TIFTON — A local minister and author was arrested Thursday for possession of crack cocaine.

David Glen Piper, 41, of Tifton, was arrested Thursday at AAA Mini Storage on Whiddon Mill Road.

Piper, a Christian minister and author of the book “From Broken to Blessed,” has had a history of substance abuse problems and made them in part the basis of his ministry, according to his David Piper Ministries Web site.

Around 2:15 p.m. Thursday, the Tift County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a suspicious person at AAA Mini Storage. When deputies responded, they reportedly found Piper there and found crack cocaine in his possession.

He was arrested and booked into the Tift County Law Enforcement Center.

Information on the Web site said that Piper was addicted to drugs and alcohol for 17 1/2 years before being called to the ministry. He became a full-time minister in 1999, and the Web site said he had visited 32 states and many foreign countries. He had also been a speaker at many local churches and religious organizations.

David Piper Ministries could not be reached for comment.