A new church in Fort Wayne sends a different type of message

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Walking into the sanctuary, you're greeted with shouts from the pulpit: "Thuggalujah!"

True Humility Under God's Grace, or T.H.U.G.G., Church had its first service Sunday evening.
The pastor at Greater Spirit of Love Church on the city's South side gathered funds to bring Bishop Bell from Long Beach, Calif. to Fort Wayne to try to help the young men in the community.

Bell, who was in and out of jail for most of his life, was shot in the head in 1991, an injury which left him blind.
After his 40th trip to jail, Bell realized he was going down the wrong path. He wanted to change his life and turn it over to God.

"I was going to reach out to other hoodlums out there, thugs, but I took another "G" and put it on there, T.H.U.G.G., and I called it True Humility Under God's Grace, and I came back here to reach them, to reach my people," Bell said. "I don't want to see killings and people breaking into houses, and people going to jail and losing their lives."

Bishop Bell said he wished there was a larger turnout at his first service, but he's excited to continue to reach out to young males in the Fort Wayne community.

He recently mentored men in the Eden Green apartments and is planning trips other higher crime areas in the city.