The Rock Kensington Brings Light to a Troubled Neighborhood
Photos by Billy Rutledge
In a David and Goliath struggle with darkness in Philadelphia, PA, a group of believers are standing against evil, all in the powerful name of Jesus.
Members of The Rock’s chaplain team, Sharon Cerrito (left) and Katie Breen, administer Narcan to an overdosed addict in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA. Paramedics declared the woman dead when they arrived, but the chaplains asked them to administer a second Narcan dose while others gathered to pray. The woman was revived.
Kids in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood walk to school each day through a drug war-zone. Eyes down, shoulders up, ears tuned for gunfire, they step around used needles and human feces littering the sidewalks. Their neighbors have mostly locked themselves inside, but the kids pass drug dealers, prostitutes, and most of all, addicts—gathered in groups shooting up in broad daylight; slumped against buildings and covered in open sores; or lying passed out or even dead on the sidewalk. The air reeks of urine, vomit, and rotting flesh.
Addicts help each other inject drugs into their necks. In Kensington, children begin using opiates at the average age of 12. The Rock’s programs and activities bring children off the streets, helping them choose eternal life in Christ over their neighborhood’s culture of death.
Once a year, however, everything changes for a day. The streets are washed clean; neighbors pour from their houses, smiling and mingling. The air fills with smells of good food and the sounds of laughter and music. Dealers put away their drugs to take their kids to a face-painting booth. Rock Ministries’ annual outreach, “Rock the Block,” transforms multiple Kensington blocks into a carnival, filled with bouncy castles, obstacle courses, and much more. People travel from all over the country just to serve this neighborhood and share God’s love. “It’s Disney for a day for these kids,” rejoiced The Rock’s founder, Pastor Buddy Osborn. “There’s no alcohol, no drugs. They don’t have to fear gunshots or look over their shoulders. It’s a day filled with hope.”
Diana Hinton helps a child at “Rock the Block”, an annual outreach of The Rock and Calvary Chapel Kensington. Kensington blocks are transformed into a carnival, filled with bouncy castles, obstacle courses, and much more. “It’s Disney for a day for these kids,” rejoiced The Rock’s founder, Pastor Buddy Osborn. “There’s no alcohol, no drugs. They don’t have to fear gunshots or look over their shoulders. It’s a day filled with hope.”
Volunteers from Maine to Florida traveled to Kensington to help put on “Rock the Block”. In addition to its many activities, prayer and evangelism teams were sent out.
At the carnival’s center, a boxing ring has been set up. Late that afternoon, the athletes withdraw and Buddy steps in. He preaches the Gospel to a raptly listening crowd, explaining it in terms they understand, connecting with them as only a native Kensingtonian could. Afterward, he invites anyone ready to accept Jesus’ gift of salvation to step into the ring with him. Hesitantly, a woman steps forward. Then a man. They’re joined by an entire young family, then prostitutes, alcoholics, drug users, and dealers. This year, the people kept coming until the ring was packed completely full. It was the highlight of Buddy’s day, but not his weekend: “The great part is when you see them in church that Sunday,” he exulted.
After Pastor Buddy Osborn, pastor of CC Kensington, preached the Gospel, many crowded into the ring with him to commit themselves to Christ, a result of this small but mighty ministry’s year-round investment in its community.
Located within earshot of I-95, Kensington’s 2.5 square miles are famed for its more than $1 billion annual drug trade—and the massive casualties it produces. “Kensington’s very popular now,” Buddy wryly commented of the news crews and national headlines swirling around his hometown in recent years. “There’s not a neighborhood in the world getting more attention. But with all the focus on the addiction and killings, there’s a population being completely forgotten: the kids, and the PTSD they suffer.” Buddy founded The Rock in 2003 as a youth boxing outreach. Since then, it has branched into numerous ministries to include every member of the Kensington community, and birthed a church, CC Kensington, which Buddy pastors. However, Buddy has never lost sight of its original purpose: “I didn’t come back to Kensington to chase addiction issues, I came back for the kids.”
Miguel Quirandongo has gone from Rock youth, to prodigal, to jiu jitsu coach walking closely with God again.
Building a Refuge
Drugs killed three of Buddy’s eight siblings. Boxing helped steer him from a similar fate. Starting at age 13, by 16 he was top in state, and made the 1980 National Team with the prospect of being a 1980 Olympian—though the U.S. boycott prevented competition. He left Kensington for many years. He coached boxing and did ministry but kept them separate until one of his boxing students landed in a juvenile prison—convicted of murder. Realizing he had taught the boy everything about boxing but nothing about Jesus, Buddy vowed never to repeat the mistake. The encounter catalyzed his return to Kensington to start The Rock, where the Gospel is interwoven with every outreach.
Once a Kensington kid himself, Pastor Buddy Osborn has invested in young athletes like Xavier Gonzalez for two decades, coaching them in sports and spiritual matters.
Boxing coach Frankie Eleby, who was himself once a Rock youth, leads the weekly prayer gathering during youth sports training. Over decades, the Rock has become a multi-generational ministry, as youths transformed by Christ return as adults to serve, bringing their own children. Many thousands have been reached, but it’s not about numbers, said Buddy: “Our motto is, One kid, one block, one family at a time.”
Buddy’s childhood Kensington was rough, but nothing like today. “Drugs were there, but people had the respect not to bring them around the kids,” Buddy remembered. “You could leave your doors open. Neighbors watched out for everybody else’s kids. Now, there’s such an immoral lawlessness. Instead of Kensington moving a lot of drugs [to other areas], everything’s [now sold] at street level. It has just brutalized the streets.”
A woman puffs her cheeks and uses broken glass as a mirror in order to shoot up more easily. In 2022 alone, 197 people in Kensington’s 2.5 square miles died from overdose. Many more die from secondary causes like exposure.
Buddy’s assistant pastor, Craig Cerrito, added, “When I first came here, there were kids riding their bikes and playing in parks. Now they’re confined to home and school. These kids all have some strategy to survive. When they’re walking the gauntlet of these sidewalks, with a drug deal going down on every corner, they’re tough and wary. When they come to The Rock, you can see their relief when they walk in the door.” Despite numerous gunfights erupting outside, in its 20-year existence not a single child has been injured coming to or from The Rock. Though a church-member’s adult son once suffered a strong-arm robbery around the corner, afterward Pastor Buddy was able to visit him in the hospital and lead him to Christ.
Local volunteer Patrick Ossel (left) connects with Craig Cerrito, CC Kensington’s assistant pastor.
Arriving as a volunteer boxing coach one year after The Rock’s inception, Craig has seen the program produce numerous Golden Gloves champions and professionals. But more importantly, “we stopped counting after about 14,000 young people had come through the boxing program years ago,” said Craig, because what is more important is that “each one has heard the Gospel and experienced Christ’s love.”
A young boxer prepares for his match during “Rock the Block”. Athletics help draw youth off the streets, but Rock staff understand it’s a relationship with Jesus Christ that allows them to truly escape.
Elizabeth Sandoval trains during the girls’ boxing class.
Miguel trained at The Rock physically and spiritually in his youth; in adulthood, he was caught up in worldly temptations. His mistakes haunted him to the point he was considering suicide when his uncle reminded him of when God’s hand was on him. I’m going back to The Rock, Miguel decided. He was welcomed back, poured into, and now, “reconnected with Jesus, he coaches the kids he once was,” Craig marveled. Five of the six coaches were once youth participants.
“We haven’t even begun to see the effects of the seeds we’ve planted over the years,” Buddy predicted. “A lot of people who came as kids are coming back to The Rock with their kids, and coming to church.” The Rock also offers jiu jitsu, weight training, tutoring, and many weekly events for different age groups, but Buddy wants more. “The key word is prevention,” he stated. “We can prevent a lot of tragedy by doubling our capacity. We asked the kids what else they wanted; they gave us a three-page list: rock climbing, soccer, basketball, concerts. We want to teach trades and develop skills that will help them provide as they get older.”
Pastor Buddy speaks with Officer Tina Willis, Philadelphia Police Community Relations Officer. The Rock’s community liaison has been building connections with the city and helping connect residents to programs they need. “We have a great relationship with the fire department and police,” said Buddy. “We’ve become a neighborhood fixture, and they trust us. It’s a beautiful partnership.”
Through generous donors, The Rock has already purchased a vacant building, once America’s oldest boxing venue, and drawn up architectural plans. They await more funding before the project can kick into gear. Recalling Kensington’s former fame for its factories and production, “I want to name it The Youth Factory,” Buddy commented. “We want to see kids become champions for Christ and send them around the world.”
That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19
Architectural rendering reveals The Rock’s dreams for The Youth Factory which awaits funding to become a reality. The facility will greatly expand the ministry’s ability to reach youth with interests other than boxing.
Building the Future
On a Tuesday night, Pastor Buddy sat among young men in Nehemiah House’s upper room, teaching Ephesians with the same intensity he coaches boxing. Zeroing in on 3:17-19, he challenged them: “What is the width of your faith? Is it continuing to expand? What is its length: how far will it take you when things get rough? How deep is it? Are you deep in God’s Word so you keep growing?” Buddy later remembered, “We got in a deep discussion about what it means to be rooted and grounded. They’re excited about the apostle Paul; they identify with him being incarcerated.” As was Buddy shortly before knowing Christ. His street-smart past helps him connect with these youths, aged 17-26, whom he handpicked to live in Nehemiah House.
Former Rock youth Alex Gonzalez instructs beginner boxers. Alex now lives in Nehemiah House, being trained and discipled for future leadership.
When gifted to The Rock years ago, the former drug house was dilapidated, trash-filled, and so gutted from a fire, it made front-page news. When advised to tear it down, Buddy responded, “What would Nehemiah do? Would he knock it down or get to it?” Now it’s a shining metaphor for the transformed lives of those who fill its 14 bunks, letting go of street life to grab hold of God.
“Our Bible studies get raw, they get real,” Buddy explained. “I’ll assign two verses to a kid; he has to provide at minimum two references and one Greek word. Everyone has to memorize at least one verse per chapter. But I tell them, ‘You can have all the scholarly knowledge, but if you have no revelation, what good is it?’” In addition to intensive Bible study and discipleship, each learns a trade. “We have a plumber, an engineer, and a bricklayer—talk about rebuilding!” Buddy joked. “Sometimes I feel like a Nehemiah, though, going back to my neighborhood and rebuilding the walls that have been torn down. I’m training these kids to be the ones I’m handing the baton to. I’m 64 years old; by the time I’m 70, I want the next team in place.”
Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me … So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Nehemiah 2:17-18
Yabian Rivera and Izzac Rivera spar in the boxing ring at “Rock the Block”.
David, the eldest resident, was recently released from prison, had numerous prior arrests, and a background in addiction when Buddy took him in. Though hesitant, Buddy remembered how hard it was to leave incarceration without a plan. “So we gave him an opportunity, and he jumped on it. It’s unbelievable how on-fire he is for the Lord; and now his girlfriend, who was so far from God, loves Him, too,” rejoiced Buddy, who married them October 6. “Typically in Kensington, there’s little understanding of the marriage covenant. People are ignorant or even rebellious against it. But when they meet God, they want to put away the drugs and get married. They have to go through 100 questions in premarital counseling before we marry them. We’ve even had many marriages in which the bride had been on the streets, or the husband had been incarcerated. Sometimes I marry them right after the service so the whole church can be part of it.”
Built by God
Buddy still bikes through the streets he grew up on, still knows its residents by name. While he wades deeper into Kensington’s darkness than the news crews ever could, that’s not what he sees. “I see light,” he insisted. “I see marriages. I see kids’ lives being transformed. I see the Lord putting the pieces together. Sometimes I think, Are we making an impact?, and then the Lord allows me to see things come together. His hand is on The Rock. I say, ‘Wow, Lord, we’ll keep doing our part; but You’re the One Who shows up.’ At the end of the day, God gets all the glory.”
A sign on this vacant building, once America’s oldest boxing venue, proclaims the dreams of The Rock staff to build the Youth Factory. “We want to see kids become champions for Christ and send them around the world,” exclaimed Pastor Buddy.
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Look for a follow-up article on The Rock Kensington in the next print issue of Calvary Chapel Magazine. To learn more about The Rock, visit their website at TheRockPhilly.org
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