Prison Ministry Leader

Prison Ministry Leader

My name is David Deryl Downey and I am called to be a prison ministry leader. I’m a 47-year-old man, living in rural Kentucky in the United States of America, with my wife, Jennifer, and our 9 lovely children. I was brought up in the church, in one way or another, for most of my formative life. I am what’s known as a P.K (a Preacher’s Kid.) For a long time, I fought against the Lord because of the way they displayed their version of ‘Christian love.’  The Bible was forced on us in my house growing up. I knew even then that God wanted to use me to further His Kingdom, but I wasn’t having any part of it. I figured if my family, supposedly called by God, acted like they did, I wanted nothing to do with Him, His Kingdom, or His ministry. As a result, I turned hard left away from the Lord and became about as secular as you could become, and not end up in jail. (Though I came close many a time!)

For roughly 20 years, the Lord and I were estranged from each other. Then, I attended a Revival with my wife, my youngest son, my then youngest daughter, and my older son’s girlfriend. God got hold of me in a powerful way at that revival! Needless to say, by the end of the service, I went down to the altar and gave my life over to the care of God. There was such an amazing calming of my soul that took place the moment I did! Lord Jesus, I wish I had come to you sooner! I wish I hadn’t fought for so long, and so hard against what we both know I needed: You!

If someone as tough and obstinate as I can be brought low before the Lord, anyone can! I see, and intimately feel, that a revival in this country is desperately needed, and God wants me to be part of it! I am currently a member of Southern Manor Baptist Church, here in Vanceburg, KY. My second-to-oldest son, Joshua, is an Associate Pastor here and is most definitely a man called of God and has known so since he was but 12 years old. Our pastor, Brother Arthur Moore is my friend, my mentor, and my church leader. He has seen me come from refusing God to (like Saul) recanting and falling deeply in love with God through His Son our Lord Jesus Christ! I firmly believe it was my mother’s, Joshua’s, and Brother Arthur’s prayers that led God to deal with me in such a mighty way. None of us knew quite when God would choose. Funny how things are always in His time and by His Will! Our church has need of trained men of God for the various ministries we have, such as the Prison Ministry, Bible Study, Men Only Group, amongst others. I am called to be involved in these ministries, especially as a Prison Ministry leader.

Since then, God has called me to start my own ministry called Armor Of God Baptist Ministries which I’ve done in the State of Kentucky. I believe God has called me to run a ministry based upon a calling for a return to the basics of our faith and learning about, and how to use, the whole Armor of God as taught in Ephesians 6:10-18. This is how I came by the name of my ministry. I believe that God also wants me to focus on both other military veterans, such as myself and those incarcerated within our country’s prison and jail systems. That is how I came by the name ‘Soldier For Christ Ministries’ a sub-ministry of Armor Of God Baptist Ministries, Inc.

I am thankful that I found the Christian Leaders Institute where I can receive free ministry training to grow in my knowledge of the Lord and to better equip me for my ministry work and as a prison ministry leader. I pray daily that God will use me mightily to help, encourage, and arrange the meeting between the Lord and them so that they come to know Him as I do.

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