Ex-Mayor Kilpatrick Keynote Speaker At New Life Family Church

HAMTRAMCK (WWJ) - Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick draws a packed house to hear him speak at New Life Family Church in Hamtramck.

WWJ's Terri Lee reports that Kilpatrick got a warm reception from the roughly 200 people at New Life Family Church in Hamtramck, where he was the keynote speaker.

Before Kilpatrick got up to speak, the pastor of New Life Family Church, Welton Smith,  told the congregation that he got some flack for inviting the former mayor to speak.

When Kilpatrick took the podium he addressed the scandle that forced him from office but stated that he is a changed man.

Kilpatrick told the congregation that he is no longer a politian and he doesn't want to be one. He said he left his old self in prison and his message now is one of redemption.

"I mean it was absolutely powerful. It's exactly what we planned to hear, I mean, he came with such a great message, of redemption as well as accountability," said Smith.

"So many times when we try to do in attempting redemtion,  is we try to escape the fact that we messed up. And what we've to understand is that we all mess up, this why  we can't be so quick to judge or condemn brother Kilpatrick.

Debra Pendleton of Southfield liked what she heard: "It was just fantastic, very uplifting. Just teaches you that anything you do wrong - God will forgive you for it. Like he said, if you are in the Lions pit - just pray and you'll get out."

"All of us have done something, and all of us, we can't judge other people. Everybody, like Pastor said, everybody has did something - they have just not been in the limelight," said one church goer who did not want to give her name.

Kilpatrick delivered the keynote address as part of the church's Heritage Sunday Worship Service.