GA ‘Pastor’ Arrested, Charged for Imprisoning Eight People in Basement

When approached by a local TV station Tuesday, Curtis Bankston didn’t talk on camera but confirmed he is the pastor of One Step of Faith Ministries Inc. The organization’s website states: “We are one of the most notable family-oriented churches in the city that works to bring people closer to one another in love and unity.”

Neighbors had been “concerned and curious” about the Bankston property, according to media reports. Kim Brooks describes being “surprised” and “heartbroken” that something like that would happen “so close to our home” and “not to be aware of it.” She adds, “You could tell there were more people there than probably should be there, just based on the amount of trash there every week.”

Brooks recounts once being approached by a man using a walker who seemed lost. When she helped him get over to the Bankston property, he indicated he had to enter via a back door. “It makes me sad that he could have been in a situation where he wasn’t being taken care of,” she says.