WVVA Hometown Hero: Pastor Steve Branch leads addicts to recovery
NORTH TAZEWELL, Va. (WVVA) - Pastor Steve Branch has been leading the congregation at Destiny Outreach Ministries in North Tazewell, Va. for more than two decades. He was nominated as a WVVA Hometown Hero by Nathan Dotson, who wrote in-part “Pastor Steve dedicates an extraordinary amount of time and energy on a weekly basis to help drug addicts and alcoholics. [He leads] programs within his church and in the Tazewell County Probation Office.”
As for Pastor Branch, he said his faith tells him he’s not going out on a limb to fight against addiction -- because he has access to a key to unlock its shackles.
“Someone compared addiction to slavery, because you are in bondage to it. It owns you,” said Branch. “You have no control of it. It gets you up in the morning. Puts you down at night. And these people, these young men and women, when I say they have seen the demons, they have! Like, especially on meth, they see shadow people. And they have seen Satan face-to-face in a real way.”
Pastor Branch’s “Celebrate Recovery” program has been set-up in his house of worship for 20 years. Such dedication comes, as Pastor Branch believes divine intervention is a powerful intervention against drug use.
“When they give their hearts to Jesus, they understand what it means to be forgiven, and the grace and the mercy that God has given them,” Branch said. “He loves them, regardless of how bad they’ve been, how far they have gone into sin. And I think that’s the hope we see.”
Some of those who have been helped by Pastor Branch’s work, tell WVVA they were able to overcome addiction through faith -- and by grabbing the lifeline Pastor Branch offered.
“[Pastor Branch] knew me when I was using in the beginning from the beginning,” said Christy Myers. “He’s stuck by my side the whole time. He’s always believed that I [was] able to stay sober and he’s just a light in my life. I’ve been in recovery for two and a half years, and he’s been there the entire time.”
“[Pastor Branch] is truly a blessing to all of us,” said Aaron Hayes. “He shines a light on our community that, I mean, only the good Lord can shine, and he does it through him. It’s a pathway, you know. He’s trying to give everybody light.”
Pastor Branch’s work of instilling responsibility and confidence in others who need it -- along with continuing to bring substance abusers to the road to recovery, are some of the many qualities that make him a WVVA Hometown Hero.
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