EXODUS LIFE CHANGE

DISCIPLESHIP RECOVERY PROGRAM

We value authenticity. As a community, we strive to enter into each other’s messy lives to encourage one another toward growth in godliness.

HISTORY OF ORGANAZNATION

Ray Wilkerson is the founder of Exodus Life Change and the visionary architect behind the first Exodus House, launched in New Orleans, Louisiana. His mission was not born in a boardroom but on a second-floor fire escape in North Philadelphia—with a .357 in his hand, preparing to end his life. Homeless, addicted, and tormented, Ray stood at the edge of death. But at that very moment, Jesus Christ intervened.

The scripture that pierced his soul and changed his life was Luke 22:31–32:
“Ray, Ray, Satan has desired to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not: and when you are converted, strengthen your brothers.”

That encounter with God was the turning point. From that day forward, Ray began walking boldly in his divine calling. With over 20 years in addiction, crime, and incarceration, he emerged not as a statistic, but as a servant—charged with the mission to strengthen his brothers and sisters still trapped in cycles of despair.

“I once sat in silence, drowning in despair—now I stand in purpose, restored by grace. My past was the setup for my deliverance.”
— Ray Wilkerson

 

Such a mission was developed to productively work toward dramatically transforming our cities through faith-based and progressive infrastructures that meet the real needs of the community. Exodus Life Change was built on a holistic healing model designed to address the root causes of addiction, homelessness, and recidivism, not just manage symptoms.

Ray was introduced to the holistic approach in 1999 while living in Philadelphia. Later, after relocating to Goldsboro, North Carolina, he immersed himself in conversations with individuals from various treatment programs and reentry populations. They all shared a common struggle: the inability of traditional programs to address the real-life issues—financial depression, lack of stable housing, and limited employment options—that made staying clean and sober almost impossible.

Many were working minimum wage jobs—if they were employed at all. The burden of trying to forget dreams that never materialized often led to crime, incarceration, and chronic relapse. The system was failing them, and Ray knew another way had to be made.

Drawing from his own experience as a former drug dealer and user for 22 years, Ray saw clearly what others could not. He didn’t just see the addiction—he saw the person behind it. Through Exodus Life Change, he established a three-part holistic empowerment model:

  • Spiritual Empowerment to restore faith, purpose, and identity

  • Economic Empowerment to provide real opportunities and financial stability

  • Domestic Empowerment to rebuild homes, families, and community connections

Today, Ray stands as a living testimony to the redemptive power of God. His life is proof that no matter how dark the tunnel, there is light on the other side. His journey fuels a relentless mission to transform lives through housing, healing, and the promise of hope.