Danny Duchene was given a double life sentence from California’s Sierra Prison but, released after 32 years on Pastor Rick Warren’s request. He was dedicated as a pastor for Saddelback Church’s prison ministries over the weekend.
“God can use anybody, even in the most unlikely places,” Warren told the congregation in his message. He later asked Duchene to share his story, as part of the church’s “The Miracle of Mercy” campaign.
Duchene said he’s been part of the Saddleback family since 2003, and that he once shared his testimony with the megachurch through the phone from the prison 13 years ago.
It was at his lowest point that God’s mercy showed up in his life. “God began bringing a lot of Christians to see me who shared the love and mercy of God with me,” Duchene said.
“I learned that Jesus could give me a fresh start, changing me from the inside out,” he told the congregation. He decided to serve Jesus in “whatever life was left.”
He said it was 1982 when he asked Jesus to forgive all his sins and take control of his life, Duchene shared, quoting Romans 5:20, “…But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”
“In prison, I read Pastor Rick’s bestseller ‘Purpose Driven Life’, and wrote to him. The prison soon started buzzing with cell groups to study the book. Inmates were baptized inside the prison campus. Saddleback’s Celebrate Recovery program began in the prison, and gave an opportunity to prisoners to have support to now do the right thing for the first time in their lives.”
Duchene said he would like to tell everyone, whether they are inside a prison or outside, “You cannot be what God wants you to be on your own. You need support, you need a small group. I’m sure my life would have been very different if I had the support of a godly small group as a teenager.”
He said he didn’t know if it would ever be possible for him to work at Saddleback. However, in 2014, Warren wrote a passionate letter to the governor urging parole for him so that he could be appointed as a pastor at Saddleback.
Duchene was released from prison on Christmas Eve of 2014 after 32 years. And he is now a Saddleback pastor for prison ministries. “God’s mercy is the key for inner freedom,” he said in conclusion.
After Duchene’s testimony, Warren came back to the pulpit, called other church leaders as well as Duchene’s wife, Susan, and prayed for the couple.
Warren’s book not only changed Duchene’s life, it resulted in a Saddleback-inspired “Purpose-Driven Church” started by inmates in the prison, and the adoption of Saddleback’s Celebrate Recovery program by the correctional institution as its official recovery program, the church said in a statement. “In the past 13 years, thousands of lives have been changed and prisons across America have followed Sierra’s example.”
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(Courtesy of Saddleback Church)
Christian Post Report – Pastor Rick Warren (far right) prays and dedicates Danny Duchene (kneeling) as pastor for Saddleback Church’s prison ministries on Saturday, April 2, 2016. Duchene was released from California’s prison after serving 32 years of a double life sentence and shared his testimony at Saddleback Church during his dedication service. Duchene was released on parole at the request of Pastor Rick Warren to California’s governor.
