» People: Pastor Jerome Bracely
Pastor Jerome Bracely
Born in 1958 in St. Louis, MO, Pastor Bracely is an embodiment of the saying "they don't need to hear you talking, if they can see how you're walking." More than 5000 men have been served through the Stepping into the Light Ministry during the last decade. They have come off the streets, embraced Jesus as their Savior, given up substance abuse, found steady employment, and some are now married men and fathers. This deliverance ministry has had a remarkable 70% success rate in recovery from addiction.
Jerome spent fifteen years addicted to drugs and alcohol, until he received God's help through the Reverend Larry Rice at New Life Evangelistic Center. While seeking deliverance from his addictions, Jerome made a promise to God, "If you can deliver me, I will dedicate my life to freeing others." Stepping into the Light Ministry was born out of this promise.
In God's providence, the building now used by the ministry was purchased for one dollar, and even the one dollar used to buy the building was donated since Jerome had no money in his pocket. Since SILM began its work in Old North Saint Louis in 1995, the drug dealers who used to frequent the area have fled, property values have risen, and urban redevelopment is advancing throughout the neighborhood. SILM has helped to transform a whole community, as well as the thousands of men who have left behind homelessness and drug addiction.