Erna Hunt-Green is a new PBC member that joined around three months ago. Born and raised in Chicago, Hunt-Green found herself losing her way early on, coming out of a family of 12. Her mother was a gambler, and her father a rolling stone that sexually abused her. Eventually, after years of truancy and starting a weed habit to escape her reality, Hunt-Green dropped out of high school to enter into a season of full-blown cocaine addiction. For most of her young adulthood, she spent time in and out of jail and transient communities. Five kids later, and with the help of an elder man that believed in her and put in the time and effort to help get her out of the streets, she went to jail for the last time and entered a local recovery program back in the mid 2000’s. Because her mind was so far gone she can’t remember exact dates but knew during her recovery program, through the cook county jail, she started learning how to pray. At this time she still knew nothing about Jesus but was trying what the woman around her did to find some kind of peace.

Toward the end of her program, she started feeling called to go to church. A woman she called her sister in law started going to South Park Baptist Church with her. The church clothed her, welcomed her, and invested in her- all while teaching her more about God. The church helped her find community, life skill programs, and eventually gave her access to  both her job and her now husband of ten years. She met her husband at her first job ever, a security guard at the South Park Baptist Church’s senior building, where she still works today.

He was a delivery man and their first date was attending a bible study class together. She eventually left her church to go to his after they got married. They had similar past struggles and because of that knew first hand how God was a healer, provider, and redeemer. So they pledged to help those like their past selves actively by participating in Elzabada Prison Ministry  at their previous church. “Anytime I can encourage anyone to do anything, it is please don’t forget about your family and friends lost to addiction. Continuously pray and help the least of us, Mathew 25: 31-40 ,” Hunt said. During the pandemic, her husband watched Pastor Charlie Dates online while churches were closed before the Hunt-Green’s started attending progressive and shortly joined after.

After maintaining her rehabilitation, Hunt started getting back in contact with the children she birthed and lost due to her earlier inability to care for them. Then she started asking God for another chance to raise up a child. She is now helping raise her great nephew who you can see sitting with her at church. He is in love with God and his PBC kids program. Mrs. Hunt is excited about the PBC Christmas experience. She has already given away her ten good deeds and is now getting the Christmas list of her adopted Doolittle child together. “It still feels so good to give every day, after having nothing for so long, I can’t deny the opportunity to meet any need God has given me the opportunity too,” Erna Hunt Green said. Meet Sis Erna Hunt-Green on Sunday, after our 9:30 service! Let’s continue to learn more about our PBC Family.