Brian Warth grew up in gangs and saw one older brother survive being shot while another was gunned down in his teens. Despite this, he followed in their footsteps and, at the age of 16, was tried as an adult and sent to prison for the murder of a rival gang member.

Warth says he was saved, born again, while in prison. Paroled by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, he eventually started Chapel of Change church, where he openly speaks of his own failings. Chapel of Change now has six campuses across the state, including ones in Paramount, Compton, Carson, Whittier and Long Beach.

Warth has been growing his congregation for 11 years and is the author of Young Man Arise! Though he regularly preaches about owning one’s shortcomings as well as the redemptive powers of forgiveness, not everyone in the family of the murder victim has forgiven Warth. Still, he says, two of the man’s sisters sometimes attend services at Chapel of Change.