While riding around the streets of Sherwood, AR one night, Adam Pate and his cousin were under the influence of drugs, so shooting street signs seemed like a good idea.
“I didn’t even know what I was saying,” Pate told his cousin, “I outta shoot myself.”
Teenagers do not typically have near death experiences, but that was not the case for Pate.
“I turned the gun around and shot myself,” said Pate. He bled a Mountain Dew bottle full of blood on his way to the hospital. The bullet to the neck made the night turn from teens out having fun to a life or death situation.
“We went straight to the hospital, and when we got there the doctor said that if the bullet had been one centimeter lower it would have killed me,” Pate said.
If everything happens for a reason, then it was not by luck that Pate survived.
Pate was 17 when he shot himself, but he got his start with drugs early in high school.
“Some of my friends from school were smoking weed so I decided to try it with them in the ninth grade,” explained Pate.
Throughout his life, Pate has gone through and overcome many trials. One of his toughest situations was dealing with high school.
“I’ve been though a lot of struggles,” Pate said. “One of the struggles I went through when I was younger was staying connected to my school work. I was focused on partying. I walked out of high school needing only three credits to graduate and I never walked back in.”
But school was only part of the problem. Pate continued to fight with life until about four years ago when he experienced one of the toughest trials he has ever faced.
“I struggled with the calling to be a pastor. I knew God was calling me to preach and I basically lost everything because I was running away from Him,” Pate said. “My dad told me I would never be happy until I let God handle me.
“That was one of the hardest struggles because I just wanted to walk away, but I couldn’t. I almost lost everything, but now I’m pastoring a church full-time,” said Pate.
Pate said his trials have taught him a lot.
“If you turn your back on Jesus you’re setting yourself up for struggles,” Pate said. “After finding Jesus it makes your struggles seem easier. He sends people and things to help you and to let you know that He is there with you.”
He especially has a heart for the teenagers who might be in the same place he was.
“I would tell them to never give up, always look ahead, and know that God always has a light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “There isn’t a problem that God can’t handle.”
Learning from past experiences is important, and Pate feels like he was taught a good lesson. Pate says he is also blessed to have his wife, Amber, and his two children Kami and Dawson in his life.
Family friend and teen, Robby Nelson, said he has known Pate since he was five years old.
“I think he’s a great and honest man,” Nelson said. “He’s always able to lend a helping hand when it’s needed, and he is fun to be around.”
Pastor Pate spoke to the teenagers who attended Camp Formosa this past December and said Nelson was touched by Pate’s story.
“Knowing what he went through when he was younger and that he’s still become who he is today is something to respect,” said Nelson.
Nelson admits that Pate has influenced him to focus on his future and live a better life for himself and for his family.
They say all clouds have a silver lining, but Pate describes it as beauty that comes from the ashes of life.
“I was a very bad and mean person and Jesus turned me into a very loving and caring person,” said Pate.
Pate’s story has had a huge impact on many people, and he is willing to tell anyone who asks. His goal as a pastor is to bring people to church and share his faith.
His faith is what got him through many tough situations in his youth and will continue to as he works for his family, and as he works to grow his church.
