From the homeless shelter to success

BACONTON — Until a month ago, Randy Price had been living at a homeless shelter while trying to stay in school, his primary modes of transportation the bus and his bicycle. St. James Baptist Church changed that on April 8.

The church gave Price a new lease on life with a $500 check and the keys to a car.

Price found his way to St. James and became a regular attendee every Sunday, even if the sky “was pouring down rain.” After attending regularly and getting to know the congregation, he was “extremely happy and shocked” when the church surprised him with $500 and a car.

“There’s really no way to describe (the giveaway) because I wasn’t expecting it. I was just going there to fellowship with my church family,” Price said. “I pray for a lot, and I know it’s not all going to come at one time, so I just try to be content with what I have. When this happened, I had to catch myself from saying I couldn’t believe that it happened. I had to keep myself from crying because I felt that if I’d done that, I wouldn’t be believing in the power that God has to do anything.”

Part of the surprise came from Price not being accustomed to people making an effort to get to know his story.

“I didn’t think people were really paying attention to the changes I’d made in my life,” he said. “If you really know the real history of me, my real background, I’ve had people shy away from me because of it. (St. James) is the first church I’ve ever been to that makes me feel like I was in the presence of the Lord every time I walk through the door. What they do for their members and the community, to be such a small congregation, just amazes (me).”

The experience helped Price articulate his feelings about why the roads to reward are sometimes filled with trials.

“He’ll give us what we always pray for, but He wants to make sure we’re ready for it before he does,” Price said. “That’s why he tests us. That’s why he lets us get things and lose things.”

Lawrence Knighton, the senior pastor at St. James, said the church’s ministry has been giving away cars since 2012 and $500 checks since April.

“Officially, we started this organization called Care Beyond the Walls,” he said. “What we wanted to do was look for people who were deserving and every month give away a $500 check from the church. Last month, we just happened to give away a car at the same time. In general, we do about three or four car giveaways a year; sometimes five, depending on the need.”

Knighton reflected on how Price’s life has changed since the giveaway.

“Since we’ve given (Price) the car, he goes back and forth to the shelter, sometimes on his bike, and tells the people there that if God can do it for (him), he can do it for you,” Knighton said.

Price is now living on his own, working, studying automotive technology at Albany Technical College and earning his GED at the same time. In his free time, he volunteers at the homeless shelter where he used to live.