- Well, welcome
to "The 700 Club."

Victims of sex trafficking
suffer from trauma

long after they're set
free from the industry.

- In Tennessee, trafficking
increased more than 30%

in recent years, so now
there are a growing number

of victims who need help.

Charlene Aaron
visited one ministry

that's providing much needed
healing for a fresh start.

(logo swooshing)

- Rest Stop Ministries
here in Lebanon, Tennessee

is dedicated to restoring
women who have been trafficked.

It offers a long-term
trauma recovery program,

as well as educational and
job training opportunities

in an effort to
help victims heal.

- It started when I
was three actually.

- [Charlene] Galia Ahava
Meira's own grandfather

took that step by
selling her for sex

to his fellow
members of the KKK.

- That went on up
until he passed away

when I was almost seven.

- [Charlene] That trauma then
led to a lonely life of drug

and alcohol abuse.

- Actually, had been on
life support for nine days

due to an overdose, and no
one came to the hospital

to see me.

No one in my family at all.

When I woke up after they
had taken the machines off,

there was a social
worker there from CPS,

and that is how I got out.

I got put in foster care.

- [Charlene] After aging
out of foster care,

Galia hoped marriage
might provide a new start.

Sadly, her husband
continued the exploitation

and even became her pimp.

- He actually would sleep
with a pistol under my pillow

with his finger on the trigger.

For me to just be able
to reach out to someone

and say this is happening
wasn't possible.

- [Charlene] Her
breakthrough came

during a secret Skype call
with a trauma counselor

who told Galia about
Rest Stop Ministries,

Tennessee's first
long-term program

for female sex
trafficking victims.

- They partnered
with another agency

and sent a rescue team to Ohio

to get me out of that situation.

- These women come to
us, broken body, mind,

soul, and spirit.

We have, you know, a, a
trauma-focused therapist,

and we have clinical
case managers

creating comprehensive
healing plans

that help these women deal

with whatever they
need to deal with

to be completely rehabilitated,
made whole in Christ.

- [Charlene] Founder and
executive director Rondy Smith

explains the ministry's
holistic approach.

- We tell these women when
they come through the door,

your life has been hard,

but the bravest thing
you've ever done

is walk through these doors,

and the healing journey is
going to be just as hard.

And if you'll come
and just focus

on doing the very
hard work of healing,

we're gonna take care
of your every need.

- [Charlene] Part
of that healing

includes a nine-month curriculum

called Good Hope Farms
that provides education

and employment opportunities.

- They are learning job
skills, paid hands-on.

They're being paid to learn

because they need to be
ready when they transition

and when they start
working and earning.

And it boosts their self-esteem

and they realize
there is hope for me

to transform my life.

- [Charlene] Hope came in
the form of the opportunity

to purchase a 25-acre property

that would allow
the growing ministry

to turn evil into good.

- We have seen in our eight
and a half years being open

57 souls who have come through.

And you might say, well, that
doesn't sound a like a lot

for eight years.

Remember, they can stay
here two full years.

So many of them now are
living independently.

For the very first time, they
get their driver's license

for the first time
when they're here.

We had a resident who
came here with no teeth

because her pimp had
knocked them out with a bat,

and she got a new smile.

- [Charlene] Due to
this type of trauma,

the ministry must take
care in its approach

to sharing the gospel.

And Smith says, testimonies
of lives changed

are especially gratifying.

- We have a group
of women right now,

they've claimed a
church here in town.

They go together as a community.

They love it.

They are on fire.

They would all testify to you

if you could talk to
each one of them today

that they know that God
has been their answer.

- [Charlene] That
includes Galia,

whose name in Hebrew
means beloved,
redeemed, shining light.

Since completing the program,

she helps others at a
short-term rehab facility

in Nashville.

- Everyone at rest
office walked beside me.

When I was struggling, they
were my legs so I could stand

and they would hold me up
till I could walk on my own.

Watching my clients come
in broken and hopeless

and helpless to
the day they leave

and watching that transformation

is one of the
greatest blessings.

- [Charlene] A transformation
she hopes to provide

to other survivors.

- There is love out there
at the love of Jesus

and those people
He put in the path.

You don't have to do it alone.

There's hope, there's
healing, there's freedom.

- [Charlene] Charlene Aaron,
CBN News, Lebanon, Tennessee.

- Let me echo what was on
that slide above her head.

Let us stop shooting
the wounded.

In sex trafficking, there
are absolute victims

and anyone who has been
trafficked is a victim.

As a culture, as Christians,
we should reach out with love

and compassion to let 'em know
God has a much different plan

for you.

You can be delivered from this

and you can have
a life once again.

- Chicago has long been
one of the worst examples

of gun violence in
American cities,

much of it has taken place
on the city's south side.

A Christian couple is
now working in that area

to build relationships
with young people.

CBN's Paul Petitte shows how
their ministry is using flowers

to bring hope to at-risk youth.

(logo swooshing)

- [Paul] In 2023,

the city's 617
homicides led the nation

for the 12th straight year.

Often caught on the
crossfire, younger Chicagoans.

- So what you have are youth

who might not be seen
past their 18th birthday,

might be struggling
staying engaged in a school

or work program.

- [Paul] In one of
the more violent

poverty stricken areas,
something is being cultivated

to change that, a flower
shop called Southside Blooms.

- So this is a faith
inspired project.

You know, when I came to
Chicago, it was a moment

of me basically taking up
my cross and following him

- [Paul] That journey led
Quilen and his wife, Hannah,

to open their shop and hire
neighborhood at-risk youth,

like Rashod.

- I do a lot of bad
stuff in the world,

so it make me feel
like I do stuff good.

You know what I'm saying?

We could just balance it out,

make me feel like I'm a
good person, you know,

to help other people
instead of myself.

(water glugging)

- [Paul] Southside
Blooms is a nonprofit,

supported by the county's gun
violence and prevention grant.

Many of the staff here grew up

around the worst
society has to offer.

- There's high violence, high
crime, a lot of urban blight,

lot of gang activity.

You know, just trying
to get to school

can be a dangerous endeavor.

- [Paul] Through their efforts,

not only are Quilen and Hannah
training future florists,

they're planting seeds of
hope and accomplishment.

- I go on events and
then I see some I made.

I say, oh, I made that.

- They're competing
against the best.

Like this isn't just, you
know, doing flowers, you know,

for, you know, your
grandma or for prom.

We are at some of the most
exclusive venues in Chicago,

at the Field Museum.

We're at McCormick, we're
at the Hyatt, the Hilton.

- And Southside Blooms doesn't
just arrange flowers here,

they grow flowers here.

In fact, they have six
flower farms just like this

spread out all over
southwest Chicago,

turning an empty lot
into a field of beauty,

which often turns into
a field of dreams.

- It's a dream, man.

It's a dream, you know.

It's meaningful.

It's community and
it's helping people.

You know, you
couldn't ask for more.

- It's really the
reason that we're here

and the reason that we, you
know, are, you know, wanting

to create opportunities for them

is really because we
believe that God loves them

and we want them to
experience it in a real way

and know that God is
real and He is with them.

- Many of our youth, you know,

people outside our community
have written them off

and wouldn't expect, you
know, that much from them.

But, you know, like our ministry

and our work is
really an example

that no life is unimportant,
no life is trash.

- [Paul] Although
numbers remain high,

homicides here have been
declining since the pandemic.

Many city and county
authorities credit programs

like Southside Blooms
as one of the reasons.

- And what you have with
Quilen and Southside Blooms

is an organization specifically
committed to neighborhoods

where young people who
have all sorts of potential

just need the opportunity.

They need the positive
adults around them.

- [Paul] Whether it's
sharing a timely scripture

or encouraging an employee
with dreams of medical school,

Hannah and Quilen
arranged Southside blooms

to grow inspiration

and a part of Chicago
steeped in desperation.

That's why their slogan is
empowering lives with flowers.

- The reason why we
picked that slogan

is because, you know,
of all the problems

that we're facing in
Chicago, you wouldn't think

that something as humble as
a flower could be the key

to empowering people
to change that.

And I really just
think it's a great way

to really show how God
can use literally anything

and the most unlikely things

to solve some of the greatest
problems of our time.

- [Paul] In Chicago,
Paul Petitte, CBN News.

- Well, let the lilies bloom.

I like to remind people we
were created for gardens.

And when you get in nature,

when you get into
blooming nature

and it just is so
restful for your soul.

What a wonderful thing to do.

What a wonderful
way to bring hope

to a desperate and
hurting neighborhood.

Congratulations,
that's a God idea.

Let's create a garden.

- Yeah, don't you love hearing
those young people themselves

able to express how
this has changed

the way they
self-perceive, you know?

- Yeah.

Yeah, I wanna be a
good guy and just-

- Yes. I can do this.

Love it.

- What a great message
for the entire world.

- Absolutely.

- Maggie Swanson
is an iron woman.

She's a top finisher of
three grueling triathlons.

It's an incredible
feat for anyone.

For Maggie,
downright miraculous,

because a few years ago,
Maggie was in a coma

in the ICU fighting
for her life.

(gentle somber music)

- [Narrator] Exchange
student, Maggie Swanson,

always loved her morning runs

through the streets
of Seville, Spain.

This one almost
cost her her life.

Maggie was crossing a street

when a bus traveling 37
miles per hour hit her,

throwing her 80 feet.

Seven hours later and over
4,000 miles away in Minnesota,

Tad Weese got the
phone call at work

that his 19-year-old
daughter was in the hospital

fighting for her life.

- Our life just got
turned upside down

in a matter of moments
with one phone call.

- [Narrator] Tad immediately
called his wife, Wendy.

- It was almost like an
out of body experience.

Packed the bags, grabbed
the passports, made my way

to Tad's office, picked
him up, got to the airport,

and I know that that
was the Holy Spirit

that was guiding me.

- [Narrator] Wendy and Tad
say despite full flights,

God paved the way for them
to get last minute tickets

to Spain.

They spent most of
the journey praying.

- Praying to God
during that time

was probably the only thing
that we felt we could do

that made a difference.

- Maggie was a believer
in Jesus Christ,

and if the Lord chose
not to save her life,

we knew that she
would go to heaven.

(gentle somber music)

- [Narrator] In Seville,
they rushed to the hospital

where they found
Maggie in the ICU

in a medically induced coma.

It had been 25 hours
since the accident.

- We were in shock.

Due to all the swelling
from the accident,

it just didn't even
look like Maggie.

- Those first moments
of seeing Maggie.

We just knew we had a
long battle ahead of us.

- [Narrator] Through
translators, they learned

that Maggie suffered a
traumatic brain injury,

pelvic fracture,
and broken ribs.

Their main concern

was the possibility
of her brain swelling.

The first 72 hours
were critical.

- They never told us
that she would live

or that they had assurance
that she would live,

and so we went through the
first four days wondering

at any moment whether or not
we would hear from the hospital

that she had taken
a turn for the worse

and we would be called
in to say goodbye to her.

- [Narrator] Now, it
was a waiting game.

Tad and Wendy spent
every moment they could

at Maggie's bedside.

After a week, Maggie was
stable enough for surgery

to repair her fractured pelvis.

While doctors assured
them Maggie would live,

they couldn't predict what
her future would hold.

- What if she is no longer
able to speak clearly

or hold a job?

Or would she be
able to be an adult

who is able to earn an
income and get married

and have a family?

All of those thoughts
raced through your mind.

- [Narrator] By then, Tad had
set up a CaringBridge page

to post updates on Maggie.

Prayers and encouragement
came pouring in.

- People that came alongside
of us were such a part

of this story and such a big
part of Maggie's recovery

and we just can't
thank them enough.

- [Narrator] By the
end of three weeks,

Maggie had been
brought out of her coma

and was stable
enough to fly home.

Psychiatrist and brain
trauma specialist,

Dr. Bob Sevenich,
was on the team

that took over Maggie's
care in Minneapolis.

- When I first saw her, she
was quite cognitively impaired.

She was semi-awake

and she was answering yes,
no questions inconsistently,

even fairly simple questions.

People that have
traumatic brain injuries

often have ongoing difficulties
with walking, with moving,

with coordination, all
those sorts of things.

- [Narrator] However, Maggie
would begin defying the odds,

making great strides
in physical therapy.

And on August 7th, she
was up and walking.

- She stood up out
of that wheelchair

and we walked her
out of the hospital

and it was just the
most beautiful thing.

- It felt so freeing to walk

after I've been sitting
around for months.

- [Narrator] Although she
was improving physically,

Maggie's emotional and
mental healing took longer.

- I just couldn't join my
friends with a lot of things

and I found that that was very
isolating and very confusing.

That led to me asking
God a lot of questions

of why is this happening to me?

Why am I alone?

It was a very isolating time.

I was wondering why God had
taken my running, my academics,

my social life, my ability
to really do anything,

to be a normal student.

Romans 8:28 was a real
encouragement during this time.

God works all things for the
good of those who love Him,

who are called
according to His will.

- [Narrator] Those
words would come true,

that fall with therapy, hard
work, and a lot of prayer.

Maggie returned to college
and was soon running again.

A year after the accident,
Maggie was back in Spain

as an exchange student.

In May of 2016, she graduated
from college on time.

- The accident was quite severe

and I think it surprised
a lot of the providers,

the medical professionals,
both in Spain and here,

how rapid her recovery was

and how well she did
considering the injuries

that she sustained.

- [Narrator] Married in 2019,

Maggie went on to
accomplish even more.

Since then, she has competed
in three Ironman triathlons.

In 2023, she placed
100 out of 2,000 women.

As in everything, she
gives God the glory.

- It's just amazing what
God has done in her life.

How she can use her story
to help others learn

about Jesus and about God
and how he can take the worst

of events and turn them
into incredible blessings.

- Be in the word, know the
Lord Jesus in such a way

that you can stand on
his foundation of truth

when the storm comes.

- I'm grateful that
the accident happened

and that He did turn what
was initially meant for evil

to something beautiful.

And all the things
that happened to me,

God did mean it for good

and God brought so
much good from it.

Keep the faith that
God is with you

and that God wants
the best for you.

(bright music)

- All things work
together for good

for those who are called
according to His purposes.

Those are not just words on
a page, that's a promise.

That's a promise from God to us.

A promise from God to you.

He takes the worst of things.

And if we'll give them to
Him, he turns them around.

The Bible says He gives
us beauty for ashes,

the oil of joy for mourning,
a garment of praise

for a spirit of heaviness.

In this scenario,

I mean, I think you could
say Maggie got her life back.

Maggie got her life back under
the most extreme conditions

that would have robbed her
of everything she knew,

everything that made
life legit for her.

God knows your need right now.

You know, one of the
things that her parents did

that I think is so important
is they didn't wait

for signs of things
to turn around.

They got into the word, they
declared they were the word,

they prayed the word over her.

They spent every moment
they could with her

reaffirming who God is, what
he said, and who we are in Him.

We're His kids.

We have legacy with Him.

We have connection with Him.

He sees us.

He knows us.

And we wanna take some
time to pray for you today.

Everybody has something
that they would like

or even asking God
to do for them.

God knows what's best for you.

That's the crux
in the whole thing

is are you willing to
surrender it to Him

if the outcome isn't
what you want it to be,

because He knows
you, He loves you,

He sees your tomorrow
even when you cannot.

We wanna pray together for
God's kingdom purposes today,

for all of us.

This is first of all a
answer to prayer from Angela.

She had inflammation
and pain in her knee

for an entire year.

Nothing she tried
brought relief.

And then Gordon, you prayed,
someone's laying your hands

on your right knee.

God has heard your cry.

He's able to take away
all the pain right now.

Just receive it in Jesus' name.

Angela exercised
her faith in God

and she was totally healed.

- Well, here's a tremendous
miracle from Susan

in the late 1980s,
so a long time ago.

I was in a car accident.

Since then, I've struggled
with chronic back pain.

If you know anyone
with chronic back pain,

you know how horrible that is.

The doctor said he was surprised
I was even able to walk.

Well, watching "The 700 Club",

Terry prayed for someone
injured in a car accident,

I immediately knew the
prayers were for me.

The pain left my spine.

All I could feel was love.

Thank you, Jesus.

Isn't that wonderful?

All you can feel is love.

For anyone, you
know, like Maggie,

you've been in an accident

and it's okay to pour out your
complaint before the Lord,

but, you know, in that, realize
all things do work together

for good.

Now, for Maggie,

I would say God didn't
take those things from you,

the bus did.

In God's creation, time,
chance happened to us all.

So there was a decision to run.

There was a decision
to drive the bus.

There were all these decisions

that God didn't
make, people made.

And accidents happen
in God's universe.

But here's the great news.

In that accident, he is able
to work all things together

for your good.

Isn't that wonderful?

That's the great promise.

That's the great promise.

Don't blame the healer.

Look to the healer
for the answer.

Look to how he's working
all things together

for your good.

And for Maggie, what a
great persevering story.

You say it was so great
to get up and walk.

You know, okay, it's so
great to get up and run.

It's so great to get
up and ride a bike.

It's so great to
do all these things

because God is working all
things together for my good.

Let that same resolution be
deep within you right now,

that we are going
to look to Him,

the author and the
finisher of our faith.

We're gonna look to the healer,

not the causer of the problem.

He's not that.

He is the solution, the
answer to every human problem.

When we look to him
with that attitude,

we get everything
that He's promised.

So let's pray right now.

Lord, God Almighty,
we come to You

and we come to You know
that You want to shower us

with Your love.

You want to just
baptize us in that.

And so Lord, we just turn
now from every complaint.

We turn now from every
pain, every disease,

every symptoms, we
turn from all of that,

and we look to you for
you are the answer.

You are the author and
the finisher of our faith.

We look to you and
we look to heaven

and the finished
work of the cross

and we say, may your will
be done in our bodies

as it is in heaven.

Stretch forth your
hand to heal now

for we ask it in Jesus' name.

There's someone,
you've had a fall,

you've got deep pain
in your right shoulder.

God is retting that together.

He's able to take all of
that trauma off of you.

Take all of that pain that's
lifting off of you right now.

In the name of Jesus, do
what you couldn't do before

and receive your healing.

Terry.

- Yeah, there's someone, you
have an arthritic condition

a not just your foot
but your ankle as well.

It's not from an accident,
it's just begun in your life,

but it's actually
deforming your foot

and the way you walk and
it's quite painful as well.

God's healing you
from that right now.

You're just gonna see
it slowly revert back

to its normal state
in Jesus' name.

- There's somebody who've
got pain in your right jaw

and it's an inflammation
in the gums.

And you're not
even praying for it

and you're saying
what He's saying that.

In Jesus' name,
made that infection,

all of that gum irritation,

all of the pressure
in your right jaw,

may it leave you right now
and be healed in Jesus' name.

- Yeah.

And there's a young woman,
you're watching this program.

You have a chronic acne problem

and it's not just frustrating
to you, it's embarrassing.

God is clearing that for you,

just like changing the chemistry

and the makeup of
what's causing that

and it's gonna clear
up in Jesus' name.

- Someone you've got a torn
retina in your left eye

and the treatment program
that's been prescribed

for you is just
terrifying for you

and God has heard your cry.

He's able to
restore your retina.

He is able to heal that tear.

Go back and get rechecked.

God has done an amazing
miracle for you right now.

In Jesus name.

Lord, we thank you for
You are the healer.

You are the answer.

You are the solution to
every one of our problems.

We look to You and and we
thank You for Your promise

and Your love towards us.

Be with us now for we
ask it in Jesus name.

Amen and amen.

If you've been
healed, let us know.

Let us share in
your good report.

And if you need prayer,
we're here for you.

We are here 24 hours a
day, seven days a week.

It's our honor, our
privilege to pray with you.

So call us 1-800-700-7000.

- Hannah and Emmaus have been
go-getters from an early age,

both started their own companies

while they were still teenagers.

They work hard and have
tons of technical know-how.

Still, they're quick to say

that's not the reason
for their success.

Instead, they give
all the credit to God.

- [Narrator] 22-year-old
Emmaus Vanderbilt

owns Silver Fox Productions,

a video production company
located in North Carolina.

His wife, Hannah, owns

and operates her own cleaning
company, Joyful Cleaning.

From the beginning, they
made tithing a priority.

- I credit that to my parents.

They've always
modeled that for me.

God just gets the first 10%.

- I want to honor
God as best as I can.

And so from that first
job when I was 14,

ever since I've just always
taught 10% of what I made

and it's just been a habit
that I'm joyful to do.

- [Narrator] Emmaus has
learned valuable lessons

about finances.

At 18, his income had
grown to six figures

as a startup video business
shooting destination weddings.

- I just believe there were
different times in my life

where I slipped and I said
that this is something

that I've been able to do.

Look what I did.

I won't ever say that I totally
cut God out of the equation

'cause I still tithe on it.

I thank the Lord for it.

But what I realized was that
no, the Lord was the one

who put the breath in
my lungs this morning.

The Lord was the one who
provided these opportunities

and God has just allowed
me to manage this money.

God's just allowed me to
manage this video project.

- [Narrator] When
COVID hit in 2020,

Emmaus experienced
God's faithfulness

as his business
weathered the storm.

- Some people, they
were dropping by 50%
of their weddings,

60% of their shoots,

and just the Lord
continued providing

even whenever a few
weddings canceled.

We saw the 85 to 90% of
our weddings still hire us.

And even for those 10%
that had to cancel,

we had local government
organizations reach out

and ask us to phone
videos for them,

different corporate groups
and we never went without.

I totally attribute
tithing to the fact

that we stayed safe
during that storm.

- [Narrator] Soon after he met
and married Hannah in 2021,

she became co-owner of
the production company.

And in 2022, she started her
in-home cleaning business.

The couple then got
serious about debt.

She had school loans and
they both had car payments,

which in all totaled $90,000.

They began paying it
off working long hours,

tithing the whole time, and
their businesses thrived.

- There's no other answer,
but the Lord did that.

Having a month where
we're having less weddings

but more cleaning clients.

So it all balances out

and the only answer
for it is God.

He's the one providing it all

- [Narrator] Today,
they are debt-free.

Looking back on all God
has accomplished this year,

the couple is grateful
for their two businesses

growing at a rate of 40%

and many more opportunities
awaiting them.

- And whenever we don't have
debt, we don't have payments,

we have more money to invest,
save, and ultimately give.

We could be more generous.

- [Narrator] Emmaus and
Hannah say it all starts

with generosity.

- The Lord provided for us.

It says in Malachi 3:10,
the only time in the Bible

that we can test
God in something,

and it's in tithes
and offerings.

And God just completely
overflowed our storehouses.

- I say when you give 10%
that God's gonna bless you

because you're obeying Him

and you're doing
what His word says.

(bright music ends)

- When you give, He gives back,

And that's the word
from Jesus, give,

and it'll be given unto you.

And then he adds, it'll be
heaped up, pressed down,

running over, will be
poured into your lap,

but you have to
recognize it's from Him

and it is all from Him.

Your talent, your ability.

Deuteronomy is quite specific.

It's God who gives you
the power to get wealth.

So when you honor him
with your first fruit,

you honor Him with your
tithes and offerings,

you get even more wonderful
blessings from Him.

Just imagine living a life

where you know that
God has your future.

He's protecting you.

He's watching over you.

He's going to rebuke the
devourer for your sake.

He is going to open
the windows of heaven

and pour out blessings.

This isn't a get
rich quick thing,

but it is a way to
live life securely,

knowing you're in
the will of God.

When you do that,
wonderful things happen.

If you wanna start a
life of tithing, again,

this isn't an on
again, off again thing.

This is can you be consistent?

Give us a call, 1-800-700-7000

and say, I wanna
join the 700 club.

It's just $20 a
month, 65 cents a day.

When you call, ask
for Pledge Express

or you can go to cbn.com.

When you join monthly
on the internet,

you automatically sign
up for Pledge Express

and we'll send you
monthly teaching CDs

or downloads your choice.

But do it now.

1-800-700-7000.

Terry.

- Dale Sutherland would
go from a drug bust

to a youth group
often in the same day.

For years, he put
his life on the line

as an undercover
narcotics officer.

And after he busted
the bad guys,

he made sure they knew
he was also a pastor.

(foreboding music)

- [Narrator] For 12 years,
DC native, Dale Sutherland,

lived a double life.

During the day, he was a
youth pastor at his church.

At night, he was putting
his life on the line

as an undercover
narcotics police officer.

- So I would be
pastoring during the day.

And then during the day, I'd
be in the office counseling,

working.

And then in the evening,

I'd go to the police
department and come in

and, you know, buy drugs
and arrest bad guys.

- [Narrator] The job required
Dale to immerse himself

in the dark, dangerous
underworld of inner city crime.

He found walking the line

between duty and faith
often challenging.

- It was especially difficult
for me to have both jobs

and to walk with the Lord.

I was a pimp for a while

and I was introduced as a
pimp, so I had these girls

around me all the time
and I would be able to try

to convince guys to trust me

because they could sell drugs
to me 'cause I was a pimp.

I was in another kind of role.

I was doing that and I
was at the same time,

preaching on holiness at church

and trying to keep myself
holy at the same time,

which is always a challenge.

- [Narrator] In
his early twenties,

Dale felt the call to
minister to urban youth.

However, growing in a
Christian home within a safe

and secure neighborhood, Dale
didn't have much experience

with life on the streets.

So after a few years
in Bible college,

he enrolled in the
Washington DC Police Academy.

- I wanted to be a policeman

'cause I figured I could
get to know the street,

maybe understand people better

and I'd have a better testimony.

- [Narrator] The plan
was to work on the force

for a few years, then moving
to full-time ministry.

That would change.

Shortly after graduating
the police academy,

Dale worked his first
undercover case.

Not only did it
lead to an arrest,

it gave Dale a new
perspective on his work

as an officer and his faith.

- I constantly knew this was
sin, it was ruining their life

and the lives of others.

And so there was a
big picture thing here

and each individual mattered.

So when I got a drug dealer,

I was keeping him from
hurting all the families

and everything else that
he was selling drugs to.

So I saw it as related
to my faith as well.

- [Narrator] So he
stayed with the force.

In the coming years, Dale would
arrest hundreds of criminals

and every so often, he'd
share the gospel with them.

Then in 1993, he and an
informant showed up late

to a drug deal.

- One day, I think it was
about our seventh purchase

from these guys, I pulled up.

We were supposed to meet
about 45 minutes earlier.

He got out of the car
to go find the guys

and then after he
had out of the car,

they ended up killing him.

Planned, we later found out...

I mean, it was in
Washington Post,

that they had planned
to kill both of us

had we been on time

because they thought I
was an informant as well.

You realize the mortality
and him and feeling terrible

and wanting another chance to
talk to him about the Lord.

- [Narrator] Dale then
decided he wasn't going

to miss another
opportunity to be sure

that he shared the
love of Christ.

- I could control
the body, you know,

I could put 'em in a cell block,

but I couldn't change a heart.

The truth is whether it's
a drug dealer, prostitute,

a victim, a criminal, a
murderer, I've met 'em all.

I've talked to all of 'em
for long periods of time.

And the truth is
they need Christ

and they are very
open to the gospel

if people would
just talk to 'em.

- [Narrator] While
many he arrested would
reject his message

of hope, others would ultimately
find faith in Jesus Christ.

One was Javier, a
former drug dealer.

- I wanted to get out of there.

I start, God, I don't
wanna do this no more.

I don't want to
die selling drugs.

And then like after like
three months, I get arrested

and it's how I met Dale,
this guy from narcotics.

He started telling
me about Jesus

and then everything in
my life started changing.

We got to be good friends

and we even do
ministry together now.

- [Narrator] After 12 years
of working undercover,

Dale would get the opportunity

to become a full-time
youth pastor.

For 12 years, he
balanced both jobs.

- The Wednesday night, I'd
go speak at the youth group.

At Wednesday, I'd
make an arrest.

And so I'd drive
right over to church

and I'd tell him
about the arrest,

tell 'em how it
relates to something
hopefully in their life

to help 'em understand
the word of God better.

- [Narrator] After 22 years
on the force, Dale retired.

Today, he's an associate
pastor at his local church

in Washington, DC
where he became known

as the undercover pastor.

He's also the founder of Code
3, a nonprofit organization

that provides training and
programs to police and citizens

so they can work
together to build safer,

more connected communities.

His goal of sharing the
gospel remains the same.

- I need to preach the
gospel is what matters,

is what really matters.

The only thing that matters is
that I can reach more people

for Christ, for eternity.

So that's why now I say
we used to lock people up

and now we're trying
to set people free.

- You know, when God
calls you to something,

He equips you for whatever
it is He's asking you to do.

Trust Him with your
life and listen

because He's got
purpose in the call.

Gordon.

- Well, here's a
word from Psalm 71.

"My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praise to you.

I whom you have delivered."

May your lips sing
praise to God today.

God bless you.