Today we’d like to introduce you to Clavon Wiggins.
Hi Clavon, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 1993, I started volunteering in a prison ministry called the ACTS Program – Alcohol Chemical Treatment Series. My service there continued until that door closed for me in 2012.
Around 2015, a fellow church member asked me if I was still teaching – and if not – would I be interested in teaching a substance abuse program. He had a brother that was dealing with substance addiction and he was looking for help. I felt a burden to help and reach people because that was something I had personally struggled with during my youth and young adulthood.
His request launched me into starting the G.A.P classes, at my church; The Temple of Pentecost on April 15, 2015.
G.A.P means “Going to Another Place” and I – along with another friend from church – began to pick up men from the Healing Transitions Recovery Center for weekly Wednesday night and Sunday morning recovery classes.
Our mission was simple: We wanted the folks struggling to know, despite their faults or past experiences, they could become productive members of society and an asset used to reach others with the same issues. We wanted them to see they each had the ability to help others through their stories.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Initially, it was a struggle to find class participants. We started with five men and there were several other churches and facilities teaching substance abuse classes and were offering perks to the participants that we didn’t have and couldn’t afford.
Some of my colleagues began to feel discouraged and questioned whether we should continue. It was a struggle to encourage the team to not give up and to remind them to focus not on the negative because we were changing lives. I kept praying and sharing my belief that God was in control.
Our class eventually grew to 30 but then the Covid pandemic struck and teaching had to stop. During this time, I received my certification at Life In Focus Education; focusing on substance abuse; anger management; marriage counseling and credit monitoring.
The certification and education I received through these courses allowed me to minister to the whole person in G.A.P classes and to speak to various areas of their lives where they were struggling.
Eventually, the other facilities that had been offering recovery classes, either closed or did not have the resources they needed to continue and our class size grew to 150 men and women.
It was so rewarding to see the lives of these men and women transform. They would share with me how it felt to finally have someone believe in them.
After completing 12 weeks of our G.A.P classes, participants receive a certificate and then have an opportunity to move onto Summit Steps through our church. These classes offer them additional opportunities to become a part of the community and part of a church family that believes in them, and cares about helping them overcome substance abuse and reconnecting with their families. Over the years, no matter how big or small our classes were, the mission has remained the same.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
In my current role, I am a plant manager for a concrete company where I have worked the past 42 years. I am certified by the State of NC and the American Institute of Concrete. Recently, I was nominated for and received an award for the 2025 NC Plant Manager of the Year, from the Carolinas Ready Mixed Concrete Association. The hours are long but I thoroughly enjoy what I do and it is a very rewarding career.
On the weekends, you will find me teaching G.A.P classes, on Sunday mornings and I also pastor a church with my wife in Tarboro, NC. We have been serving that community since 2015.
I don’t consider myself as a “specialist” in any particular field or area, I just have a passion for the work I do. I genuinely love it and do it from my heart.
I believe, when you put your heart in something, you’ll give it your all. You will give of yourself selflessly because you want someone else to have the opportunities you did. I want the people I meet to believe in themselves and not focus on the negatives.
I am proud of what the Lord has done in my life. I was a person that was shy and did things that had me living a life filled with shame and guilt. Seeing how the Lord changed my life gives me the drive to help others and to love them unconditionally. I want them to feel love flowing from me to them. I want them to be free to share what’s on their heart and to know someone cares. When you love someone, you don’t see their faults. You want them to overcome.
What makes you happy?
Seeing the lives of men and women change makes me happy. Seeing my mission come to fruition and seeing people who came in so discouraged, transforming their lives is what drives me. There is a story that comes to mind when I’m thinking about why I do this work:
A man came to class one night and said he wanted a relationship with his daughter. He had been in prison over 10 years and hadn’t spoken to her during that time. We prayed together and within six weeks, his daughter reached out to him and wanted a relationship with him.
God redeemed him and reconciled his family. This is what the G.A.P is all about. People who have been struggling and didn’t know which way to go, are now in another (better) place.
I get the privilege of witnessing lives being transformed and that’s what it is all about. We meet people from all walks of life; doctors, nurses, lawyers, CEOs, factory workers, etc,. Addiction doesn’t care who you are. It hurts everyone and I want to see people healed and families reconnected.
One of the most rewarding things I’ve experienced is a child getting to tell their formerly absentee or addicted parent, they are loved and all is forgiven. I am honored that God has chosen me for this work. I get to see people who are struggling week after week, come to the Temple of Pentecost, give their life to Christ then go out and become productive members of society. That is what makes me happy!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Templeofpentecost.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1E5Aw6bSQN/
