DOUG TESTIMONY # 100
“This is how God led us to one of his “hidden sons”, a man with no possessions to speak of and not even allowed a pillow to lay his head on. Yet we found him living such an inspired life with Christ in the death row prison system of America.
“Back in New Zealand in 2005, it all came about during a particularly ‘dry’ time for me, spiritually speaking. I remember praying “Father I need something to get my teeth into.” Just a couple of weeks later, the answer came so easily and unremarkably, I didn’t realize my prayer was being answered.
“A Canadian website I’d come across, was offering written contact with prisoners in the United States, complete with grainy black and white pictures of each one. There were hundreds of them, longing for contact with the outside world, through a pen pal.
“I was drawn to one in particular, an African-American about my age. I’d studied their history with great compassion, right through from slavery and quite shocking discrimination, to the emerging strength of who they are today.
“Pete was on the death row list at a prison in the southern states area; they call it a Correctional Facility. This is where executions for the state are carried out. Despite this, I felt a distinct inner peace when I considered writing to him. My mind was warning that I might not be writing for very long to a death row inmate, but when God gives you that peace, you know there is more at play, so I sent the letter which made its way into his hands.
“Pete’s first letter back astonished me. I discovered this is clearly a man with his mind set on the things of the Spirit; deeply devoted & mature in Christ! So much scripture and love for God in those pages. We’re brothers in Christ! Now I begin to understand the reason for that peace I felt. (Father, you know all things). From his letter I learned he’s been in that facility for 20 years already. I’ve also discovered that the wheels of time turn slowly for some on death row, slowed and even stalled by the appeals and legalities involved.
“Convicted of an alcohol-related homicide, Pete was sentenced to be executed. As 2026 unfolds, this marks Pete’s 40th year of incarceration, living under the sentence of death.
“Pete has told me that immediately after the turmoil of his crime, he was placed in a holding cell in his hometown, awaiting legal process. His mother arrived, a strong believer who walked in the power of Jesus. She immediately prayed with him and cast out an evil spirit from him.
“He describes experiencing such pain in his chest, so severe he thought he was having a heart attack. At the same time a woman being held in a cell further down the passageway, began crying out repeatedly, “get away from me!” Pete said there was no one physically near her.
“It was at this time Pete gave his life over to Jesus, with repentance. A transformation began; one he describes as so complete he no longer recognizes who he once was. Yet receiving forgiveness wasn’t immediate. He said it took him nearly three years to agree with God and finally forgive himself.
“After two years of writing almost monthly and being so impacted by his letters of life & faith, I remember saying to my wife, “I don’t think it’s good enough that I just write… I think we need to go”. While weighing this up, I “happened” to come across the scripture that says “faith without action is dead”. It felt like it had leapt off the page at me. When I looked up the “dead” word in the original Greek, it’s actually likened to a dead body that’s been laid out, which the spirit of life has departed from. So, dead as in no use whatsoever! Faith must have an action to accompany it, just like the body needs the spirit of life to function. I knew then that we were going to go and meet this man!
“I realized I had to put aside any trepidation or concerns over what lay ahead. I only knew I had to go to support and encourage my brother in Christ. All the while, there was the reality that forming a friendship around the threat of execution, meant it could end at any moment. Still, the strong conviction of God was with me to continue.
“2007 was the first of many journeys to Pete in Southern USA, into the intimidating maximum security prison environment. (It is a highly controlled facility designed for the most dangerous and high-risk male inmates). This means razor-wire perimeters, armed guards stationed throughout and watch towers overlooking every step. Visitors are not allowed to take anything inside - no jewellery, no watches – every detail tightly controlled, right down to the colour of your clothing. Once escorted through the perimeter fences and locked inside the facility, you are taken into a holding area and subjected to a full body search; a sobering reminder of where you are and an intrusion that always feels unsettling.
“We were let into the visiting room, a large and stark space furnished only with plastic tables and chairs. Vending machines stand in one corner. The prisoners come in one by one through a small door at the back of the room, unshackled just before entry. Each inmate is assigned to a single table with visiting friends or family. The room is usually full. Glass walls line three sides and we are constantly watched. We are one of many groups, all meeting at the same time, confined together.
“The first time we met Pete, I experienced him abounding in the Spirit of God, full of humility and genuine love. This is transformation! He is quite unlike anyone I’ve encountered; such is the sense of God being present. I honestly was not expecting this. One time after visiting, as my wife and I drove away, we could hardly speak for almost an hour. I would describe it as a profound sense of God’s presence. You just can’t interrupt something Holy, with needless words! I’ve often said we do ourselves the greatest favour by going; that’s when we discover more of Who our God is. Words prove to be inadequate.
“When God is leading you, you never know what may come from it! Pete’s mother invited us to stay with her whenever we visited. What a wise and powerful woman of God. She immersed us into her world, her wonderful African American community. We stayed in her home in the African American quarter, went along to her full gospel church and found ourselves fully embraced in their midst. I was even invited to speak.
“We experienced daily life among these special people. Unforgettable. Pete’s mother is no longer with us on the earth, but God gave us some beautiful times together. Our connections still continue, as we keep in touch with friends among her community.
“Visiting Pete is akin to the account of the Queen of the South. She journeyed a very long way to witness for herself the splendour of Solomon’s Israel. He was blessed by God in extraordinary ways. Each visit feels like that journey. We always come away richer than when we arrived, moved by who he is in God and inspired by the God who works through him.
“One time, on a flight out of the state, the Holy Spirit distinctly said to me, “I’ve shown you what I wanted you to see.” We’d been considering attending a ‘high powered’ convention the following week but in that moment, we realized that nothing was going to compare. We chose not to go.
“We’ve had 12 visits now over seven separate trips. Pete is hidden away from most people’s eyes, but he is an extraordinary brother, changed and transformed. Our Father allowed us to find him, share fellowship with him and be hugely encouraged together. His life has provided me much food for thought, knowing his journey hasn’t come from a regular church environment.
“His whole relationship with God has been experienced on Death Row. I’m sure the anointing he walks in is enhanced by having few of the distractions of the outside world. He maintains a determination to know nothing but “Christ in me, the hope of glory”. He remains consistently positive, steadfastly in love with Jesus despite his tough surroundings & situation. He greatly desires to teach and preach about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and we experience this whenever we meet.
“Pete is with his fellow inmates when they’re facing their last days before execution, offering love & words of encouragement. For some, it may be their last opportunity to encounter and receive the new life of God. Others are brothers in Christ; friendships forged over a lifetime behind bars.
“Very early in our relationship with Pete, he shared how God had told him his story would go around the world one day. That day is now.
“Just after Christmas 2025 I received a message from him, “Christmas day I didn’t call anyone, just spent the day ministering to God the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit. What did you give Jesus for his birthday?” he asked me.
“Now, in 2026, letters are no longer permitted, being diverted through a central processing centre, tightly regulated to prevent drugs from entering through paper or envelopes. A digital messaging app has been introduced.
“Just before this new system took effect, I received a letter from Pete, one he ended by including these scriptures:
“…whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
“More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own, derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith……
“One thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”.
“In its rarity, this testimony declares that even amid the darkness and despair of incarceration, the Spirit of God moves in life-changing ways. No one, not even a person on death row is beyond the reach of God’s redeeming love and power.”