WINBURNE, Pa – Sam Childers, also known as Machine Gun Preacher, made a stop at Forest Baptist Church on Saturday evening to meet and greet fans and share his testimony.
Childers is a former Outlaw biker, drug dealer, and thug who has spent the last 30 years dedicating his life and resources to the rescuing of children in the war zone countries like South Sudan.
Childers earned his nickname “Machine Gun Preacher’ because he carried a Bible in one hand and an AK-47 assault rifle in the other while protecting an orphanage and rescuing children from violent militias in war-torn East Africa.
His organization, Angels of East Africa (AOEA), looks after around 350 orphaned children 24/7. All of which are housed, schooled, or trained to work.
Their main orphanage is located in Nimule, South Sudan, called “The Children’s Village” which houses around 185 children at any given time. The children have around-the-clock care, including schooling and medical care.
One of their missions is feeding the hungry, serving around 8,000 meals a day, and building wells in Northern Uganda and South Sudan, which provide fresh water for local villages. They drilled 15 in just last year.
The Bush Kids Project, which Childers founded five years ago, sends teams in four-wheel-drive trucks deep into the remote bush—places few others are willing to go—where children are dying from malaria. “A child dies every minute in East Africa alone,” Childers says. “That’s why we venture out three times a month to treat children.”
According to Childers, the organization’s work has expanded significantly over the years. In addition to building eight schools from the ground up, he has developed a wide range of self-sustaining projects, including farms, supermarkets, fuel stations, auto repair shops, and tire businesses.
“Of all the businesses we operate, my security company is the largest,” Childers explained. “I own one of the top ten security companies in East Africa—that’s what I do for a living.”
Childers emphasized that every donation received goes directly toward funding the organization’s projects. He does not take a portion of the donations, relying instead on the income from his security company to support himself.
“The reason why we do so much work in Africa,” said Childers, “when we create one full-time job, it will save 6 people’s lives.” Childers went on to explain that, unlike America, Africa does not have a welfare or retirement system, so one working person can take care of an entire household.
In 2011, a movie was released starring Gerard Butler, called Machine Gun Preacher, which was based on Childers’ first book titled “Another Man’s War.” However, according to Childers, some parts of the movie were exaggerated or did not happen, and he urges people to watch his documentaries as well.
In 2013, Childers was the first American to receive the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice.
“If I didn’t have to be here,” Childers said through tears, “I would be in Africa and not just for my little boy, but for the children that need me.”
Childers’ message reached far beyond the local community. Some attendees traveled from as far away as Canada and Illinois just to hear him speak. Among them was 14-year-old Magnus Massullo of Columbus, Ohio, who made the more than six-hour journey with his family for the opportunity to meet the man whose story had inspired him.
“I was inspired by how he turned his life around to help those in need,” Massullo said. “I knew I had to see him in person. Having met Sam Childers, I look forward to hopefully accompanying him on a future mission trip.”
Childers has spoken in over 50 countries in the last 15 years, sharing his testimony and spreading the Gospel. He currently resides in Africa with his wife and 4-month-old son.
Visit his website to learn more or donate to this amazing ministry: https://www.machinegunpreacher.org/
You can watch his testimony here: https://youtu.be/KR0i6N-nukY?si=ROJJHGy9YDAZg87B
