Last week, more than 175 police officers and their spouses were challenged to share their faith in Jesus Christ.
“Are we staying committed to our mission, men and women?” asked Dominic Iraldo, a speaker at the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team’s (BG-RRT’s) Law Enforcement Appreciation Retreat in Horseshoe Bay, Texas.
Iraldo, police lieutenant of Whittier Police Department in California, wasn’t questioning whether the officers are still protecting people’s lives. Rather, he was asking if they’re looking out for other people’s souls.
“You’re willing to run into a burning building to save someone’s life physically, but what about spiritually?” continued Iraldo. “Because that death is a whole lot longer. That’s why it’s important to adhere to the mission our Lord and Savior gives to us.”
Retired Los Angeles officers Sheila Porter and Yolland Pollard-Bowie listened attentively in the audience. It was their first time attending a Law Enforcement Appreciation Retreat, designed to address the emotional and spiritual needs of law enforcement officers and their families.
The close friends understand what it’s like to be on mission and prioritize sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Among their 30-plus years of extensive law enforcement experience was a 12-year stint in transportation together. The two women would start their bus routes at 4 or 5 o’clock in the morning, taking inmates to their court cases.
“There are 48 inmates on chains in buses and we would just play Gospel music,” Pollard-Bowie recalled. “We lived our life [in a way] that they knew we were believers.”
Because inmates recognized their drivers were Christians, sometimes they would request, “Pray for me!” as they exited the bus.
“We were just trying to be obedient and do our job with respect and give them Jesus anytime we could because they needed it,” explained Porter, who helps with a homeless outreach to stay engaged with her community in retirement.
Porter said of all the people she has shared Jesus with, law enforcement officers have been the toughest to reach.
“Law enforcement officers are hard. They’re not … doing [the things] the guys that we’re arresting did, [so] they feel like they’re OK. I find they were the hardest to witness to—and to see the opposite here is awesome,” Porter said, referring to many officers at the retreat who openly worship God.
Joe Maddox is one of those officers. He said the retreat piqued his interest in becoming a law enforcement chaplain with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team to comfort others in the wake of critical incidents.
“I’ve been injured to the point where we weren’t sure if I was going to live,” said Maddox, who sustained serious injuries from pursuing robbery suspects.
He faced a medical emergency while in the line of duty in January 2021. A doctor called his wife and children—who were driving to the hospital—to tell them that Maddox probably wasn’t going to make it.
“I didn’t plan to wake up after surgery, but I did,” the Dallas, Texas, officer said. Afterwards, he battled a long string of health issues, including five strokes and three heart attacks.
He believes that all these hardships have brought him closer to his family and the Lord—and given him a testimony to share.
“I’m a walking miracle,” he said. “I shouldn’t be here. There’s only one reason why I am and that’s because of God.”
Be encouraged and spiritually refreshed at the next Law Enforcement Appreciation Retreat on Oct. 23 in Asheville, North Carolina. Learn more about this outreach.
