CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — For more than five decades, Pastor Don Leavell has preached the gospel in Corpus Christi, but his story began in a very different time.
Born in 1947, he grew up in East Texas, attending an all-black church near Palestine, Texas.
"The church was basically the center of everything that we did," Leavell said.
Leavell says the Black church provided direction, community and hope during a time of segregation and inequality.
"That what it was like growing up. We didn't have white friends, but we worked for white farmers or business owners. And it was like then you left work and went to your own community," Leavell said.
As the Civil Rights Movement brought change across the country, Leavell says the church helped people endure and push forward.
"We were not angry black people. We were people who felt like God was on our side. God was going to deliver us," Leavell said.
At 19 years old, Pastor Leavell moved to South Texas, eventually making Corpus Christi his home. In 1986, he founded what is now Corpus Christi Christian Fellowship.
"I knew that God was saying to me… I want a place where all of my children could worship me together," Leavell said.
Today, he says that vision has become reality with a congregation made up of people from many backgrounds. Corpus Christi Christian Fellowship calls itself a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural congregation. The church also travels all over the world spreading the gospel.
"God loves all of his children the same… and we have to recognize that," Leavell said.
And as Black History Month continues, Leavell says remembering the past is key to building a united future.
"I think it's good to remember those things because like I've said, we are destined to repeat things," Leavell said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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