Be Empowered
He was 6-years-old when the Northridge earthquake hit. It was then that Manny Gallegos Jr. thought, “If the world ended today, I could not imagine being without Jesus,” and accepted Jesus into his heart. The next year he heard God’s voice for the first time, telling him that he would be a pastor. Unfortunately, there would be many significant in-betweens to occur prior to Manny living out his calling.
Manny faced many pains throughout his life that would challenge his Christian foundation, including his parents divorce. This resulted in his mom having to leave staff at the Christian school he attended. Church became a distant memory as his mom had to get a second job and was too busy to take him and his sister. Manny was sent to his local school in the rough neighborhood, making him a latchkey kid overnight. He was no longer immersed in a Godly community, and many emotions came to surface from all he had faced, causing him to act out. His mom put him in sports to help alleviate the pain and to channel his emotions.
"I desire to be where Jesus is, and to help people know how to follow Jesus."
Manny loved Jesus deeply, but he only grew spiritually while at church. Sports became his refuge. When sports stopped being his refuge, it became partying, then drugs, and then you name what else. He eventually started selling drugs, but the money stopped satisfying him as well. Then, Manny got his girlfriend pregnant just out of high school.
In 2009, his daughter was born. For her and her mom, he became sober, found a steady job, cleaned up his life, and went back to church to raise his family with the morals of church. In 2011, he and his child’s mom broke up, leading him into a deep depression. As he tried to get his “act together” he started going to church again to win his family back. One day, Manny felt God in his heart asking him why he was pursuing a relationship with Him. God removed the scales from Manny’s eyes and revealed he was pursuing God to get what he wanted in life, not what he needed–God himself.
At 22-years-old Manny responded to God’s call to be His disciple and began to truly follow Jesus. He became sober, did the work of knowing God, and opened himself up for God to work in his life. He joined ministry in church, went to college, and is now the Youth Pastor at Parkcrest Christian Church in Long Beach, CA. Despite the challenges of ministry, Manny does ministry as he desires to be where Jesus is, to be where God wants him to be, and to help people know how to follow Jesus.
“I do not want to do anything else but help people know how to follow Jesus.”
Manny recently crossed paths with Urban Youth Workers Institute through a mutual friend. After meeting UYWI leadership, Manny joined the Fuel Network in Long Beach. The network has been a blessing, a place to share resources, build connections, and pray over local schools. Through the Long Beach Fuel Network, Manny was invited by other leaders to minister at schools that he had not previously had open doors to and where some of his students attend. Seeing their leader step into their world has made them feel loved and pursued.
Thank you for your prayers and partnership to help leaders, like Manny, to become the leaders they were created to BE and to transform more young lives through the pursuit of Christ and the Gospel.
Bless you,
TOMMY NIXON, CEO
Urban Youth Workers Institute
Our Urban Allies are essential to fulfilling our mission through their monthly commitments of $25 or more. These monthly partners ensure Urban Leaders, like you, have the certification, community, and coaching they need to Become the leaders they were created to Be and to reach more youth with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you for how you lead the next generation and for joining the UYWI family.
Would you consider becoming an Urban Ally to partner with UYWI in helping the next generation of leaders to become who God has called them to be?
