HISTORY
Keepin’ It Real Ministries began with a homeless man. His story is similar to countless others that are on the streets now. Oscar Gadsden awoke when he was 7 years old in the back of a stranger’s car. He had been adopted by a family he did not know and was headed from Baltimore, MD to Kingstree, SC. Oscar spent his early years doing everything he could to please his adopted father. He joined the Army at the age of 29, being the oldest in his boot camp. He served in Desert Storm, and in what many would consider his greatest worldly honor, started a nightmare that only the Lord God could fix. He returned home with spiritual baggage that he could not bear alone. Oscar ended up on the street and Satan used drugs to keep him there. When Oscar had reached his lowest and wanted to end it all, the Lord God sent an angel to save him. Shortly after that incident, sitting in Finlay Park under an oak tree, the Lord called Oscar into service.
The ministry started as a water and prayer ministry, expanded into a Sunday service at the park, and the Lord God has continued to expand the ministry. When Oscar asked what to call the ministry, he was told to “Keep It Real”. That was the beginning of Keepin’ It Real Ministries, and the beginning of a Oscar’s journey of only wanting to please his Heavenly Father!
In recent years, the ministry has grown, formed a board of directors, and become a 501(c)(3) Public Charity. The ministry now serves the homeless and less fortunate in the Columbia metro area by providing Sunday morning worship at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, a Thursday evening meal, clothing, toiletries, and backpacks, as well as furniture and household goods for those transitioning off of the street. A food pantry is available for those with housing. Spiritual counseling, prayer, Bible study, as well as life skills counseling and job search support are offered. When funding is available prescription assistance, bus tickets home (to verified receiving parties) and rehab referral are also available.
Because of his history and his obedience to the Father, Pastor Oscar is a powerful presence and advocate for the homeless. Keepin It Real Ministries is a Holy Spirit-led ministry and continues to grow as God directs. We are excited to see where God takes us in the future!