AN AWAKENING After high school, he served in the U.S. Marines for two years until 1974, when domestic disputes with his wife resulted in three court appearances. That experience, and the birth of twin boys, “woke up my attention,” he says. DeVaughn wanted to escape the street life and knew he “had to look for a higher power.” His wife's sister-in-law was a church member, and “I would ask her and her husband questions” about God. “They kept asking me to come to Bible class.” In 1979, DeVaughn and his wife joined the Christ Temple Apostolic Faith Church, a Pentecostal church in East Baltimore, and became “born again.” DeVaughn's pastor periodically asked him to speak at evening services. Eventually, he became an ordained minister and started 'pastoring' in his own home in 1998. “There were a few (church) members who got saved at my house,” he notes. In 1999, he leased a storefront and became incorporated as the Holy Ground Apostolic Faith Church. Being a pastor can be a demanding occupation, says DeVaughn, who worked for the Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. for 25 years, until a disability forced him to retire. SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL Several years ago, DeVaughn wrote a book to clarify some crucial Biblical tenets, called “The DeVaughn Code: For the Truth's Sake.” The book describes an experience he had in 2004, discovering spiritual images in the wood grain of two doors inside his church. DeVaughn was certain the images had “great spiritual importance,” although he was initially uncertain of their meaning. The book recounts his search for the true meaning of the images. He continues to offer the word to the community, including those served by DeVaughn Intervention. “We need God in everything in order for us to prosper. We don't push people toward the spiritual, but we let them know it's available.”
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