And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. —Romans 8:28

George has faced and, by the grace of God, overcome enormous difficulty in his life, revealing God’s love for the broken and His ability to repurpose dark moments in our lives.

Adopted by a Greek Orthodox family, George struggled to find his identity. He was expelled from high school for not attending classes and was in and out of prison, starting at age 18.

In 1995, George found his brother, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. To numb himself, George turned to cocaine, which led him back to prison once again.

George’s father passed while George was incarcerated at Bergen County Jail. George was prohibited from attending the funeral, even though there were fewer than 30 days left in his sentence.

After his release, George worked various jobs and went to rehab, but his sobriety was unfortunately short-lived.

In 1997, George developed cocaine psychosis after using 22 grams in a short time, leading him to become extremely paranoid. He turned to other illicit drugs to combat this paranoia.

George’s paranoid state finally broke as he contemplated The Daily Word devotional. He shared, “I called on the name of Jesus, [and] my mind cleared up.”

Despite George’s act of faith and his desire to walk uprightly, he found it difficult to overcome old addictions and past influences. After his release, he began to drink heavily again. He then robbed five banks in five months. When he was finally captured, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

After spending around 10 months at Rensselaer County Jail and a few days at Downstate Correctional Facility, George was sent to Sing Sing Correctional Facility. There, he stumbled upon the NY Theological Seminary program.

George studied for years to enter that program, earning two bachelor’s degrees in the process. George completed his Master of Professional Studies, Urban Ministry degree in 2011.

After his release, George became the chaplain of the Capital City Rescue Mission, working his way up to Assistant Director of Operations.

In 2015, George reconnected with Amie, exactly 22 years from the day they first met. She had a dream that urged her to look him up, and she reached out after discovering that he was serving as a minister at a seminary. They were married on June 25, 2016, with their son serving as George’s best man.

George continued to pursue his education while working to enact social and prison reform. Since his release, he has earned three Master’s Degrees: one from Georgetown University and two from Yale Divinity School.

George also served as a Senior Program associate with the Vera Institute Unlocking Potential Initiative and as Assistant Director of Program Management at Georgetown University, where he continues to work toward his PhD.

After working for years to rebuild the college in prison programs and infrastructure (including in multiple facilities throughout PA), George felt called to return to his roots: rescue missions.

Along with his work at Capital City Rescue Mission, George also served at Bridgeport Rescue Mission for two years. He feels deeply connected to the journey of Jerry McAuley, who spent time at Sing Sing prison (where George found himself years later) and went on to found the first rescue mission in Lower Manhattan.

After a long and arduous interview process, George was unanimously selected by the board to take the mantle of Executive Director upon Scott’s retirement. Since then, he has been diligently preparing for his new role at Bethesda Mission.

“I’m spending time with [our] staff and with those we serve as well as building relationships in the community,” George shared. “I’m meeting with non-profit and organizational leaders. I’ve also spent time with Scott, learning from his experience and spiritual wisdom.”

George has a vision of a growing mission that is increasingly better equipped to meet the needs of our guests. “I would like to bring a pathway approach to our programs, so when people come, there are pathways to employment, education, and housing. I want to continue our collaboration with community partners and help our guests experience the abundant life available through Jesus.”

Finally, and most importantly, George wants to continue our legacy as a faith-based ministry. He wants to “ensure that all we do is centered in the hope of the Gospel, that all we do is for the glory of God, and that Bethesda Mission is a place that people can draw into an ever-deepening relationship with Jesus Christ.”

As George takes the helm, we are excited to see what the future holds for him and for the Mission under his leadership.