Machine Gun Preacher’s Shot at Redemption: A Journey from Violence to Victory

Rewind a few decades and meet the Machine Gun Preacher before he became Machine Gun Preacher. Sam Childers was a drug-peddling biker-gang member near Pittsburgh, Pa. – a man who by outward appearances did not deserve a shot at redemption. 

But God doesn’t work that way. 

God often uses the most damaged vessels to deliver the most heroic change. In this case, a profound faith transformation compelled Sam Childers to war-torn regions of East Africa. He was chosen by God to fight a war to rescue children from the most unimaginable horrors. 

He’s waged that war alongside his nonprofit organization, Angels of East Africa, for over 25 years. He’s risked his life to bring kids to safety and bring brutal warlord criminals to justice.    For Sam Childers, life has always been a battle. That battle is now chronicled like never before in another new documentary, “Never Stop: 25 Years a Missionary or a Mercenary.”

The Evolution of Machine Gun Preacher: Faith & Redemption in East Africa

Childers became the Machine Gun Preacher because he recognized the need to act. Thousands of children and teenagers were being abducted from their families by rebel militias. As if the guerrilla warfare in regions of Sudan, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo weren’t enough, children were being forced to become soldiers and sex slaves.

Now he’s 62. The Machine Gun Preacher is an aging man, worn by the physical and emotional toll of his life’s work. But in serving the Lord, he musters enough energy and his rifle shoots true enough to keep fighting for the defenseless. The enemy? Warlords like Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), have no sympathy for the countless people they’ve destroyed.

But what truly drives him isn’t the adrenaline of combat or the cause of justice. It’s a deep, personal journey of redemption for himself and the people he loves.

A Life on the Edge: From Biker Gangs to Breaking Chains

Long before the Machine Gun Preacher was rescuing children from warzones, he lived a very different life — a life that teetered on the edge of destruction. Growing up in a small Pennsylvania town, Childers found himself drawn to the dangerous lifestyle of biker gangs. His days were filled with violence, drug dealing and chaos, earning him a reputation as a hardened criminal with little regard for the future. 

Fueled by drugs and a relentless hunger for power, Childers’ path seemed destined for an early grave.

“I wasn’t just a man running wild,” Machine Gun Preacher has said of his early years. “I was a man lost, with no purpose, no direction. I didn’t care if I lived or died.”

For many like him, the story might have ended there. But something extraordinary happened that would forever alter the course of his life: Childers found Christ. In 1992, at the lowest point in his life, he experienced a profound conversion to Christianity. It wasn’t an easy or instant transformation, but for the first time, he felt the tug of something greater: a calling to leave behind the violence and destruction of his past and pursue a higher purpose.

The Call to East Africa: From Guns to Glory

Following his conversion, Childers began attending church and seeking ways to serve. But it wasn’t long before his calling became clear: he was meant to go to Africa. In the late 1990s, Childers made his first trip to Sudan, where he witnessed firsthand the horrors being inflicted on children by evil militias like the LRA. It was there, in the heart of a war-torn land, that Childers’ mission was born.

The atrocities he saw changed him forever. Children were being abducted – forced to fight as soldiers or sold into sexual slavery. Villages were being burned to the ground, and families were torn apart. The violence was relentless, and the need for intervention was urgent.

“I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing,” the Machine Gun Preacher said. “These children were being brutalized. I had a choice: either go back to my life and forget what I saw, or stay and fight for their lives.”

Childers chose to stay. Armed with both his faith and a machine gun, he founded Angels of East Africa, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and caring for children caught in the crossfire of war. His mission became twofold: to fight against the evil of warlords like Kony and to rebuild the lives of the children left in their wake.

A Fighter’s Redemption: ‘I Don’t Run From Danger’

The same man who once peddled drugs and rode with biker gangs now found himself standing on the frontlines of a much greater battle. The guns were still there, but now they were in the service of protecting the innocent.

“I don’t run from danger,” Childers says. “I run toward it. If that’s what it takes to save these kids, then so be it. Sometimes we have to fight fire with fire. If I die, I served God well.”

Over the years, Angels of East Africa has saved hundreds of children, providing them with not only safety but also education, vocational training and a chance to rebuild their lives. Machine Gun Preacher has led countless rescue missions, often going deep into rebel-held territories, risking his life to save children who have been abandoned by the world.

The Mother Teresa Award: Honoring a Saved Man

In 2013, Sam Childers became the only American to receive the prestigious Mother Teresa Award for Social Justice. This honor, awarded to individuals who have made a profound impact on humanitarian work, is a testament to the depth of the Machine Gun Preacher’s commitment. For a man who once lived a life of violence and chaos, receiving an award in the name of Mother Teresa, a beacon of peace and compassion, marked a turning point in his journey.

“For me, the Mother Teresa Award is not just a recognition of the work we’ve done,” Machine Gun Preacher said. “It’s a symbol of how far God’s grace can take you. If someone like me can turn their life around and help others, then anyone can.”

The award is a recognition of the thousands of lives Childers has impacted — not just the children he’s saved from war, but also the communities he’s helped rebuild. It’s a reminder that redemption is possible for anyone, no matter how dark their past may be.

Machine Gun Preacher: A Lifetime of Service, A Legacy of Hope

Today, Childers continues his work with Angels of East Africa, though the years of fighting have taken their toll. His face is lined with the weariness of a man who has seen too much violence, too much suffering. But despite the exhaustion, his resolve remains unshaken. He continues to lead missions into some of the most dangerous areas of East Africa, knowing that the fight is far from over.

“I’m not done yet,” Childers says. “There are still too many children out there who need our help. As long as I have breath, I’ll keep fighting.”

Childers’ story is one of transformation — from a life of destruction to one of purpose, from a man lost in violence to a man driven by faith and compassion. His mission is more than just a fight against warlords. It’s a fight for his own soul and the souls of the children he rescues. 

By supporting Angels of East Africa and watching the new Machine Gun Preacher documentary, you’re directly supporting Childers’ ongoing mission. By standing with the Machine Gun Preacher, you’re helping to ensure that his legacy of hope and redemption continues for generations to come.