Former Drug-Dealing, Gang-Banging Crips Member Now Mentors Troubled Youth in Las Vegas
Growing up in South Central Los Angeles and as the son of a Crips gang founder, Tommie Scott's environment was conducive to a lifestyle of crime, violence and poverty. However, desperate to change, the soon to be ordained chaplain gave up his past to work with youth in Las Vegas who want the same change for themselves.
Scott's past experiences led him to use his story as an example of hope for gang members as he does through his work with the Nevada Clark County School District and his ministry for at risk youth at Trinity Life Center Church.
"After coming to Christ, a natural burden for the lost formed in me," Scott told The Christian Post. "Pastor Kleg Seth, who led me to Christ, came up with the idea of a basketball outreach, and more so with the youth, because I lost about 30 friends to guns and drugs during my teen years."
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Part of his work includes facilitating gang and drug educational classes to school officials and working with inner city kids by mentoring them.
Scott, who also authored a book about his life, found himself going through the juvenile reform system and into a California state prison by age twenty before committing his life to God.
After being incarcerated in 17 facilities, moving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, where he became further involved with crime, and becoming numb to the idea of death, a state of depression prompted him to seek a transformation.
"Right before being put in the Las Vegas County jail, I dove into a depressed state, I was an alcoholic, a drug dealing, gang banging, criminal, who really couldn't get a normal job because of my record, I hated the world, and I felt as if the world hated me," said Scott. "While in jail I started to lose my mind and I said that if there was anything or someone up there, that they or He needed to show Himself, and of course He didn't, but a bible study was called the following night."
During the message, Scott recounts that he felt God change his heart that precise moment. Following his encounter, he remained jailed but continued to grow in his faith when he was released.
"Many of my friends just stopped talking to me, but many came to me in private, and stated that God had been working in them. Others said they saw my change and they started to search their own hearts," said Scott.
Although he now believes that working alongside youth and implementing programs to help them is beneficial, he says a person can only change when they encounter God and begin a relationship with Him.
"Our hope is only Jesus Christ. Not hope in programs, though they may be good, not hope in man, though they have good intent, not hope in the government, but Hope in the King of Kings," said Scott.
In addition to his work reforming the youth, Scott, his wife and children are involved in street evangelism alongside Tim Berends, a radio personality who regularly passes out nearly 300 gospel tracts each day on the Las Vegas strip.
