PASTOR THERESA ROBERTS

Walking In Purpose

story by NAKEISHA DAWSON-THOMPSON     photos by GREYSON JOHNSTON

Theresa A. Roberts was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Theresa is the eighth of twelve children born to Mr. and Mrs. Kinzy Greenleaf. She is married to Randy Roberts, also born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Together, they have three daughters: Ashley, Megan, and Chelsea. Theresa arrived in Beaufort by way of the U.S. Marines, as her husband was stationed at MCAS Beaufort. The couple served together in ministry for many years before being led to found Love House Ministries (LHM) in 2001.

Love House Ministries is an outreach ministry in Beaufort comprised of a small body of believers with like minds, serving to meet the needs of the community. Theresa serves as the Senior Pastor under Apostle Randy Roberts. From the very beginning, their ministry has evolved to meet the needs of this ever-changing community.
When asked why she chose this walk and this type of business, Pastor Theresa affirms that she did not choose this call/walk in ministry, but it was chosen for her by God.

Love House Ministries Mission Statement targets three areas of life:
Racism: To create a bridge over the racial waters separating the body of Christ. (John 4:21-24)
Divorce: To halt the decay of marriages by driving out the spirit of divorce.
(1 Corinthians 13:3-7)
Oppression: To bring good news to the oppressed and the brokenhearted.
(Isaiah 61:1-3)

Theresa’s journey in life would shape her passion for women and children. Her experiences as a child, a wife, and a mother have all assisted in the formation of the execution of her purpose. At the age of ten, she was kidnapped by a pedophile while walking home from school with her sister and brother. She recalls a man taking her sister’s hat from her head as they passed him briskly. He began taunting her older sister to come and get it. Her sister yelled for them all to run, and as they ran, Theresa fell and was grabbed by the man. Her sister stared into her eyes helplessly—with fear she ran for help. Theresa was held captive for days; she doesn’t recall how long to be exact, but any length of time being held against your will is too long.

Anyone who experiences any traumatic event will have some healing to do. For Theresa, her healing came in the form of ministry, caring for and serving women, children, and families with genuine commitment.

Her survival inspired her to start the $1.00-A-Day After School Program. It was imperative for her to create a safe environment for children after school to prevent any child from being physically hurt, sexually abused, or abandoned. This program was designed to be economical for parents to reduce financial burdens. For families not able to afford childcare, there is room for you too. If you volunteer, your child can attend for little to no cost at all—what a great partnership.

Being a woman in any business can be difficult, but when your business is ministry and one that is dear to your heart, that makes things a whole lot easier. As their ministry continued to grow, so did Theresa’s outreach in the community. Love House Ministries widened the area they served allowing Randy and Theresa to expand their community outreach.

In 2015, Theresa was appointed by Governor Nikki Haley to the Domestic Violence Task Force for South Carolina, and in that same year Love House Learning Academy (LHLA) was founded. LHLA expanded its Summer Learning Academy and After School programs when granted nine locations (facilities) by Beaufort County Parks and Leisure. This allowed for the expansion of the program that has been in existence since 2009. Their motto is “Teach them what we know, and they will become what they learn.”

Community Outreach Programs at Love House Ministries
• $1.00-A-Day Aftercare assists single and struggling families with school-aged children to reduce the number of latchkey children within our communities; to reduce children who may be undernourished; to prevent child abuse, neglect and abandonment; to improve conduct and behavior self-awareness; and to develop social and interpersonal skills, all within a learning environment. This program creates an affordable place for children to be cared for and mentored while developing relationships. We recognized that children who are closely monitored in a loving environment often get less involved with at-risk activities and have a greater sense of self-worth.
• Summer Learning Academy (SLA) provides school-aged children with continual learning during the summer to prevent learning loss. This program was designed to supply children with four primary focuses: reading, writing, math and science.
• Senior Citizen Day Program was designed to enable individuals to continue being an integral part of their community while maintaining a healthy lifestyle in mind, body, and soul. The goal is to develop creativity, produce new lifestyles, reduce depression, extend long life, and create a place where new relationships can be developed every day through simple adventures. This program is FREE to all senior citizens in Beaufort County.
• LHM Community Bowling Center (CBC) is a family entertainment center offering a fun and wholesome environment. The CBC provides the ultimate family experience with amenities for every level of bowling. From bumpers and lightweight balls for the kids to competitive oil patterns for the pros, the CBC is Beaufort’s place to play.
• Laser Tag is a team or individual sport where players attempt to score points by tagging targets with an infrared-emitting device worn by each player, creating lots of fun.

Theresa, LHM, and LHLA have been on the frontline with the Covid-19 pandemic. Their outreach extends to seniors during this tragic time that all communities are encountering. They currently serve meals to seniors throughout Beaufort County. Their goal is to ensure their outreach programs become stronger to support the mental and emotional crisis throughout this pandemic. They are preparing for the aftermath of this pandemic: to support parents and families as they heal from the trauma and to provide emotional support to those in need. Partnerships with many organizations like the Lowcountry Foodbank allow these programs to continue to serve the community.

Theresa states their work is not complete. There are several upcoming programs that they are currently working on. They are in the planning stages of putting together affordable housing with a focus on teachers and students, a Veterans shelter for the homeless population, and, lastly, her book has been picked up by a publishing company. Theresa is excited to be able to share what the Lord has shared with her in the form of her book Why Don’t People Like Me, which is the first of a 6-book series titled Becoming the Perfect Me. This series will change the lives of many women. It was developed from Women’s Bible Study, which helped Theresa teach from who she is and what she has survived. This series will help women define their strengths and weaknesses from the inside out. The book is due to be released in May 2020.

To learn more about the community outreach that Love House Ministries currently has in place or to find out how you can support these outreach programs, visit their website at www.lovehouseministries.org.