From Drugs to Discipleship and Dreams

Gerald Murphy was curious to see the life change he saw in a friend. Encountering Jesus, Gerald’s story moved from boredom and drugs, to the joy of following Christ, building a family and serving others at the Columbus Dream Center in Ohio, and beyond.

“A friend of mine from high school who I sold drugs to and partied with, ended up coming into the fitness facility that I managed. I asked him to do some of the things we used to do in high school and his response was that he didn’t do that anymore. My curiosity was such that I had to figure out what happened to him.” Kelly Monroe Kullberg interviews Gerald Murphy at Acton University.

Gerald shares how he had been walking in the opposite direction of the Lord for about 8 years when God found him at 20 years old. One day while Gerald was working at a fitness facility he managed, an old friend he used to party with and sell drugs to walked in. When his friend shared that he no longer used drugs Gerald became curious what had happened to him. He says, “I’d never met anyone who was my age whose conduct aligned with their confession in Christ. And so after sitting on his couch for six hours two weeks later I had an encounter with Jesus and that evening, early morning I should say I fully surrendered to him quit my job the next day and that will be 10 years ago.”

Now Gerald is enjoying being a husband and a father in Columbus, Ohio where he is raising 4 kids. He says he wants to “contend for God’s heart, his desire and his ultimate destiny for that city…I desire to go after discipleship and holistic transformation of people in the community.”

Currently Gerald serves as a school of ministry director, a three year program dedicated to Biblical understanding, centered around discipleship, with students from 18 – 80 years of age. He also serves as a pastor of the Columbus Dream Center where they serve “at risk youth and families, those who are struggling with addiction, homelessness, as well as human trafficking victims.”