Author, local pastor and Alabama star team up for Mobile Men’s Weekend

An event promising to help local men cope with the challenges of work, family, friends and faith kicks off Friday night at Hank Aaron Stadium.

The men’s weekend event, called “Man Up: How God Makes Man,” features author Patrick Morley, Alabama Crimson Tide football legend Jeremiah Castille, and local pastor Reverend Leon Bell Jr. The event will consist of examples of every man. lives to help inspire others.

Tim Smith, an event planner, said the whole idea started a few months ago with a group of eight men meeting to discuss Morley’s book ‘How God Makes Man’.

“We called ourselves the Big Eight because there were eight of us,” Smith said. “Pat has a God-given ability to discern the issues that cause men to itch. Pat has a unique understanding of how to deal with itchiness.

The event, which requires a $20 entry fee and includes a copy of the book, a meal and a snack, aims to encourage, inspire and challenge men, Morley said.

“There are several pain points for men these days,” he said. “They include career, marriage and how to be a parent.”

In addition to these pressures, adult men in their 20s and 30s need companions and friends and these can be hard to come by, Morley said.

“So many guys have childhood injuries for various reasons,” he said. “They have reasons why they feel isolated.”

Morley has served thousands of times and wants to help men express what is going on inside them. In his book, Morley uses examples from a number of biblical characters to help illustrate his point.

Bell, pastor of St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church, said Morley’s book resonated with him because he understood that by God, no part of your life is wasted.

“The good, the bad or the ugly. God can use it to push in a better direction,” he said.

Bell said it relates not only to the book, but also to Morley’s ministry.

“I was this young father, newly married with children, who managed to fail everything,” he said.

In addition to Morley and Bell, Castille will also talk about her experiences in life.

“I will speak from my own personal testimonies,” he said. “I will look at the scriptures of Romans on the power of the Gospels.”

Castile said he wants to focus on the power of the principles of biblical characters.

“For me, these are Christ-like characters that helped build a foundation in my life,” he said.