The world turned in slow motion. The gavel descended with a loud bang, resounding through the room.
“Sentenced to 50 years to life,” the judge said.
Behind him, Angel heard his mother, wife, sister, and mother-in-law each let out a cry. Their pain was palpable. But Angel was filled with determination—even if he was in prison for the rest of his days, he would serve the Lord.
He thought back over his life and wondered at the mess he was in. How had he—the same kid who used to get up early to attend prayer at the flagpole before school—come to this place? What had led him to a path with a 50-year sentence at the end?
A DOUBLE LIFE
Angel and his family members were raised Catholic, though attending church wasn’t a priority. He remembers his father searching for a sense of meaning by studying other religions and eventually converting to Baha’i. Angel also longed for meaning and was on a faith journey of his own.
When Angel was 16, his brother went to a Christian sports camp where he learned more about Jesus. This experience led his brother to develop a strong faith in Christ and begin making changes in his life. Angel had heard his parents talk about religion in the past, but his brother’s newfound faith and the Gospel message moved and motivated Angel. He wanted the grace and hope that he saw his brother had found.
After his brother’s return from camp, Angel’s heart changed, too. He started attending a Christian youth group—and even became a leader in it. He desired to follow Jesus but struggled with giving in to peer pressure.
Then, in Angel’s senior year of high school, he made a new friend who introduced him to drinking and drugs. At first, Angel didn’t see the danger in the friendship. He didn’t expect the downward spiral that would come. The friend introduced him to marijuana and then eventually to harder drugs like crystal meth.
Angel began to live a double life. Though he longed to live for Christ, he struggled to stay clean. As a young adult, he met a woman at church, and the two eventually married and had four children. But outside of the home, he operated as a drug dealer.
“When I was serving the Lord, I was all in,” says Angel. “But it was like I only had two gears, because if I was serving God, I was in ministry doing Bible studies, preaching. But if I backslid, I was back in that lifestyle of drugs.”
A CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR
Angel justified his criminal activity by saying it was all to support his family. Then one day, his wife confronted him. She acknowledged that he loved his children, but she said that he was a “terrible husband.” Hearing those words was a turning point for Angel. He and his wife decided to separate, and he vowed to change his ways.
Angel moved back in with his parents during his separation. He started working as an EMT and firefighter and got back in church. He stayed sober for two years.
Then one night at a party, Angel was offered a drink. He refused. But as the night progressed, his determination waned, and he gave way to peer pressure. He thought he would have just one drink. Instead, he had several. The next morning, he was hungover.
Instead of going home, Angel went to a drug dealer’s house and got high. From there, he quickly returned to his former life.
One night, Angel went out with a group of friends. They told him they needed to collect a debt. What Angel didn’t know is they were involved in protection racketing, which includes using the threat of violence to extract protection money from people.
Angel was sitting in the car waiting for his friends when he heard a gunshot. Soon, the friends piled into his car, begging him to drive away. Angel urged them to tell him what happened. At first, they said they shot the gun to scare the man, but later, Angel found out the man was dead. Fear took hold of Angel—he wanted a different life; he wanted out of this cycle.
For the next four months, he tried to become the man he always wanted to be. He became active in church, fought to repair his marriage, and recommitted himself to the Lord. But eventually the law caught up with him.
Angel was arrested and sentenced to 50 years to life in prison due to his involvement in the murder under a law that was present at the time. Yet even as the sentencing came, he knew he would stay committed to the Lord this time.
“God, I made a mess of my life, and I may never see the streets again,” he prayed. “But even if I spend the rest of my life in prison, I’m going to serve You.”
A CHANGED HEART
While in prison, Angel dedicated his time and energy to leading Bible studies and participating in the worship team. He attended seminary and was ordained as a pastor.
During his incarceration, Angel and his wife divorced. But he was still determined to love his children well. His cellmate told him about Prison Fellowship® Angel Tree, a program that allows incarcerated parents to provide a gift, personal note, and the Gospel message to their children.
Angel knew he wanted to participate. He signed up his four children and was elated when he heard the gifts were delivered by his cellmate’s mother.
Then, in 2021, Angel’s case was reviewed, and he was resentenced and given time served. After nearly 21 years in prison, he was told he would be released in eight days.
“That was my miracle,” he says.
Life had changed a lot since Angel was first imprisoned. He remembers receiving a cell phone from his brother soon after his release and feeling unsure of how to use the device. Still, Angel knew that the Lord would help him through all the changes.
After his release, Angel finished his education and became a drug and alcohol counselor. Though he enjoyed the work, he missed the opportunity to talk about God. Angel eventually started pastoring a small church called Calvary Chapel.
FINDING HIS FOOTING
Angel was invited to participate in Outrageous Justice®, a small group study produced by Prison Fellowship about crime and justice through a biblical lens. He was immediately taken with the work done by Prison Fellowship and the mission the organization held.
He loved his church, yet he needed a second job to make ends meet. He applied for a position at Prison Fellowship as a prison ministry manager; he was hired and started work in September of 2023.
“I just love being a part of this organization,” he says. “I love what I do. I love what I’m a part of. And I’m just looking forward to continuing to grow with the ministry; I’m open to whatever direction God takes me in.”
In his role, Angel shares the Good News of Jesus with men in prison—including in the very same facility where he was once incarcerated. The first time he returned there to serve, he teared up.
“As I saw the guys on the yard and I saw the buildings, knowing that I lived there for all that time, I felt gratitude for what God had done for me,” he says. “To be able to go back in there and share that message of hope, it was an overwhelming feeling.”
Outside of his work life, Angel enjoys being a father to his three stepchildren. He is also working to repair the damage done to two of his children’s relationships and has a healthy relationship with the other two.
“I am definitely a poster child of God’s power of transformation and redemption,” says Angel when reflecting on his life. “I’m a pastor now, and it’s wonderful because those past experiences make me relatable to people who are in those lifestyles.”
“I am definitely a poster child of God’s power of transformation and redemption.”
—Angel