MY STORY

Cletis Keith Reaves Jr. is the 1st born son of my father Cletis Keith Reaves Sr. and Chiquita Michelle Hughes and the oldest of four children in his household. He grew up mainly in the pentecostal church. It was a small church where his mother was the piano player and praise and worship leader.At the age of 5 years old Cletis learned how to play the drums, so he played along with his mother. During his grade school years at the church, he was mainly a drummer, and later on, in early college, he began to play trumpet more and more in church. However, he always longed to play piano. During his early years in college, he struggled to do well because of drugs, alcohol, and bad association. Before long he departed from the Lord and wasn’t involved in church at all. He reached a low point during one fall semester, but his brother, Cal Reaves, invited him to play for a youth group he was starting at church. He played drums initially, but Cal called on him to play piano eventually. During Christmas break, after failing every class for the third time that fall semester, he had an encounter with God on Christmas day. Going into the new year, he began to take the call of my life seriously and he gave up a lot of things cold turkey because he only desired the purpose of God for his life. One night he stayed in this piano practice room on campus and did not leave until he knew how to play “More than anything” by Lamar Campbell. He played it for his brother’s group and realized that God honored his sacrifice during the  worship service. From then, he played seriously and was given opportunities to serve which caused him to grow. He served as Music Director of the Famu Gospel Choir in the 2010 -11 school year. Fast forward, Cletis also served in Germany at the Grafenwoehr/Netzaberg Gospel service at the chapel on a military installation. He later served as a lead worshiper and Assistant Pastor at New Life Christian Center in Vilseck, Germany. He is supported and inspired greatly by his family. His Uncle and Spiritual Mentor, D. Jerome Garrett, also stretched him as a believer and taught him how to feed himself spiritually and to f.l.o.w. (freely love, obey, and worship). Cletis is now married with children and serves as the Pastor of Restoration Love Center in Lawton, OK. He and his wife, Manuella Reaves, are a dynamic worship duo.