God's straight shooter

 
CRESTVIEW - It might seem a bit of a stretch going from a police marksman to a full-time minister at a local church.
But for Dave Bracewell, newly appointed pastor of recreational outreach at Central Baptist Church, both jobs involve doing God's work, just in a different ways.
"There you warn people about jail, here you warn them about hell," Bracewell said. "It has its similarities."
"If you read Romans 13 in context, it's talking about your police officers. It's a God-ordained ministry," he said. "I still miss it every time I read about a bust or I hear a siren going down the road."
The transition from the beat to the ROC - Central Baptist's Recreational Outreach Center - went smoothly. "It's going great and I'm lovin' it," Bracewell said. "It's wonderful."
Most of Pastor Bracewell's adult life has been an interesting juxtaposition between law enforcement and the ministry.
Just two years after he was saved at age 16, "I felt the Lord calling me to the ministry," he recalls.
He joined the police reserves in 1994, becoming a full-time officer a year later. Promoted in 1998 to sergeant, he became active in community service in 2002.
At the same time he became pastor of Shepherd's Church. In 2003 he was appointed the Crestview Police Department chaplain, a position he still retains having gone to reserve officer status.
"I hope to expand that capacity," said Bracewell, who hopes to add more ministers to the police chaplaincy.
While a Crestview police officer, Bracewell became a marksman on the S.W.A.T. force.
"There's a certain call to duty to be a marksman," he explained. "Even in Delta Force, they prefer to have someone who is deeply religious or deeply philosophical."
His police work, including a sharpshooter's duties, was part of his calling, Bracewell said.
"Because of Romans 13, because it is a God-ordained job and we don't carry the sword in vain, we had that obligation," he said. "It was our duty."
Citing Bible heroes such as King David and Joshua, Bracewell said he has never had a conflict of interest.
"You look at some of the most mighty men of God in Scripture, they were warriors," he adds. "It's not always a warm, fuzzy, Kumbaya kind of thing."
The idea of revitalizing the ROC actually came while Bracewell was on patrol.
Investigating a broken window at the ROC, he learned the center had been closed down for a while. Having been actively involved with community police work, he was also familiar with the ROC's benefits to local young people, and how its programs kept many off the streets.
"They had 85 kids on a week night coming over here," he said. "They were really looking for someone to minister to them."
Bracewell went home, prayed about it, and realized it was a calling.
"I had to leave the Shepherd's Church," Dave said. "That was hard and we prayed about it. But Brother Bob (Chase, pastor at Central Baptist) said you have to do what's best for the Kingdom. It was one of those preacher questions."
With facilities including a full gymnasium with a stage, weight room, commercial kitchen, and 25-yard, four-lane pool, Dave Bracewell was charged with initiating any programs he wants, limited only by his imagination.
Plans include a basketball program and Cross Kicks, a Christian martial arts program.
Bracewell re-opened the ROC on June 2.
"We're looking to get some organized activities going on, but while we're doing that, we want to make sure we're honoring the Lord," he said.
Some of the young people in his new ministry aren't strangers.
"We're working with a lot of the same kids we came across in the police department," Bracewell said. "It's a great opportunity to make an eternal difference."

CHECK IT OUT:
For information about Central Baptist Church's ROC and its programs, contact Pastor Dave Bracewell at (850) 682-5525, Ext. 221.