Hope Mississippi
A bimonthly podcast educating Mississippians about the needs of fellow citizens, encouraging residents to work together to change the trajectory of our families and children, and sharing success stories.
Hope Mississippi
Rev. Eddie Spencer | From Prison to Purpose PART ONE
Eddie Spencer's life story reads like a modern parable of redemption. From a childhood marked by humiliation and poverty to a young adulthood filled with violent crime, Spencer's trajectory seemed fixed. But what happens when divine intervention meets a willing heart?
The turning point came in first grade when classmates mocked him for wearing secondhand "girl shoes"—the only footwear his family could provide. This single moment ignited a rage that would fuel years of criminal behavior. By 17, Spencer was facing decades behind bars, with multiple stays at training schools already behind him.
"I thought that the lifestyle that I have chosen, this is where I would be basically all my life, a thug, a gangster," Spencer recalls. Yet in 1982, everything changed when he stopped bargaining with God and instead offered unconditional surrender. What followed was an extraordinary transformation that saw him not only reform his own life but also become instrumental in changing countless others.
Perhaps most remarkable is how Spencer's ministry flourished both inside prison walls and after his 1988 release. From the prison sergeant who once beat him but later sent troubled inmates his way, to the muscular football player who approached him years later saying "you speaking changed my life," Spencer's testimony has proven a powerful catalyst for transformation.
The divine poetry of his release date—January 14, 1988—being the exact same date he would later lead prayer at Governor Reed's inauguration twelve years later, showcases the full-circle journey of a man who found his purpose through pain.
Listen as Dawn Beam uncovers this riveting story of second chances, and discover how a life once destined for destruction became a beacon of hope for thousands of troubled youth across Mississippi.
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Speaker 2:One in five are food deprived. Build collaborations and build hope With those who are struggling, with those who are struggling. Hope Mississippi. Welcome to another episode of Hope Mississippi. This is Dawn Beam and I have a special, special treat for you today, my good friend, reverend Eddie Spencer. Welcome, reverend Spencer.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you. Thank you, it's so good. I count it a privilege and honor for not only to be on the podcast but just to see you and thank God for you and see what God's going to do through this ministry here.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I'm going to call you Brother Eddie, because you are a brother in Christ.
Speaker 3:Amen and.
Speaker 2:I want to show that respect, as well as just acknowledge that you are my brother in Christ.
Speaker 3:You can call me Eddie, and that's still the same respect.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you. You know, I am reminded. The first time I heard about you, I was talking to our First Lady, ely Reeves, about stories of hope and she lit up like a Christmas tree and she said you have got to speak to Eddie Spencer and you are an absolute story of hope. Could you tell us just briefly about your childhood and the challenges that you faced as a young child?
Speaker 3:Well, I always tell people I say, you know, a lot of people are poor, but we were poor Just to pee all day. And sometimes we were poor, sometimes I didn't need just to pee oh, then sometime we would. Sometimes I didn't just to pee and but I didn't realize, you know, how poor we was. And I, until one day, I didn't have no shoes to wear to school and and I asked my mom, I said, mom, I need some shoes. And she gave me these pair of shoes to wear to school. And a lot of the clothes and shoes that we received was from what people gave them to us, and sometimes it's secondhand stuff, sometimes third, fourth or whatever people would give us clothes and everything. And so I put these shoes on and I, so excited I had these new pair of shoes. And when I stepped in that classroom, my first grade step in the classroom, and those kids, everybody was looking at me and I was excited because I thought they was looking at me because I had my new shoes on. And I heard somebody say, look at it, spencer, he got little girl shoes on. And I heard somebody say, look at Eddie, spencer, he got little girl shoes on. And even though those shoes during that time was those what they call rock and roll. It was unisex, black and white and everything, but in my community nobody wore them. You know it was upper class that wore them, but those were what I had on and that day it really devastated me.
Speaker 3:I became angry with yes, all the kids and also I became angry with my mom, my dad, especially my dad, because he was one of the ones and I heard him say this and it's always stood in my mind A man, it doesn't matter what you have on your back, don't matter what you have on your head, don't matter what the pants you wear, but it does matter what you wear on your feet. And that right there, my dad. I have a pair of his shoes, a pair of States Adams that he bought in 1972. I still have those and a lot of people ask me say why you buy expensive shoes? Because it doesn't matter what you have on your back, it doesn't matter what you have on your head, but it does matter what you have on your feet.
Speaker 3:And those kids, you know I knew that they didn't intend to hurt me and they probably didn't even know that he hurted me and the teacher told me. He said, eddie, don't let them get to you, go and deal with it and everything. But the only way I knew how to deal with it was to get back at every kid that I saw laughing at me. And that's when that anger just began to build up. And it didn't stop there. It began to just follow me all through my life until I saw anger as a weapon, because when those kids saw me that time being angry, yes there are some that I pushed off the slide board or knocked down in the hall or whatever.
Speaker 3:I tried to get every last one of them back. And also I became angry with my dad to the point that I didn't want him to say anything to me. I told him that I'm in control of my life. He can't tell me what to do. And that's when, all of a sudden, there was other guys who was just like me, who was angry, and I started hanging with them. We started fighting, we started going in people's yards, stealing stuff out of the yard. Then it began to promote from going into their yard and to going to their house and robbing people while they was in their house and everything. Then also, I started coming to school with nice clothes on and a lot of the kids said Boy, you know, I got a shirt like that, I got a coat like that. Well, a lot of them did not realize that that was their coat, that was their shirt that I had stole off their line their clothesline because when I used to walk through the neighborhood and off their line their clothesline because when I used to walk through the neighborhood and saw nice stuff on a clothesline, I would get it because I did not want nobody to ever make fun of me again. That followed me all the way through my life.
Speaker 3:I started out going to Columbia Training School and the judge I never will forget he said Eddie. He said I'm sentencing you to training school hoping that you would get your life together. Now he said that when he first sentenced me. Then that same judge, judge Roden, said to me when he had to certify me as an adult, when I was 15, he certified me as an adult and he said Eddie Spencer, there's nothing that we can do for you. We have tried all that we can. And by that time I had been to Columbia Training School four times and had been to Oakland Training School two times. And here I was now, at the age of 15 years old, being certified as an adult, even though I beat the charge. But a few months later I was right back in front of him and he told me. He said you cannot come back, you've been certified as an adult.
Speaker 3:I was just getting ready to turn 17 when they said Eddie Spencer, if you're found guilty you will go to parchment and if that man died, you will get the death penalty. Will get the death penalty, boy. You know, I guess that was for the first time that I really heard how serious was of my action. You know, that was the first time. And to see my mama crying in front of all these folks crying, begging. The judge said please, whatever you do, don't kill my son, don't kill him. See, she heard the death penalty and automatically she thought that I was going to be put to death and everything. But the man did not die, thank God.
Speaker 3:I received 10 mandatory years for the armed robbery and then I had another aggravated assault charge and they ran the 15 years. But based on what I did on that 10 years, we determined if I would spend time on that 15 years. And here I was just getting ready to turn 17, when I should have been graduating from high school or in college. I was graduating from Columbia Training School, oakland Training School. Now I'm heading to college, to Parchment, and he said the same judge. I went, they took me, he wanted to speak to me. He said, eddie, he said I did all that I could, son, for you, but there's nothing that helped you. I hope, I hope that this will be the turning point in your life.
Speaker 3:And I heard those words and everything, but I really thought that Eddie Spencer could not change. This is the way I was, you know. I thought that the lifestyle that I have chosen, this is where I would be basically all my life, a thug, a gangster, whatever they wanted to call me. That's all I knew. I didn't know, didn't have no working skills. All of my skills was stealing, robbing, fighting and everything. That's basically what I did basically all of my life, from the age of six until the age of even going to prison. And so when they sentenced me to prison and I was going to Parchment and I noticed something about Parchment that basically everybody that was there where they put me.
Speaker 3:I was going to Parchment and I noticed something about Parchment that basically everybody that was there where they put me? They put me at unit one and two with people who was from the age of 16 to the age of one and three, and about every last one of them was ones that I was raised up with in the system.
Speaker 3:So that was back with the same people who I kind of grew up with in the system. So there I was, back with the same people who I kind of grew up with in the system and everything, all of them was there, and so it was easy for me to get right back into that same lifestyle. You know, game banging, fighting and everything taking what you want and there was. You know, a lot of people said was telling me Eddie Spencer, you need to change. If you don't change, son, you're going to get killed.
Speaker 3:I had already been shot four times before I reached the age of 16 years old. I'm done already and use that as a bragging tool. Even when I speak to young people now and share that with them, a lot of them want to brag about the scars that they got where they've been shot or where they've been cut. And I had to tell them. I said, son, this is not something you brag about. This very history has been something that caused you to want to turn around. If I would have died, spiritually speaking, eddie Spencer would have died and spent eternity in hell.
Speaker 3:I'm talking about because I knew that the life that I was living, what it was going to cost me getting back into the same swing, back there at Parchment and following the same guys that I follow. You know, like I said, from training school all the way to Parchment, getting back with those guys. Like I say, I feel like I was at home In 1982, the Lord really just began to deal with me. You know, if somebody would have asked me, eddie Spencer, are you saved? I would have said yes, I'm saved. I've been baptized, and I have been baptized four times because I thought baptism was what really determined if you were saved. So I thought I was saved, even though my life had not changed. And even the churches that I went to, you know, I saw some of the same people who was telling me that I need to change my life, was basically doing some things that was like I was doing and even worse, and so. But then I still was confused. If you asked me, said, will you spend eternity? I would say, well, I guess I will spend eternity in hell by my action.
Speaker 3:Now I was very confused about salvation, but that day, when the Lord began to deal with me, I was sitting on my bed, I was getting ready to take two guys' life. I was thinking about it, two guys that I didn't like. I wanted to show them that they did not mess with Eddie Spencer. The Lord began to speak to me and said Eddie, you can stop now or you can go on. And also he had a lady who was writing me and I never wrote her back and everything. But she would write me letters. You know these pen pairs. She would write me and she said Eddie Spencer, the Lord really really loves you. I said Lord, she must don't know who I am. God don't love me. And she said begin to. She must don't know who I am, god don't love me. And she said begin to share her life story.
Speaker 3:Now I had to have somebody to read the letter to me because I couldn't read. I couldn't even read on a second grade level and she began to share with how that she was in witchcraft and how the Lord delivered her from it was in witchcraft and how the Lord delivered her from it. And when she got delivered, her husband gave her an ultimatum, says he's wanted to. You can go with that church stuff, or either you can turn back around, and if you don't turn back around, this marriage is over. I'm talking about hearing that. I said. She said, but I chose to go with the church because what the Lord Jesus Christ has done in my life and I heard that but I really didn't believe that the Lord could really change me. But that day in 1982, for the first time, not trying to bargain with the Lord See, a lot of times when I prayed I used to always try to bargain with the Lord. Lord, if you touch the judge hard, if you allow me to get a less sin of you, let me get free.
Speaker 3:Lord I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that. I'm going to do that. I'm telling you. I always made those promises.
Speaker 3:And so when I go into the prison, I ask these young guys I say you know, you say you want to give your life to the Lord, but are you trying to put some bargain on that? Are you trying to bargain with the Lord? You can't bargain with God. Are you trying to bargain with the Lord? You can't bargain with God. It's either one of the two. You surrender your life to him or not. And for a long time that's what I did. I tried to bargain with God. God, if you would do this, then I would serve you.
Speaker 3:But that day in 1982 was for the first time that I said Lord, I don't know how you're going to do it. You know the condition of my life. I want to give my life to you and you're going to have to do the rest. And that day I felt such a peace that I never felt before. I felt the presence of the Lord that day in 1982 like I never felt before. And not only that, but I got in my bed, pulled the cover over my head and I just cried. I didn't want nobody else to know that Eddie Spencer was crying. I cried and it was not cry or tears of sadness, but it was just something that was on the inside, just like the Lord was fleshing me out. But I did not tell nobody for several months that I had gave my life to the Lord, because I didn't want them to think that I was weak. I didn't want them to think that they could take advantage of me. So I did not tell anybody for several months and the Lord sent a young man which is one of my best friends right now. Him and his wife Celia sent him during the.
Speaker 3:There was a Bill Glass crusade. We had it about a month before Lee came. But what Bill Glass does? He also sent people to do follow-ups and so Lee was one of those ones that they came in during the follow-up. And he came and and he asked one young man was interested in the Bible study, then another, so it was just a little small group. It was two of them. Then I ended up joining, so it was three of us, then another young man, so it was four. But I still didn't tell nobody that they knew that I was going to Bible study, but they didn't know that I was saved. I didn't want nobody to know that and Lee began to challenge me. He said you need to begin to share.
Speaker 2:As I hear your story, all I can think about is to God be the glory that he really does give us second chances and when we surrender to him, it changes everything. Amen.
Speaker 3:And it does. But I know that when you make a decision in prison or in jail, a lot of people think that, hey, you're doing this because you're locked up. And that's one of the things that I think that every person who goes into the prison, mentioned to prison, need to challenge the people that they are mentioned to. I want you to make this decision because you know without a shadow of a doubt that first of all, you need the Lord. I knew that I need the Lord. My life was so messed up and I believe that if I wouldn't have gave my life to the Lord, jesus Christ, eddie Spencer probably wouldn't have been here today. But when I gave my life and, like I said earlier, I did not tell people that I got saved because people would take advantage of me, just like that sergeant After I had been saved for a few months he said that I said something that I knew that I did not say. He said and he said what did you say? I said I didn't say nothing. He said oh, you calling me a liar? And I said, no, I'm not calling you a liar. And he got a couple of his officers and they beat me in front of all of these guys and everything humiliated me and I was so angry and when they got finished beating me and everything, I ran to my cell. I still had my 13th knife. I didn't feel secure enough in my walk with the Lord to let it go yet and I ran and I grabbed that knife in my hand. The Lord said to me he said, eddie, you can stop now but you can keep on going. And I got in my bed and I cried, but I didn't let. None of the guys knew that I was crying and everything. But God used that same sergeant who had humiliated me, who said that I was a hypocrite, just jailhouse religion and everything, used him to help minister to other young men because he would tell young guys who was coming in, who he kind of feel, that they would not make it without somebody walking with them. And he would tell them say whatever you do, get with that young man there, eddie Spencer, he will watch out for you. And I did not know. You know how God can take out bad and use for his glory. And take out bad and use for his glory. I did not know that God was using my reputation, my boxing experience, which a lot of the guys knew that Eddie Spencer was a good boxer. Eddie Spencer is this angry young man. A lot of them still saw that right there, how God was using that to ask a ministry. Because he told those guys he said get with him and nobody will mess with you.
Speaker 3:Now I would tell young guys, I'd tell them I'd say, hey, whatever you do, don't put yourself in no compromised position where not only that you compromise yourself but also me, because if you go and borrow money from those guys and don't pay them back, you can't come running behind me. If you go and get cigarettes and stuff from those guys knowing that they are charging you, some of those guys, they will charge 50 cents on a dollar and I used to do the same thing 50 cents on a dollar, but if that deadline passed it's become 50 cents every day that that deadline passed. There's some young guys who borrow $5 and end up paying $150, $200 back, you know, just off of $5. You tell them, don't you put yourself in that situation and that's the reason a lot of them they had to call their mama or grandparents and tell them say, hey, they're going to kill me if I don't do this. Now, some of them be real, some of them just using their parents. Now Some of them be real, some of them use their parents. But how God was using that sergeant.
Speaker 3:And then he said to Lee, which was my friend that was coming during the Bible study, that young man, eddie Spencer. The Lord really changed him. Now he is a man who had beat me down and humiliated me, called me all kinds of names, but one of the things about the presence of God in an individual life, it will not go unnoticed. I didn't have to put a big sign on my chest saying I'm saved. God showed me that when a person gives his life unto him, the presence of God will always shine through that individual life. The Lord began to tell me. He said I want you to begin to diminish. So I teamed up with Lee and we started Bible study. And then we started church service, just opened up to a service church service, and that lunchroom was packed and I would love if it was any way possible for you to be able to meet Lee and interview him. You know, just talk about the power of God. It was so powerful.
Speaker 3:That was one of the first times that I saw God working in a prison and these guys who was coming, and some, yes, was not real I'm talking about. You know, there was a lot of them who was I'm talking about, see their lives change and everything I'm talking about. Then the Lord began to open up the door and say, eddie, it's time for not only that you minister here at the prison, but I want you to begin to go and share your testimony all over. So he put me with Project Aware, which was a ministry that they had that would go and speak in the schools, to the kids and churches and wherever they are invited and to share our testimony. So I had the privilege of speaking to thousands and thousands of kids in school and sharing my testimonies, sharing how God changed me, sharing how God changed me and just to show you how God worked.
Speaker 3:I was speaking at Grenada High School. At Grenada High School they have a policy to make sure that you cannot sue them and everything that the students pay the speaker. They had to pay a quarter to come to the assembly and when Dr Taylor, who was the principal then, when he said that, I said, well, I probably won't get enough to buy my gas to go, but that place was packed I'm talking about. I left there. They paid a quarter. I left there with over $300. I'm talking about that, those young people. They came out and it was before school started and what. I did not know that Dr Taylor, when I got through speaking, he said young people. I want y'all to know something. This young man came to my high school when I was in the 11th grade.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 3:And the same thing that he's saying to you all.
Speaker 3:He said to me and it impacted my life. Then also, when I was serving at Galloway the security guard for Lieutenant Governor Holzman, I was standing outside and this guy he way bigger than me, I'm talking muscles and everything and he said I know you don't know me, but I want to refresh your memory. He said do you remember when you came and spoke at Heinz to the football team? And I said yes. He said I want you to know that God used you in my life and you, speaking, changed my life. He said yes. He said I want you to know that God used you in my life and you, speaking, changed my life. He said you scared me to death. Here's a guy weighing almost 400 pounds, all muscle, and a lot of times, see, we limit the power of God by saying is he going to change? Is she going to change? God takes the word, god uses it in their life and I hear testimony like that all over. People say oh, I heard you when you came to my school when you were still locked up and God brought that door open. Then to see God miraculously open up the door for me to get out.
Speaker 3:Governor Bill O'Leary was one of the toughest governors. He passed a law that if you rob somebody you had to do the minimum 10 years before you get out. And when he was getting ready to leave office, cotton and he was a judge His son was on Supreme Court with you, while Governor Waller and Cotton Cotton he had the one leg that was a partner with Governor Waller they put in a petition for me to get pardoned and I knew that Governor Lane was not going to do it. But all the 10 people that he gave a clemency to I mean he gave us a clemency told us, depending on what you do, then you'll be wiped clean. Every last one of them have not gone back. And one of the greatest privilege that I had was I saw Governor Lane at one of my brother-in-law who's a fifth quarter peer judge when he was being promoted. He was there and I was able to put a book in Governor Lane's hand and say I really appreciate you for taking a chance on me. And he said to me he said I knew that there was something about you, that I was willing to take a chance and I really been following. You really appreciate what you are doing and how God opened that door in 1988 for me to walk out. But what's so unique about that? I'll show you how God worked. January the 14th 1988, at 10 o'clock I was released from prison. January the 14th of 2000, I was speaking during the prayer at Governor Reed's inauguration. Look at God, 32 years later. I'm talking about the same time, the same day where God had opened up the door and I knew that he could have got anybody and there may have been some that was mad at him for choosing an ex-convict over them to do the prayer at his inauguration but how God opened up that door.
Speaker 3:When I got out in 1988, I didn't have no life skills or anything, but God put peoples in my life, you know, to help walk with me, help me to get adjusted to society. I knew there was a lot of things that I did not know, but one thing that I knew. I knew there was a lot of things that I did not know, but one thing that I knew that I was not going back. I knew I wasn't going back and the Lord just began to open up doors, same thing that I was doing in the prison. He opened up those doors for me to travel, speaking in school, started working with a youth ministry called Young Life. I had some young guys that I was working with called Young Life. I had some young guys that I was working with.
Speaker 3:We helped dig the foundation for the first two Habitat houses that was built in Mississippi. We helped build in 1988 when they built the first two Habitat houses in Mississippi and I did with some young guys I was working with in my neighborhood, young gang members and everything. We would go up there and we volunteered to help dig the foundation. And there was a pastor named Glenn Martin who was pastor of Broad Meadow United Methodist Church. He said who paying these young guys? I said they are not getting paid, we are doing this free. He said what I want to do and I'm not trying to pay them. If they would give an hour, I would pay them for an hour and those young guys were so happy to get you know the little money that they was getting and so we started from there.
Speaker 3:And then there was a guy named Mike McName who was a volunteer. He said I want to introduce you to a guy who was John Evans. During that time he was the director of Young Life. He said I want to introduce you to him. I met with John and John said we want to start a mentorship over in that area, working in the urban community, but we don't have nobody. Are you willing to keep doing what you're doing, but come on board with us? And I told him I said yes. I said you know I'd be glad to. And God just opened that door. Then God opened up the door with the United Methodist. I used to go up with Keith Tonko and Sam Morrison, go with them to speak up at Lake Julissa as a team. And they asked me said would you consider coming and working with the United Methodist Church? Then I went to St Andrew Mission and became the assistant executive director with St Andrew Mission in Macomb. And so God continued to open those doors. But before then I guess I missed a very important part.
Speaker 1:And that was part one of Don Beam's interview with the Reverend Eddie Spencer. This is Hill Cain. I'm part of the production team here at Hope Mississippi. Be sure to tune in on June 15th to hear the rest of the episode and to learn the identity of the most important person God sent Eddie's way. On behalf of Don Beam and the Hope Mississippi team. Goodbye and God bless.
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