Pastor Robert Leak shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Pastor Robert, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A Normal day for Pastor Robert Leak III is as follow,
Prayer & Devotion: Quiet time with God, scripture, and prayer that grounds my day.
Family First: My wife and I Getting our daughters ready for school.
Early Calls/Emails: Responding to community partners, city officials, or coalition members before the day gets busy. My Afternoons are filled with Community Organizational Leadership Meetings for the CDC for Southern Winston-Salem, PowerUp NC, or the Ministers Conference Education Committee. Which includes Drafting agendas, one-pagers, scripts, or grant documents. Working on initiatives around housing, education, and workforce development. Checking in with partners like Forsyth Tech, WSFCS, or the Winston-Salem Foundation. During the day I am preparing sermons and devotionals. My Evenings are filled with meetings & events Many nights are filled with board meetings, coalition sessions, or community gatherings—often 6:30 pm slots. I try to make it home before 8:30pm to assist with helping with the kids’ routines, and time with my wife Brittany.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Pastor Robert E. Leak III is a dynamic faith leader, community advocate, and organizer dedicated to building stronger families and neighborhoods in Winston-Salem and beyond. He serves as President of the CDC for Southern Winston-Salem and shepherds the work of the Easton Community Resource Center, where the focus is on three pillars of transformation: early childhood education, workforce development, and affordable housing.
As a minister of the Gospel, Pastor Leak leads with both compassion and conviction. He has committed his ministry to serving the whole person—spiritually, socially, and economically—believing that true change happens when people are empowered with faith, knowledge, and opportunity.
Beyond the pulpit, Pastor Leak is recognized for his hands-on leadership in community revitalization projects, partnerships with local schools, and advocacy for environmental and economic justice. Whether convening coalitions of neighborhood associations, mentoring youth, or engaging city leaders, his goal is to lift up voices that are often overlooked and to ensure equity in the future of Winston-Salem.
Guided by the legacy of his late grandfather, Robert Leak Sr., who taught him that generosity and service do not depend on wealth but on the heart to help others, Pastor Leak embodies a new generation of servant leadership—rooted in faith, family, and community transformation.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
I give credits to my late grandfather, Robert Leak Sr., as the foundation of his leadership journey. Though my grandfather only had a sixth-grade education and read and wrote at a third-grade level, he carried a wisdom far beyond books. He taught by example—through generosity, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to people
From an early age, I watched my grandfather give selflessly to neighbors, mentor young men, and open his home to those in need. My grandfather would remind me that leadership isn’t measured by titles or degrees, but by the willingness to serve. Whether it was pouring concrete, fixing something for a neighbor, or sharing what little he had, he modeled that the true strength of a man lies in lifting others up.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering Taught Me
When I was just 14 years old, I lost my mother. That pain was unlike anything I had ever known. At that age, I thought the world had ended for me. I couldn’t understand why God would allow such a loss, and in many ways, I felt empty, broken, and ready to give up.
But it was in that season of suffering that I began to learn one of the most powerful lessons of my life: success is not built in comfort — it is shaped through pain. Losing my mother taught me that life will test you, stretch you, and sometimes leave you with wounds. But those same wounds can become the source of your strength.
What I carry now is the understanding that my suffering was not the end of me — it was the beginning of the leader God was shaping me to be. Through that loss, I found resilience. Through that grief, I discovered purpose. And through that suffering, I learned that true success doesn’t come from avoiding pain, but from allowing God to transform pain into power.
So when I stand today as a pastor, a father, and a community leader, I know that it is not because life has been easy — but because suffering taught me that success often comes after the storm
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
After years of serving as a nonprofit leader and community advocate, I’ve learned that sometimes the greatest barriers we face are not external, but internal — the lies we tell ourselves and others. These lies sound comfortable, but they keep us from doing the hard, honest work of transformation.
1. “We don’t have enough.”
Too many organizations claim they can’t move without more money, more staff, more grants. The truth is, we always have something — people, relationships, skills, faith — that can make an impact. My grandfather taught me, with only a third-grade education, that generosity isn’t about resources but about heart.
2. “We are the saviors.”
Nonprofits sometimes act as if they’re coming to rescue communities. The reality is, communities already have wisdom, strength, and solutions. Our role is to listen, amplify, and support — not to take credit or control.
3. “Success is measured by numbers alone.”
Grant reports and data points matter, but lives changed matter more. A young person staying in school, a mother finding stable housing, a family learning about financial literacy — that’s impact no spreadsheet can fully capture.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
How the Community Will Understand My Legacy Pastor Robert Leak III
When the community looks back on my life, I don’t want them to remember just my titles, my sermons, or the organizations I led. I want them to remember the heart behind it all. My legacy will not be measured in buildings, boards, or budgets — but in people.
They will say, “He was a man who never stopped believing in us.” They’ll remember how I stood on the front lines for schools, for housing, for jobs, for justice. They’ll say I gave my time, my voice, my energy — not because it was easy, but because I believed our neighborhoods deserved better.
They will understand that my leadership was shaped by the wisdom of my grandfather, who taught me that you don’t need a degree to change lives — you need compassion. They’ll see that my resilience was born out of loss, when I buried my mother at 14 and kept going. They’ll know that even when I wanted to give up, I stayed because I believed that God was not finished with me, or with us.
My legacy will live in the children who got a fair chance at education, the families who found stability, the neighbors who discovered their own power. And above all, they will understand this: Robert Leak III gave everything he had to serve God and his people. His legacy was not about him — it was about us
Contact Info:
- Facebook: RobertLeakiii
Image Credits
Robert Leak III
MOD Photography W-S NC
