FORMER DRUG ADDICT TURNED PREACHER TO HELP SPONSOR DRUG-FREE PARADE SATURDAY

The Rev. Adam Washington tells drug addicts and alcoholics that he has been
where they are now - hopeless and homeless.

His "been there, done that," testimony is the reason Bethlehem Church of
the Nazarene, where he is pastor, has a (NA) Narcotics Anonymous group. The
group and Anderson Elementary School is sponsoring a drug-free parade Saturday.

The parade and other activities is part of the Texas Red Ribbon Drug
Campaign in the community and schools.

Saturday's parade starts at 10 a.m. and will last until 2 p.m. The parade
will begin at the corner of Morrell Boulevard and Sixth Street.

Parade-goers will walk from the starting point to Burton and Fifth streets,
then go to the corner of Fifth Street and John Avenue. The parade will
continue to the corner of John and Second streets then go to Cherry Avenue
and ending at Bethlehem Church of the Nazarene, 1011 W. Cherry Ave.

Washington says the parade route was chosen because those neighborhoods are
drug-congested areas.

He says drug addicts or drug dealers might think twice before they sell or
use after the parade.

"The parade will let them know somebody is watching," he said. "For them to
see city officials there in the parade, then they will know, we know there
is a problem in the community and we are taking a stand against drugs. The
pushers and the users will know from this parade that we aren't just
ignoring the problem."

A program at the church will follow the parade. The program includes
officials reading proclamations from the cities of Orange, Pinehurst and
West Orange; speakers; door prizes and refreshments.

Washington, 53, has been clean and sober for more than three years. He
admits staying drug-and alcohol-free is a moment-by-moment struggle.
However, since letting go and letting God and remembering the Lord is his
Savior has eased his craving.

God brought him from the crib of ministry to the pulpit as a pastor, he says.

"Drugs are out there and even taking hold of ministers, who have been
ministering for a long time," Washington says. "Crack is still here and
it's the seed that Satan sowed. Satan doesn't take anything away that is
still working for him, he just adds to it."

Washington says he had to rebuke Satan in his own personal life, and also
when he was getting Bethlehem Church opened again. The church had been
closed for about a year, before Washington helped re-open the church under
his leadership.

He says a house across the street from the church was known as a "crack
house" where people went to buy and use the drug.

The occupants of the crack house left after they saw church members were
there to stay and clean up the neighborhood, he explains..

Washington says addicts are scared to admit they have an addiction. "Some
people want to come out of the lifestyle, but who can they go to?" he asks,
then answers, "I wouldn't go to a person that has never touched drugs."

He says he can counsel drug users because for more than 25 years of his
life drugs drained him of his personality.

"I wasn't a person you could trust," he explains. "I was a manipulator and
a thief. I did everything it would take to get some money to buy drugs."

Born and raised in Orange, Washington says soon after he graduated from
Stark High School in 1969 he began drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana.
Later, he started using cough "syrup."

After years of using all kinds of drugs, Washington says he got tired of
being sick and tired. He was tired of lying; drug dealers threatening him
because he owed them money. He had even been stabbed because of drugs.

"I would work a week at jobs, get a paycheck and go use, then lose the
jobs. None of these users can tell me anything that I haven't been
through," he says.

Finally in desperation, one night Washington begged God to take the
addiction from him.

"I asked God to use me for his glory," Washington says. "Even after that
prayer I still fought against God. Then, He showed me the way He forgave me
is the way I should deal with others, especially those so addicted they are
rejected from churches."

Washington says educating teenagers is important because the majority of
today's youth think smoking marijuana or drinking alcohol isn't addictive.

Washington says telling users and dealers he was so hopeless he became
suicidal seem to give hope, especially to people searching for a way out of
a dead-end drug life.

"I'm the type of person who will go out and hug the drug addict or
prostitute, murderer, gambler and pedophile," Washington says. "We have
people joining our church that have turned their lives around, some I had
affiliated with during my drug addiction - former pushers, former dealers,
former prostitutes. Some are now stewards in the church. God is working here."