A Strong Servant: Decatur church leader gives community toys, hot meals and food boxes

By Catherine Godbey | Living 50 Plus

Samuel Wilkerson followed Pastor Barry Strong down the steps to a dimly lit kitchen. Opening cabinets and freezers, Strong handed Wilkerson cans of vegetables, soups and cranberry sauce, packets of hot chocolate, a 40-ounce jar of peanut butter, frozen meat, a bag of apples, Nerd gummies and a box containing nonperishable foods, including macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and canned goods.

“Man, I’m so thankful for this. This will hold me over until next week when I should have a place to stay. Yes sir, this is a huge help for me,” said the 70-year-old Wilkerson, a member of the homeless community.

When Wilkerson contacted Strong about needing assistance, the leader of New Greater St. Andrew’s Church of Grace in Northwest Decatur responded immediately.

“No matter the time, he will go. He has woken me up in the middle of the night for us to come up here because someone needed help,” Strong’s wife, Demetra Strong, said.

For the 61-year-old Barry Strong, caring for individuals in need — whether handing out nonperishable foods, serving hot meals for 31 days straight during the government shutdown or providing gifts for children at Christmas — serves as a continuation of his father’s work.

“I learned everything from my father. He helped so many people. The first Meals on Wheels here locally was housed at my father’s church. I’m just trying to continue what he was doing,” Strong said.

His father, the late Bishop Andrew Cooper Strong, better known as A.C. Strong, was a fixture in Decatur’s religious community.

As a child, Barry Strong watched the Pentecostal House of Prayer, the church his father started in April 1968 in the front room of his Vine Street home, grow.

“He would have church in our living room on Sundays and then the next day, he would take an axe to the wall of the living room because the church was growing each and every week. I remember listening to him tear down that wall,” Strong said.

Under the direction of A.C. Strong, the Pentecostal House of Prayer, which moved to Memorial Drive after outgrowing the Strong family home, housed the Meals on Wheels program and a clothing bank, offered adult education classes and opened a school of music.

As far back as he can remember, Barry Strong knew he would follow in his father’s footsteps.

“People would stop me in the street when I was 4 years old and give me $1 to preach. When I went to Brookhaven Middle School, the principal called my father two or three times because they couldn’t stop me from preaching during school. I thought it was my job to preach. I would preach at school when we were supposed to be learning math and English. My father taught me there is a place to preach and a place not to preach and you don’t preach in a sixth grade classroom,” Strong said.

After graduating from Decatur High School, Strong joined the military and served with the U.S. Navy on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower as a cook. Stationed in the Red Sea during the early days of Operation Desert Shield, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which carried F-14 Tomcats, became one of the first lines of defense when Iraq invaded Kuwait.

When Strong’s Naval service ended in 1991, he returned to Decatur and started a carpet-cleaning business.

“I want to help people who are struggling because I have struggled. There was a time when I came back to Decatur that I was living out of my car. I would drive to Priceville to sleep and then come back to Decatur in the morning,” Strong said.

In 2001, Strong founded St. Andrew’s Church of Grace — named after his father and the apostle Andrew, a disciple of Jesus — less than one-half mile from the Pentecostal House of Prayer.

“For five years, I was able to preach on the same street as my dad. I enjoyed it and I think he did too,” Strong said. “My dad taught me everything I know and the things he didn’t teach me directly, he taught me the principles that prepared me for situations. I named my church St. Andrew’s in honor of him. I wanted him to know the impact he had on me.”

Like Strong, his seven siblings followed his father into the ministry as pastors, music ministers and youth ministers. One of Strong’s brothers, Bishop T.D. Strong, pastors the United Pentecostal Jubilee House of Prayer – a congregation consisting of the Pentecostal House of Prayer and the Jubilee House of Prayer — on State Avenue in Southwest Decatur.

On Memorial Drive, Barry Strong has transformed the New St. Andrew’s Church of Grace into an outreach center for the community. Every Christmas, he collects gifts to distribute to children in need. Last Christmas, the church provided toys for 100 children and food for hundreds of families.

“Our mission is to help others. That is why we are here. We want to help people however we can. That’s what my father taught me — to love one another,” Strong said.

When the government shut down in early November 2025 and people stopped receiving food stamp benefits, Strong acted. On Nov. 3, the Monday after the restrictions took place, Strong began serving hot meals. He cooked and served meals to the community for 32 days straight — reaching 300 to 400 people.

“It was hard, but God made a way. We had to feed the people. That’s what God called me to do, to care for those around me,” Strong said.

Beyond food, the free hot meals served as a time for fellowship.

“Before we handed out the first biscuits, we prayed together as a community. Food is something that unites us,” Strong said. “Food is something I’ve turned to all my life, from serving as a cook in the Navy to cooking hot meals for the community, as a way to show God’s love. By loving on people, we hope to teach people how to love one another.”

To provide for the community, Strong receives donations from the North Alabama Food Bank and from the community.

“Of our food supply, 65% comes from the food pantry and 35% from the community. People give to us because they know we are one of the first lines of defense for people who are struggling. They know that people will contact us if they are in need,” Strong said.

Standing in front of the church, a box of food clutched in his hands, Wilkerson gave Strong a hug.

“This has helped me so much. Thank you,” Wilkerson said.

“Whenever you need something again, just give me a call. We will help you out whenever you need it,” Strong said. “We will be praying for you and I ask that you be praying for us too.”