After overcoming addiction, Ron Williams became a chaplain to guide others on road to sobriety

MINNEAPOLIS — For four decades, Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge has provided substance abuse services to Minnesotans.

One man who overcame addiction, homelessness and incarceration has been walking beside others in recovery.

"I'm just a hopeless dope addict that God turned into a dopeless hope addict. Amen," said chaplain Ron Williams to a group of long-term recovery patients at Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge.

It's message that connects with the men he serves at Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge because they know he's been where they've been.

"We all want recovery, and we all want to live our lives and that's what this is about," Williams told the group.

Williams left a troubled upbringing and was on his own at the age of 11. Over the next several years, he self-medicated with alcohol. Drugs, broken marriages, and family failures followed.

"I've been a part of so many drug-infested situations. Gun fights. Knife fights. Car accidents. I should be dead. I literally should be dead," said Williams.

Williams entered treatment five or six times to appease others or when courted-ordered.

"My sobriety time only lasted in treatment. Many of those treatments, I relapsed as soon as I got out," said Williams. 

Each new low was deeper.

"Twelve days — no sleep, no food, no nourishment. Just up. Just up. Chasing the drugs. I'm now homeless. I live under a bridge. I literally live under a bridge with a mattress and a bed and a nightstand and my head is so crazy that I need a lamp under the bridge," explained Williams.

Williams went to prison three times. In 2006, after serving 21 and a half months of a 38-month long sentence, he went into treatment for a ninth time. He checked into Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge.

"This wasn't one that I was court ordered. This wasn't one where I was trying to convince anybody. This is one I wanted for myself," said Williams. "I finally stopped digging and never had to experience another treatment center without that hole being filled. When that hole got filled it put the world behind me and the cross before me — it gave me my life back."

"The things that had happened to my life that I was ashamed of, didn't want to tell nobody what they were. Those were the things that set me free," said Williams.

After graduating from the program in 2007, Williams stayed on as a recovery coach.

"At shift over, I would sit by the fish tanks, and we would just have what we called Ron's corner and just talk for an hour, sometimes even longer," he explained.

That informal ministry eventually led to a chaplain role. This month Williams celebrates five years in the job, taking lessons learned from his journey to guide others.

"I want to be an example that God did it for me, he can do it for you. Just to bring hope. Paul said it this way: I am chief sinner. There's none worse than me. Well, Paul hadn't met me yet," laughed Williams.

Williams has been sober for 18 years. He's been able to restore broken relationships with his children and his siblings.

Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge offers outpatient, short-term, and long-term recovery programs to men, women and teens.