Skip navigation

Stackhouse gives mom house ... of God

Mavericks guard pays to refurbish church for preacher mother

Slideshow
Sprite Slam Dunk Contest
  Who's hot on Twitter?
Check out which of your favorite athletes have the best pages and most followers!

NBCSports.com

Slideshow
  Dancers from around the league
Check out some of the dancers from the NBA.

more photos

Video: NBA from NBC Sports
Ron Artest Press Conference
NBAE/Getty Images
Artest officially a Laker
July 9: Ron Artest says even though he feels like he's the best, he still needs a ring.

updated 11:05 p.m. ET Aug. 27, 2006

KINSTON, N.C. - Young athletes who make it big often share their success by buying their parents a car or a house.

Dallas Mavericks guard Jerry Stackhouse did much the same. Only the house he gave his mother was a house of worship.

The Stackhouse family came together Sunday in their hometown for the dedication of the House of Hope Free Will Baptist Church, which the three-time NBA All-Star paid to refurbish for its pastor — his mother, Minnie.

Story continues below ↓
advertisement | your ad here

"She has been dedicated to serving the community as long as I can remember," Stackhouse said. "That's more than 30 years."

The building, which formerly housed a different church, replaces one that Minnie Stackhouse ran in a different neighborhood of Kinston. Her new parish is located closer to the people she hopes her ministry will reach.

"This is a special day for this church and my mother," Jerry Stackhouse said. "She now has a place where she feels she can best manage her programs and best serve the community."

The church has actually been active for some time, holding its first service in November and a Thanksgiving feast two weeks later for people in need.

Slide show
Image: Johnny Magallon, Jorge Luis Garces
  The Week in Sports Pictures
  Manny messes up, the Tour takes off to Spain, Nomar returns and more.

more photos

More than 300 people attended Sunday's dedication.

"I'm just overwhelmed by all of this," Minnie Stackhouse said after the service. "It is just so overwhelming when God blesses something you so strongly desire.

"I don't know what the future here will be," she added. "But God does."

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Sponsored links