A Brief Biography The Vision: I was only 12 years old when I realized something special was taking place in my life. A lot of my young life was spent day-dreaming, reality was much harder to accept. Because of poverty, being fatherless, and having severe headaches, I spent a great part of my young life, in solitude to avoid stressful situations. One late afternoon while sitting alone in the woods near my home, I saw a future event in a vision. In this vision I saw myself traveling the world. It was as clear as watching a big screen color television. In my travels I gained a substance. I saw myself as an eagle flying in the midst of eagles. All of my life experience in this vision, was to be shared with my brothers and sisters.
Doomed At 15:
A few years later, at 15, I actually left home, abandoning six younger brothers and sisters with no father and no legacy other than the negative example I had managed to set before them. By this age, due to my choices, I felt doomed to a short life which made me exercise hate crimes against myself and society. I was involved in gangs, robbery, drugs and murder.
With very little choice, I was forced to leave my home in Birmingham, Alabama by those on both sides of the law. Being the oldest child, I believed sincerely that the only way I was to help my family out of poverty was to make a lot of money (illegally) and to teach them to do likewise. This led to my being incarcerated more than a dozen times in eight different states. I spent my eleventh birthday incarcerated - this was the beginning of a costly career.
Drugs the Big Picture:
Drugs were a big part of my life as a youth. I had three drug overdoses, two of which caused my heart to stop beating for more than ten minutes, and I was considered by two medical doctors clinically dead. On one of these occasions, I arrived at the hospital comatose. I can still remember vividly (in what I believed then was an “out of body experience”) hearing the doctors debate on reviving me. While standing over my seemingly lifeless body, one of the doctors said, “If he lives, he will be no more than a vegetable.” Their Hippocratic Oath prevailed and they chose to use the defibrillators (electric shock) once again and I regained consciousness.
Not long after, while standing before a judge in Spokane, Washington at 17, I was given a choice to go to prison or the USMC. I chose the Marines and spent nineteen months active duty. By day, I was in training or working as a combat still photographer. By night, I sold drugs and was involved in prostitution and other illegal activities. After leaving the Marines at age 19 with an undesirable discharge, I continued in my criminal activities on a full time basis. My drug habit at this time averaged about $350 per day in addition to the many other drug related activities.
The Look Alike:
I left with two partners in crime from Massachusetts for Alabama in a late model canary yellow Cadillac with a trunk load of money, drugs, weapons and jewelry. As we drove through the state of New York, I experienced an empty feeling. The events that would take place within my first 24 hours in New York City would prove to be the greatest crossroad of my life. While walking through a small park for the exercise, suddenly my partners and I saw three men running in our direction. They were obviously trying to overtake us. Out of fear I went for my gun. But before I could successfully pull it out, they tackled me to the ground. I was badly bruised and bleeding from their vicious beating.
They turned out to be three undercover New York City detectives. We were arrested and brought to the precinct. I was charged with armed robbery and possession of a concealed weapon. My two partners were not charged. Later that evening, I learned that I looked similar to a wanted armed robbery suspect whose name ironically, was Antonio. The knowledge of my whereabouts from the Springfield, Massachusetts police department proved to be helpful in clearing me of the armed robbery charges, but the concealed weapon charge still remained. My partners were released and they left town with my car and all of my hot possessions.
The Rikers Island Preacher:
After being transferred from one jail to another, I ended up on Rikers Island, a city within a city. Every type of criminal imaginable was in this place. After three weeks, I grew to dislike what I had become as I saw my character in the lives of my fellow inmates. It was there I picked up a Bible for the first time. One night while studying the Bible, I was angered by some men (who were part of a very organized group) called the “5%.” They clearly controlled the population and were showing their control by taking advantage of several young men in my cell block.
I began to challenge them through the bars of my cell with the limited Bible knowledge I had gained through my studies. From that night on I was known as the preacher. My preaching disturbed this group of men so much that they promised to kill me during lockout the next morning. This was not an empty threat or a strange occurrence. Many died by the hands of this group in this penal system. The next morning I saw in the faces of nearly all of the inmates doubt that I would make it through the day. It seemed that the word had traveled throughout the entire prison even to the guards. My fear increased, yet, I was hopeful.
The following day after breakfast my life took a dramatic change. A young man from the free world came in the day room and made me a life-saving offer. He was a recruiter from the Phoenix House Rehabilitation Program, and he wanted to talk to first offenders with drug addictions. At this time not only did I fear for my life, but I was also experiencing aches and cold sweats for a chemical fix, and I knew that this was as great a time as ever to get help. After talking to him a short while, I felt for the first time that God hears and answers the prayers of a repentant sinner. It did not take long for me to accept this opportunity to escape.
The Unlikely Conversion:
Not knowing what to expect, I signed myself into the program. For 18 months I was to adhere to all of the rules and laws of the therapeutic rehabilitation program. It was a life-style that proved to be foreign to my “going and coming as I pleased” attitude. I knew I needed help, whether this was the place or not. In a poorly kept five story apartment building located in Spanish Harlem, an average of 45 males and females, ages ranging from 16 to 55 resided in the treatment phase of this program. The staff was made up of ex-offenders of all sorts, mainly graduates of this or other similar programs. It was here that I learned that my experiences were the most powerful tools I could use to influence others toward positive directions.
When I first came into the program, I kept the nickname, “the preacher.” My reputation had preceded me to the drug program through the prison grapevine. However, I had no intentions of following through with my repentant experience. Some of the people in the program would slip out at night, use drugs, and get involved in negative activities. Though this was my desire, I was never invited or allowed to join in situations unbecoming to a Christian. Eventually they would come to me for answers to Biblical questions. I then had to read and study the Scriptures day and night to answer the questions and through this I was converted.
The Model Graduate:
After being in the program six months, I started to talk about building a program of my own. Instead of relating to the program from the treatment phase, my thoughts were centered in developing a program with some special friends who I thought would be an asset to it. I graduated from the program a model person at the end of the 18 months. For eighteen months I abstained from the use of all addictive substances. I met the educational requirements. I received a high school diploma and enrolled in college. I started working as a part-time counselor and a supervisor in a construction firm. The jobs and my apartment made me feel as an accepted part of society.
Christ Made the Difference:
While working as a substance abuse counselor, I saw the need for more than what was being offered in the program. Many of the men and women were leaving the program in worse shape than when they first entered. Not all was bad, but more was needed to ensure lasting results. After much research and comparison to my personal experiences, I found it was the relationship I had developed with Jesus through Bible study and devotion that made the difference. Prayer, study, and witnessing helped me grow strong in the Lord. I endeavored to do my part in the regeneration process of others. Through my own trials and afflictions, I could encourage those who were going through similar situations.
The Vision Revealed:
While I was preaching in a park in uptown Manhattan, two deaconesses from Saint John Baptist Church stopped to listen. They were impressed by my preaching and invited me to meet their Pastor John Scott. Pastor Scott instructed me to enroll in the New York Theological Seminary and the College of New Rochelle where I studied pastoral counseling, Old and New Testament and other related subjects. After graduation, I was licensed and became an associate pastor and a chaplain for the State of New York. My most treasured task was working as liaison between prisoners and their families throughout the City of New York.
During this time, I met a young lady, the former Geryl F. Jackson, who is now my wife. She is the most wonderful blessing I have ever received in my new life. In 1980, I received a call to pastor a large and influential church. For several days I fasted and prayed. During this time of humiliation and contrition, I began to plead with God for direction. The need to confess and repent of my sins became real to me. After a week of seeking revival, one night in a dream, the vision of my youth was revealed.
I had flashbacks of my travels through the world of drugs, prostitution, violence, incarcerations, and all sorts of human misery, rehabilitation and finally regeneration. I could see now and understand how we know that “...All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28. In this vision I was not the center of attraction, it was my younger brothers and sisters, so many I could not count them. They seemed to be hungry for what I had found.
I saw myself as an eagle flying in the midst of other eagles, who were now clearly fellow Christian workers taking the gospel commission seriously. “Go ye into all, the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15. I could see clearly now that the substance that I would gain was all of my experiences coupled with the relationship I had developed through the Word of God and the joy I felt in sharing it.
I was inspired to return to Alabama with my wife and young son. Soon after arriving, I was introduced to United Prison Ministries, Richard and Carolyn Bland, by a pastor Dr. T. L. Hemingway of the Bessemer Church. As part of this ministry, I learned the Gospel of the Three Angel’s Message proclaimed in Revelation 14:6-12, and many other jewels of the Gospel. This and many other blessings played a major role in my relationship with Christ.
I was re-baptized into the Church to re-consecrate my all to the re-warder of them that diligently seek Him. I received the promised substance, the all-powerful Word of God combined with experience, skill and love for those who are lost as I was. I found comfort in knowing that it is the will of God that the offender of natural, civil and moral laws be redeemed!
I have enjoyed for more than 25 years the opportunity to travel to several countries and all across the USA, learning and sharing this wonderful blessing of physical, mental, social and spiritual freedom God has so richly blessed me so that I can bless you. The most valued lesson in all of this to me is; i learned, i can not overcome, physical, mental, social or spiritual death without Him, but, i can have physical, mental, social and spiritual eternal life with Him and He (the Word of God) will never leave me or forsake me.
The Vision Developed:
Why the large gap of time in the process of the development of the Vision? I witnessed many honest sincere persons and organizations develop programs and institutions to help people overcome bad habits, and addictions. I also witnessed those taking advantage of the situation, for personal gain at the expense of the ones needing help. The most prevalent of them were those who established facilities and staff to warehouse people and called them half-way houses (1/2 here & 1/2 there).
The opportunities to travel around the world and be a part of (think tanks and brain storming) experiences, gave me the avenue to explore what worked and what did not. My concerted effort was focused on the developing the therapeutic process of which I realized was the core of true victory over negative life-style. The innate and learned behavior can be re-learned, rehabilitation is the place to start, recovery is a vital step, but, regeneration must be the goal for real freedom. The wholelistic or the total man must be treated, for man is a physical, mental, social and spiritual beings.
Development Process:
In November, 1992, I had the opportunity to study and share in the development of a massive rehabilitation project covering several large cities in Russia. We hope to return to share in more detail the "NEWSTART Regeneration Life-style Concept." In March of 1995 the same opportunity presented itself in Romania. We studied and made changes to the program to fit their culture. I look forward to the challenge of working with people who have a sincere desire to overcome their social and spiritual plight. In 2002 we found ourselves in Africa yet developing the concept.
The NEWSTART[3] Step Program was inspired while sentenced in a rehabilitation program in New York City, in 1974-76 where I spent 18 months in drug abuse treatment. Since 1982, to 2007, it has been my privilege to work with United Prison Ministries International, serving as Chaplain/trainer. This organization has provided the opportunity for me to travel extensively to further study numerous concepts and treatment programs in and out side of the prison systems.
Tony is Thexoffender developed the NEWSTART [3] Step Regeneration Life-style Concept, to gain his freedom from the sinful life-style he was trapped in. Now Tony shares this good news, through this simple program around the world.
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