 and we are so glad that you're joining us on Hope Today. I'm here with Angela Madden, and we are going to dive into such an incredible conversation and organization today. I am so excited to talk with our guests today. Have you looked at the world around you and wondered what initiatives are in place to combat some of the pain and problems we see? Have you maybe even been like me hoping for mothers and fathers to take their rightful position and bring some direction and hope to society in desperate need? Well, today we will get an up-close look at a growing group of strong, godly men who are serious about seeing change in their communities and this nation. George Spencer, National Director of Mad Dads, joins us today sharing how this organization is a very present help in these troubling times. Sydney, I could not think of a better guest to have on our show today. Yeah, I think it's so important that we talk about what is happening in our streets, what is happening in our cities, and one thing we love about Mad Dads is that Cornerstone Television Network, we actually support them through our initiative called Cornerstone Care. So this is an organization that is near and dear to our hearts and I know there's many of you. I know in my family that we've had family members. We've lost loved ones that have been affected by gun violence. I know my cousin years ago was killed because of senseless violence and so I think this is such an important thing and it's beautiful to see when men of God stand up in our communities and just say enough is enough but they pray and intercede. So you're definitely wanna stay tuned for our conversation with George Spencer. He's a passionate, just an amazing man of God. I'm just so glad that he's with us today. Yeah, we need our strong men. You know, our communities are results of our families. As the family goes, so goes the community. As the community goes, so goes the state. As the state goes, so goes the nation. And so today I'm excited to hear more about what it looks like in the streets, up close and personal, and how these men are engaging a culture that is truly troubled, Sydney. It really is troubled. I know this in my church and just different things that I see just in the neighborhoods that I live around, that I'm around in and surrounded by is that there is just such a generation that sometimes we don't understand about violence. We don't understand what's happening. We don't understand about the gangbanging. All of these things, it's because a lot of these men and even women, young women, they're misguided because they don't have that love factor. They don't have a family. There's just so much brokenness so they're looking for and searching for things that are outside that to give them that comfort and that peace and so I just think we need to just really lift up those young women and those young people that are out there and I think a lot of times we point the finger and we say we don't understand but it is so important for us as the body of Christ to show love, to be there and encourage them. Yeah, we always wanna tell them of the heavenly father but how can they have an accurate picture of what our heavenly father looks like if there is not a real tangible father or mother in their life that is showing them what love from a parent looks like. We are so excited to dive into this and we'll be right back after this short break. Cornerstone television exists to spread the good news through Bible-based programs and a fully staffed prayer line. Through CTVN, lies are saved. Hearts, minds and bodies are healed and Jesus is lifted high. We can't do this work without you. Would you consider sending a gift this month to keep the gospel moving forward with power? When you give, we'll send you listen, love, repeat which presents scriptural examples of those who lived alert, including Jesus who noticed those who least expected to be seen, gives creative ideas for showing love to friends and family, suggests practical ways to reach out to the lonely, marginalized outcast, helps you comfort the grieving and so much more. Ask for your copy of Listen, Love, Repeat when you give today. Call 888-665-4483 or go to ctvn.org slash donate. Thank you for your generosity. Hope happens here. Our next guest is the National President of Mad Dads which stands for Men Against Destruction, Defending Against Drugs and Social Disorder. George Spencer is also the president of the Greater Pittsburgh Area Mad Dads Chapter and he joins us now to share how this nationally affiliated Christian organization is preparing men and women to restore safe communities in the surrounding area. George, welcome to Hope today. Thank you. Thank you for having me. We are so excited to have you here. Tell us a little bit about yourself and this beautiful organization. Well, a little bit about me. I was raised here in North Product, Pennsylvania, okay? So I'm a graduate of General Black Area High School. So, you know, I grew up in the North Product ranking area for those that are geographically familiar with the Greater Pittsburgh Area. I went to college for a few years, military, and married while I was in the military and raised, I found me in Wilkinsburg. And that was, my children went K to 12 in the Wilkinsburg school system during the years where the crack epidemic began sweeping the nation, you know, from the West Coast to the East Coast is the way I look at it. And, you know, my daughter was in high school in the mid 90s, you know? And during that time period, you know, there was an escalation in the Pittsburgh area with a number of gangs, you know, that were driven by drug sales. Crack cocaine seemed to be the driving force behind that in those years. And we suffered a lot of loss of life during that time period. It was around that time that they started in Omaha, Nebraska in 1989, actually. Omaha, Nebraska had the same problems, Pittsburgh, and most urban America and even rural America began to experience. And so what happened, in my case, in 2004, I had some concerns, you know, about some things that they even began to touch our family in the broader sense, not just my nuclear family, but when you start talking about nieces, nephews, cousins, and looking at the situation. And we were attended an event where Dr. Juwanza Kajufa was the speaker if you're familiar with him. And he had written a book, Pause of Solutions for the Black Community. And after giving all the stats that we get used to hearing how many dropouts there are, this, that, and the other, he mentioned, well, one organization that went from theory to practice to address the issue of young men, ages 14 to 25, wreaking havoc in the community. People can't sit in the porch in the summer and all the different things that happen when you have lawlessness. And he says, it's called Mad Dads. Just like you did, I did that. And I'm like, well, let me see what's going on with that. And I'd heard my pastor preach at times from the bull pit, Bishop Joseph Galantan, that some things aren't gonna change in the community until the men start walking the streets. And so when I read with Mad, I said, oh, maybe this is who he's talking about. So I asked him the next day at church. And he said, well, I don't know about them, but they get me the information. And from there, it was on, you know, he liked it. I asked me, would I be willing to be the point man? I guess he figured since I brought it up, I really wasn't looking to be that, but it's one of the best decisions I made in my life. I love your story because even as you're conveying that you took it to Bishop Galantan and he pointed it back to you, it was really a moment of a father, of a man that you look to, giving you direction in your life and your calling. So would you tell us a little bit about, what is the driver that continues to keep you on this path of Mad Dads and pushing forward to see our communities changed? Well, for me, it's an easy situation. I just look at the news and I live in the midst of the news. You know, predating Mad Dads, for me, it's a fatherhood one-on-one. I mean, it was my dad, when I was growing up, he couldn't know that me and my brothers would be somewhere where we were in danger and not personally show up. That just wasn't him. Whether we were right, wrong or whatever, he was gonna show up and hold whoever accountable. And Mad Dads, by design or street chaperones that hold children and adults accountable. And it's not law enforcement or what have you, but it's just a matter of son don't do that. Of that, and it's so needed. So when you say that you guys are chaperones, you're on the streets, what does that look like on, like a typical Mad Dad experience? Sure. What am I gonna see? And it depends on what's going on. It could be anything from, you know, one of the things that really touches my heart is sometimes, I'll tell you what, this Saturday, we were in Turtle Creek, walking around about a half dozen children, where you walk with us after a brief conversation. Well, yeah, where are you going? Then we start walking around with them. But it was, that's what the patrol was that day. It wasn't about a criminal element, it was about children that they were fascinated with. What's Mad Dads? And they began to just share with them. Well, we're peacemakers, we had to keep people safe, rather than encourage people. You know, they weren't doing anything, mischievous or anything. So sometimes we'll even throw a ball around with children. And then there are other times, to the other extreme, downtown Pittsburgh's been having a lot of violence yesterday, it's not as far as downtown yesterday. Okay, well, there are three, I think it's three or four schools, downtown Pittsburgh now, at least three, charter schools. Kappa is down there, city charter, and it's just another one. So, but the bottom line, there are children down there, and you got an environment where sometimes they're the problem, okay? You get a large number of children together. It's not unusual that the after school fight can happen. That went on, my 50th class reunion is this year. And it would be the after schools fight during those years. But sometimes that thing gets out of control. Where it gets the shots fired. So we actively become peacemakers when the environment gets to be, you can tell when, okay, somebody doesn't step into this, this is gonna get out of control. And so, usually that is enough. You notice that an adult that is willing steps into that and brings it to peace. And I just say this, we have a motto when men stand up, boys sit down. Mm, that's good. Yeah. You know, George, as you're talking, like something that you brought up that I think a lot of us can't fully understand is that when you're living in the midst of you see the news stories, and it's happening in your community, in your neighborhood, can you talk to us about just different moments that Mad Dads has had to be in the midst of just something that is going on, and also the spiritual, the deeper spiritual component and level what's going on and happening in those situations when the violence is escalating, that we don't fully comprehend and understand. Well, I'll tell you what, zone five of the Pittsburgh Police Department, they cover the East End, which includes Homewood. And several years ago, there was a point where the zone five commander sent a few officers to our meeting, say, hey, look, we're getting a lot of complaints about Homewood Avenue and Frankstown intersection. That's historically been a problem, Mary. That didn't start with the children today. You know, my parents' generation, one of our founding fathers' generation who passed away in his 80s, that was a problem, Mary. This isn't new. There's a stronghold there to speak to the spiritual. This isn't new. That got entrenched years ago, okay? So, hey, could you help? I said, well, what are you doing? So, they were doing, we're commonly called beat cups, four hours a day, five days a week. So, well, we got Saturday, we picked up Saturdays and began to go there. And so, by being there, then you learn, well, what's the dynamics here? There was a particular location where, well, people go up there and shoot men against destruction, defending against drugs. Well, I think we need to keep going, okay? So, it's an immediate deterrent. It's also about engaging. Well, who's addicted that, and that's visible because they can't get to it. And so, that could turn into a prayer moment. You're engaging youngsters that, or whatever age, that would be selling it. And that's an engagement. That's another conversation. And I mean, if you just have a memory of a young man that some of the guys knew, that it turned into a salvation moment. He died two weeks later. Wow. He was in an after-hours club. He was in the early 20s. He got murdered two weeks after. And far as we know, we didn't hear about him doing anything for whatever reason. I don't know what had happened before he prayed that prayer. So, we never know to what extent the encounters, what is gonna happen. It could be for eternal. Eternity issue for somebody that embraces the message. But if nothing else, it can be, wow, that situation that could have turned violent, turned peaceful. Okay? You might've known Reverend Stoddermire, the late Reverend Sheldon Stoddermire. He was pretty popular in Pittsburgh. He was a member of Mad Dads. I can remember a patrol that looked like it was gonna be a big-ass school fight. He had the gift and it turned into a prayer circle. Now, that's not usually the way it happens, but who's there? And so, when somebody that's anointed by the Holy Spirit to move in a certain dimension, that can be the outcome. Now, that being said, we're happy, even if it's way shorter than that. It's just that the fight didn't happen. So, it can go any number of ways in the engagement. What I hear you saying is that you're literally light in the midst of darkness. Exactly. And no matter what, there's an outcome of that that points us towards heaven, whether it's just they keep driving by or it breaks out into a prayer service. For those who are maybe watching today and they're hearing this Mad Dads and they're thinking, I know, as a believer, I'm called to do something. I'm called to be light in darkness. How can they get associated with the Mad Dads organization and arise and use their gift that they have? Well, it's a matter of they can pick up the phone and I tell you what, the phone number on the national website and the Pittsburgh website comes directly to me. Call me, call me and be what you want to see. I get the question a lot of times, well, can Mad Dads come fill in a blank neighborhood? Well, who's over there that are willing to put the shirt on? Now, that doesn't mean we won't come, but if you want to sustain presence, that requires at least two people. That's what our literature says, a minimum of two go on patrol. Everybody wants 222, who's willing to be two? What has now been a 17-year presence of Mad Dads in Pittsburgh didn't start with the numbers we have now. That was four of us that were willing to go on a particular corner that we call a hotspot that had a terrible situation going on. I walked down that street. Now, at that point, I was in my late 40s. I was 50 by the time he started the chapter. And the gray is, the beard is gray-er now, but I clearly wasn't a teenager. And I'd have teenagers asking me, hey, aren't you looking? Then I get the look and not even want to start, was that wrong guy, because, but that's an indictment on my generation. They didn't even had to, they were comfortable enough to even ask me that. Well, I walked down there now, nobody asked me that anymore. Okay, so I say, be what you want to see. You want to see that stop, start put on the shirt and let's go. Or be a part of something. Everybody's not, maybe not want to be in Mad Dads, but we can't sit around and let their blood end up on our hands because we were too afraid to get cussed out or something. And that's usually what I hear from people. Oh, kids today, well, they do listen. First of all, how are we talking to them? And we don't step up accusing anybody of anything. A lot of children, I'm taught, children get their affirmation from their father. Well, if that isn't around, what man comes around and affirms you when you hear is a good story. All the stories on the street aren't horrible. Children go into college and doing all kind of good things. And when we hear that, we celebrate it. So, George, just hearing like your passion and what you're sharing, I just really feel that there's a man that's watching right now. Can you just like look into the camera and speak to him that needs to take that step and stand up in his neighborhood and be that father to that generation, that there's a lot of orphans that are out there that are looking for that affirmation. Absolutely. Brother, you and I can do together with neither of us can do alone. You know, MADDADS by organization structure was unite the strong drug-free community together, particularly Christian men, all right? And recognize that there in some instances were independent evangelists on the street or what have you, but to be a united force on the streets. And so I welcome you into our ranks. I wanna speak by faith that there are members watching this right now that you've just been waiting for the same message, those of us that are in it now. That's something I wanna be a part of. And I tell you what, we enjoy it. We enjoy doing MADDADS. It is a powerful ministry, George. We are so thankful for being a man who stood up and said, I wanna be the change. A man who is truly representing the heart of the father to those who don't have that man around or maybe that man's just not speaking the good truth that they need to hear. So we applaud your efforts. We thank you for the MADDADS organization both here in Pittsburgh and nationally. Thank you so much. You know, just as you were talking, I just really felt this in my spirit that there's somebody who's watching right now that you have been hearing and listening to what George was saying and speaking. And you are one of those men and you are one of those young women that have been out on the street. You know what the gang bangin'. You're just, you're tired and you're fed up with the life that you're living. That you're heartbroken. There's all this chaos and drama. And because of the isolation because of the things that you've walked through you're going to the streets. And today that you stopped on this program because God wants to speak straight to your heart. And what Mr. George said about that young man that was on the street and gave his life to Christ two weeks later, you know that your life is in the throes of life and death every single day. And so today if that is you that you're watching that you've been pierced by what Mr. George was sharing, give us a call at our prayer line, 888-665-4483. Because one thing I will tell you, it is so hard, I know of so many families, my family included, when you lose a young one to gang violence, my cousin was 18 years old when he was shot and killed, gunned down in Toledo, Ohio. And it was so painful to see our family go through that but I know there's many families across the country that can relate. And so if you're watching today, this is the day of salvation. This is the day that you turn your heart to Jesus. This is the day that lay it down, come from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of life. Mr. George, do you have anything on your spirit to share? Well, how much more time do I have? Well, we got a couple minutes. No, you know, I do want to say, and I'm glad that you spoke to the, that there are women as well. We have a mom's division that's dynamite. And so what Rad Dads also represents is family, you know? So it's, the mom's division functions under what we call the umbrella of Mad Dads, but from inception, there've always been women on our board. Okay, and now they are a division that, we're coming to a community and do an outreach and they're seeing men and women in that uniform. Okay, together representing healthy male and female, relationships, what that looks like. And let's face it, domestic violence is a huge problem out here too. There are some people that think men and women can't coexist without a conflict. So Mad Dads represents a lot of things, you know, the nurturing mother on an outreach, you know? And that's an experience in and of itself. The way the women engage the children and adults in the community. I love that you've established this mom's side of things too because our mothers are super significant to the way they nurture and love our babies into truth. You know, I just really want to speak to the one, you know, if you would have heard George at the beginning, he said this started in the church. It started when he approached his pastor, Bishop Joseph Garlington, and it needs to be there always. Social justice ought to begin in the church house because it's what the Lord called us to, not to see transformation for a temporal time, but to see an eternal transformation. And so if you're here today and you're listening and maybe you feel like you have a call as an evangelist or you feel like, man, I really have this teaching gift or I don't even know what my gift is, but I love to love on people and I see their pain and my heart breaks. I implore you to reach out to Mad Dads. Reach out to that friend, that sister who you're always praying with, that mother who also has come alongside of you and be the change. We can do this little by little. It doesn't take anything but a flicker of light to pierce the darkness. And if that is you, call, reach out to Mad Dads, look them up online and be a part of the solution. You know, I know we're like rounding up our time here, but can you just take a minute, Mr. George, and just to pray for our cities, pray for the streets? Just cover us in prayer. Sure, Lord God Almighty. Yes, Lord, it is written, that unless the Lord guards the city, the watchmen are awakened in vain. So Lord God, we pray for you to arise and scatter your enemies, guard our cities. Lord God, guard all the peacemakers that some who have sworn to protect and to serve and others that the Lord of the harvest has sent forth. And we pray what you told us to pray that the Lord of the harvest send laborers into the harvest. And Lord God, as the president of Mad Dads, I'm asking for a percentage of them, but the main thing is that you send laborers into the harvest. You send peacemakers into the harvest, Lord God. We thank you that Jesus said with two or three are gathered together in his name, his show up itself, the Prince of Peace. So we pray that there are gatherings throughout our nation of just even a couple of people at a time that the Prince of Peace will show up and be present in the midst of the tragedies that have been occurring in our cities to speak peace and bring about peace in our communities, in our nation. Jesus' name, amen. Thank you so much for just all that you have shared and you've spoken because one thing I just think about, I remember I used to work in the news and I would write about those stories all the time. It's like breaking news of the shootings and the crimes that were just happening, but it is time for us as the Ecclesia. It is time for us as the body of Christ to take a stand, to draw a line in the sand and say, no more, we are done. And I just truly believe I know the work that you're doing and the men that are around you, it is making a difference because you are pulling down those strongholds and there is a harvest. There is a move of God that is happening in the cities. I mean, you might hear all the stories in news, but I'm telling you, I'm seeing, like I live near Wilkinsburg, I live near the East Hills and in Forest Hills. I am telling you, there are young people that are coming to Jesus like never before. We're seeing them get baptized. We're seeing them give their hearts to Jesus because of what is happening. It is a beautiful thing to just see these young people like never before that have been in so much trauma and so much chaos in their neighborhoods, but they are finding the hope of Jesus. And that is something that I just get excited for because the remnant is moving and there's a move of God happening in our urban areas. Yes, and it's the time, it's the hour. You know, don't get stuck in desperation and downtrodden and discouraged. Be the change. You have all the power of the king of the universe. He's created worlds without end and he is in you, moving in you, shaping you and giving you the authority and power to change that around you. My friend, today we are filled with hope that we can arise as the mothers and the fathers of this world longs for. Romans 8 tells us that all of creation is groaning for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. Why is that? Because sons and daughters know who they are. They know the power and the authority they walk in. They know that when they step on that street corner, the atmosphere changes. They know when they show up in that school board meeting, things fall down because they cannot stand under the weight of the king of glory. My friend, there is much to be hopeful for today. You, as a daughter and as a son, arise to your rightful position. Take your posture before the king of glory and watch him change everything around you. Today, there is hope. On tomorrow's Hope Today, helping you to overcome deception with biblical perception. Career prosecutor and ordain minister, Wendy Patrick, shares how you can apply God's divine wisdom to improve your perception of the people and world around you. Don't miss tomorrow's Hope Today. Cornerstone Television wishes to thank all our faithful viewers, whose consistent prayers and financial support have made this program possible.