The Perfect Need Not Apply

None of us are perfect and we’d be the first to admit that. We remember that when it comes to other people, we will extend a second chance when someone else makes a mistake. Unfortunately, that is not always the case when it comes to those who have been incarcerated. Upon release, people who have been incarcerated are seen to have a scarlet letter “F” that is always associated with them the rest of their days. They are treated with some amount of suspicion even though they have paid their debt to society. It’s not fair but it’s reality.

Some people think that means they aren’t suitable for ministry either. What value can a criminal have in serving God? As it turns out, a lot.

One of the most important people of the Old Testament is a man named Moses. You know Moses… led God’s people out of Egypt, brought down the Ten Commandments from the mountaintop, led the Israelites to the precipice of the promised land. You know, Moses… the murderer.

People tend to forget or ignore that Moses committed murder, killing an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave. It’s easy to claim that Moses was coming to another’s aid but a murderer is a murderer. And, yet, God chose Him to lead His people inside and outside of Egypt.

We have tricked ourselves into thinking that people of faith, people who undertake ministries must be a special kind of good, that God can only use those who have not done wrong to free others from lives of sin.

But there is only one person who walked this earth who was perfect and that’s Jesus. The rest of us? Not so much.

Tony’s powerful testimony as to how God freed him from his sin but not until Tony’s choices over the years had led him to a life that was in and out of correctional facilities. What God saw in Tony – what He sees in all of us – is a child who went astray but is only momentarily lost.

God loves reclamation because a heart that is ready to be reclaimed is one that recognizes our choices have led us to a place God can lead us out of if we put our faith, trust, and hope in Him. That is exactly what God did for Tony.

Tony went on to begin his ministry inside the walls of the prison system for those who were like him and made choices that led to incarceration. When Tony and I met, it was clear to the both of us that God had a plan. Within less than a year, the ministry God had entrusted to Tony began to gain momentum and grew because others saw what God was doing through us and wanted to be part of God’s reclamation of souls in captivity, inside and outside of the four walls.

And that led to the next part of Tony’s journey – Redemption.

Now, it’s important to note that Tony had served his time and didn’t owe anything to anyone. He paid his debt to society in full. Tony saw he had a role in making a better society by helping people like himself. Tony had experienced what God did for him and that included his blindfold being lifted and being allowed to see his life – and God’s role in it – even more clearly. Tony knew that his road to redemption was helping be a modern-day Moses in leading inmates in this area out of captivity, the captivity of sin that imprisons us whether we’ve served a day in prison or not.

This has led to another road in Tony’s journey – Restoration.

God had restored Tony while he was incarcerated but Tony longed for a clean slate in the eyes of his community. The first of December, Tony petitioned then-Governor Matt Bevin of Kentucky for a full pardon.

We want to make clear that this pardon was not sought because Tony was innocent of what he was charged with or was not taking responsibility for his previous actions. Tony sought the full pardon because the burden of the parole system made on our ministry efforts.

Tony told the Governor that if the burden of constant permission from the parole system were lifted, he could freely reach out to individuals or groups that are part of the prison or parole system and bring them to church, provide them with resources, or visit them during times of crisis.

Furthermore, he did not want to engage in any activity without keeping his parole officer in the loop because he believes it is of utmost importance to be an example to these men and how important it is to be men of integrity and to follow the laws of our land.

What almost brought us to our knees during the pardon process was the outpouring of support of those we had helped through our ministry. We received letter after letter after letter after letter which we forwarded to the Governor of how people’s lives had been changed because of our ministry’s work and because of Tony.

All of us hope we are making a real, lasting difference in people’s lives but when you’re blessed enough to read the accounts of the people who wrote on Tony’s behalf it can almost be overwhelming. And we give our thanks to God for His mercy, grace, and love. Truly, it brings tears as these words are being typed.

Then-Governor Bevin weighed Tony’s words, his actions post-incarceration, and the letters of recommendation from those we have helped and decided to and did actually grant Tony’s full pardon!

We give thanks to the Governor for this pardon that will allow Tony the freedom to do more, to help more people… the relief to not have to jump through hoops and wait for approval to visit and help others – both inside and outside of prison. Tony is now able to travel.

We give thanks to all the people who supported us through letters, encouragement, and prayer and the Lord for His constant provision.

On another front, Tony’s pardon now provides an easier path for the next phase of our ministry as we move forward – securing land.

One of our top priorities for 2020 is obtaining property as well as adequate transportation (two 55-passenger buses) for men who are part of our discipleship program that need a way to get to church, participate in service projects, and attend other DMM (Disciple-Making Movement) Trainings. This property would allow us to build a facility that is more home than transitional house upon release from prison to continue their walk with the Lord, keeping them connected to the movement while learning NEW habits, behaviors, and work ethics.

The men we minister to are in an SAP (Substance Abuse Program) and who struggle with addiction. The facility will give these men an authentic place of transition from incarceration to a setting that will help them continue to grow spiritually, putting Christ first, so they can be furthered discipled before heading out into the free world.

These men need to mature in their walk so they can learn how to live free from addiction through Christ. They are not strong enough when they are released, and Satan is more than ready to snatch them back up. Tony and I have only had these men in our discipleship group for at the most 6 months.

Once they complete the substance abuse program, those that are released… the system throws them back out to the streets with literally nothing, and they are not equipped to deal with the overwhelm of making it on their own. Soon they go right back to what they know, drugs and their old lifestyle.

If we truly want to “break the chains” we need a better way of preparing these men (and women) and we need to create a NEW WAY and not duplicate a broken system.

That’s what God has put on our hearts to do with this property, equip men spiritually and walk with them through a 12 to 18 month process until they are fully prepared to re-entry society to live as law abiding Christians and as a Disciple of Christ.

The fact that Tony has been pardoned now takes away any potential complication that could have arisen due to Tony’s criminal record. Isn’t it amazing that one man’s signature could help be a launching point to the next stage in our ministry’s journey?

Big blessings do come in small packages. This is true for us and it is true for you as well and how you can be a blessing to others.

Big Blessings Come in Small Packages

Each year during the holiday season we hear that good things come in small packages. That doesn’t just mean presents, it means how even the smallest thing can be mighty when it’s used by God. That includes people. Many people who thought they weren’t big enough or strong enough or righteous enough to be used by God were EXACTLY the ones He wanted to use. Tony is certainly a prime example of this.

Tony’s story of what he overcame to become the man of God he is today is a God sighting in and of itself.

What we know to be true is that people can make the same mistake or repeat bad habits or put themselves in bad situations again and again as though they’re a magnet to a refrigerator. These patterns repeat in a seeming never-ending loop that become nets that ensnare and sometimes lead to decisions that lead to incarceration.

That is why our ministry is so vital – we are not only leading people to Jesus but we are helping them recognize the cycle of destruction that rules their lives and then teach them how to break the cycle that leads them down bad roads again and again.

We want to help these men make this transition into society by helping them stay off the street and out of the environment that encourages their addiction.

As you can imagine our efforts need resources to be able to adequately fund the services we provide the incarcerated men we minister to in addition to supporting the men outside of incarceration.

Will you help someone in need break the cycle?

At this juncture, you can be part of the restoration process of those who desperately need it. Not everyone who needs to be restored needs to be pardoned; they may just need a hand up to help them continue on their personal path of re-integrating to a free society.

As we head into this next season of our ministry, we are asking you to partner with us financially to provide help and hope. You may not have a debt to society as the men we minister to do but we are asking you to contribute so that we may have a better society.

Please pray and ask God to guide you in your decision to partner with us in support of our ministry efforts today.