Merced Sun-Star 2018 20 under 40: Stevie Anthony Wakes Jr.
Age: 32
Occupation: Pastor of St. Matthew Baptist Church in Merced
Favorite quote or saying, why?
“And we know that all things work together for the good to them that love God and are the called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28
It is through the lens of these words that I have viewed the most difficult trials in my life. They have given me the faith to keep going when I felt like giving up, the hope that what I go through is never in vain, and the understanding that storms are necessary to cultivate a more perfect work within me.
Community or professional highlights:
- USAF Veteran 2007-2015
- Director of Education and Victim Advocate for the Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office
- Member of the American Leadership Forum (ALF)
- AAS Avionic Systems Technology
- AAS Business Studies
- BAS Management
- MBA - 2019 Grad
Your life changed when?
My life changed the day my son Noah was born. His life has made me a better man, and I am honored to be his father.
What do you want people to know most about you?
That all of us are broken. That we are all Humpty Dumpty in our own way. We have fallen. Life has dropped us. People have dropped us. People have failed to catch us, and failed to put us back together again. But I believe there’s a second part to that story. That when we fall, and when we’re broken, and when all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put us back together again, the King came down Himself, in the form of Jesus Christ, and He is the One, the only One, who can truly put us back together again.
What do you like most about living here?
The relationships I’ve developed. My church family has been a phenomenal resource for me in the short time that I’ve been here in Merced. In addition to that, Mayor Murphy introduced me to an organization called The American Leadership Forum. The wealth of love and support gained through this organization has filled my cup until it overflowed. I am truly grateful for the people I have had the opportunity to meet, and I am excited because I believe we’re just getting started.
Why is community involvement important?
I don’t think a community thrives without the blood, sweat, and tears of everyone involved. The physical body is most efficient when all of the parts are working together toward a common goal. For someone in a community to be absent in their involvement is to rob the community, as a whole, from becoming all that they could be if we all worked together. We all have gifts, and I believe everything our community needs is well within the hearts, minds, and hands of the people within it.
This story was originally published October 4, 2018 at 4:00 AM.