PLAIN-CLOTHED OFFICER HAD
BEEN FOLLOWING THEM, AND
REGGIE'S CRIME SPREE CAME TO
AN END.
HE HAD HIS GUN POINTED,
AND HE WAS SAYING SOMETHING,
BUT I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND
HIM.
I'M THINKING IN MY SPIRIT,
TAKE COVER.
DROP YOUR WEAPON!
I FELT THIS SHARP PAIN
AND I HEARD THIS RINGING IN
MY EAR.
I REALIZED HE HAD SHOT ME.
I TOSSED MY GUN.
LET'S GET IT OVER WITH AND
GET OUT OF HERE.
Reporter: REGGIE WAS
ARRESTED AND TAKEN TO
A
HOSPITAL.
AS HE TALKED TO A NURSE, HE
REALIZED JUST HOW MUCH HE
HAD WASTED HIS LIFE.
I KNOW THAT THIS IS
SERIOUS.
I HAVE SIX CHARGES OF
AGGRAVATED ROBBERY, AND I'M
LOOKING AT A LOT OF TIME.
AND SHE SAID, WHAT HAPPENED
TO YOU?
AND THAT RINGS THROUGH MY
SPIRIT.
IT IS LIKE AS IF GOD WAS
TALKING TO ME, WHAT HAPPENED
TO YOU?
AT WHAT POINT DID YOU VEER
OFF?
I HAD SO MUCH POTENTIAL, I
HAD SO MANY PLANS FOR YOU.
WHAT HAPPENED.
I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M AT THIS
POINT.
Reporter: HE WAS
CONVICTED OF 14 COUNTS OF
AGGRAVATED ROBBERY,
SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS IN
PRISON.
THOSE FIRST DAYS, REGGIE
REMEMBERED THE FAITH HIS
FATHER TRIED TO INSTILL AND
CALLED OUT TO GOD.
I WAS SO OVERWHELMED IN
MY SPIRIT, I COULDN'T DO
NOTHING BUT CRY.
BUT GOD KNEW AND HE
UNDERSTOOD, AND HE HEARD
ME.
I FELT LIKE A WEALTH WAS
LIFTED.
THAT'S WHERE I MET HIM, AND
HE MET ME.
AND THE WHOLE TIME I WAS
THERE, I LEARNED.
I SOAKED UP AS MUCH AS I
COULD.
P I USEAND I USED WHAT GOD
SHOWED ME HE HAD IN STORE
FOR ME.
Reporter: HE DEVOTED
HIMSELF TO READING THE BIBLE
AND PRAYER, AND SURROUNDED
HIMSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO
HELPED HIM GROW IN HIS NEW
FAITH.
HE SAID, OKAY, REGGIE,
I'M GOING TO DO A NEW THING
IN YOUR LIFE.
I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU NEW
PEOPLE TO LOOK UP TO.
EVERYWHERE I WENT, EVEN AT
THE PRISON, HE ALWAYS PLACED
SOMEBODY IN MY LIFE TO GIVE
ME POSITIVE INFLUENCE.
Reporter: REGGIE SERVED
MORE THAN 10 YEARS IN
PRISON.
TODAY HE TEACHES YOUNG
PEOPLE HOW TO AVOID MAKING
SOME OF THE BAD CHOICES HE
MADE.
NOW, INSTEAD OF TAKING
FROM MY NEIGHBOR, MY
BROTHER, IT'S LIKE, WHAT CAN
I DO TO HELP THEM.
THAT GAVE ME SO MUCH JOY.
THAT MADE ME REALIZE YOU
HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ME.
YOU HAVEN'T GIVEN UP ON ME.
WHEN I REALIZED HOW MUCH GOD
LOVED ME, THAT COMPELLED ME
TO SERVE HIM BACK.
IT COMPELLED ME TO LOVE HIM
BACK.
AND I CAN ONLY SHOW HIM THAT
I LOVE HIM BY GIVING.
WHETHER THAT IS OF MY
TIME -- WHATEVER IT MEANS
THAT HE TOLD ME TO DO IT
BY.
WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN
KILLED IN THE STREETS, WHEN
I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALONE, HE
DIDN'T ALLOW THAT TO
HAPPEN.
HE SHOWED ME MERCY.
HE HAD GRACE ON ME, EVEN
WHEN I DIDN'T DESERVE IT.
THAT COMPELS ME TO DO THE
RIGHT THING.