Local pastor launches organization to help prevent addiction

JACKSON, Tenn. – “When I got myself sober and clean, I went to the hospital and got cleaned up. I stayed there for 198 days in Mufreesboro, Tennessee,” said Pastor Ronald Benton.

Pastor Benton is the president of Benton Future Leaders of Tennessee and a pastor at Mount Moriah Baptist Church.

Yet, he once lived a life addicted to drugs and alcohol. Pastor Benton is celebrating 26 years of sobriety and he says he wants to reach out to the community to help with their addictions.

“I want to help the people I use to be like since I used to shoot heroin in one leg and cocaine in the other, drink whiskey and liquor 24 hours a day, lived in the woods for 20 years and eat out of the dumpster,” Benton said.

Benton says his childhood experiences led to his addiction.

“My dad left my mom when I was 7 years old and that established an anger problem,” Benton said. “Growing older and older, the more it grew inside of me the anger built up, the more I tried to get a mood-altering substance.”

Those troubling life experiences are what motivates him in helping others today.

“I have a passion for this so kids won’t have to go through some of the things that my kids went through,” Benton said. “I wasn’t the parent that I should’ve been because of my drugs and alcohol.”

By teaching kids teamwork and confidence.

“If we can put these kids in a safe haven, then we can give them some training and some teaching,” Benton said. “Also teach parents how to be parents. We keep them out of harm’s way as well as violence. We teach them how to not be around people who are very violent.”