Melvin Arnold

The events leading up to my new life began when my next-to-youngest daughter, Cathy, started attending Sunday school at the Apostolic Faith Church. She was invited there by a school friend, Bonnie McCarville. The McCarvilles had recently moved to the area and were living a block away at the time.

I was a middle-aged man, seemingly successful in life, with a good family and a good job, but something was missing. I drank on the weekends and partied with friends. My home was nearly broken up over my drinking. You see, when I drank I became mean, abusive, and threatening to my family, sometimes forcing them to leave the house in fear for their safety. I carried a sawed-off shotgun under the front seat of my car. Twice I tried to kill someone. Once, a man just rounded the corner as I shot at him. God in His infinite mercy let me miss. Another time, I woke up lying on the ground in the Van Buren, Arkansas, river bottoms, robbed and helpless. God had spared my life again. He was working; He had a plan. Cathy would come home from Sunday school, excited and singing, telling us what she had heard. Several times, Bonnie and Cathy invited me to church to hear them sing. I always wanted to go, but just could not bring myself to do it.

My wife, Marcella, was completely miserable as a result of my behavior, and chose to wrap up her life in our eight children. To clear her mind, she would sometimes take evening walks around the neighborhood. On these walks, she passed by the Apostolic Faith Church on Johnson Street. Three doors down, she also passed by Sister Puckett’s house. She was one of the ladies in the church. Sister Puckett would see Marcella walking past and, sensing that she was burdened, pray for her. Eventually they became friends, and my wife decided to visit her church.

On August 8, 1971, Marcella went to church and gave her heart and life to God. Immediately, I saw a real change in her. Her focus became centered on God. I saw her live differently in our home. She was a true Christian. Sad to say, I became even worse. I was insanely jealous of her. I would get drunk and accuse her of horrible things, calling her terrible names, and threatening her and the family.

One day, when I had been drinking, I held a gun on her, squeezing the trigger until my knuckles were white. Then, suddenly, our son fell out of a tree! Although drunk, I sensed he was badly hurt and I threw the gun down. As I ran to check on him Marcella grabbed the gun and hid it. Our son recovered soon after, but I did not. Things of that nature went on for years, until finally she could not take anymore. She went to the pastor of the church and told him she was going to leave me.

She did not leave right then, but a little while later on a Sunday, I was thrown into jail drunk. Marcella bailed me out so I could try to sober up to get to work that evening, but I would not leave the booze alone. For three days I drank until I passed out, woke, and drank again. Marcella already had plans to stay in an apartment behind her mother’s house, across from the church, so I knew she would leave me this time. I was so miserable I didn’t want to live anymore.

I felt so light that I believe I would have floated out of there if I hadn’t held on to the altar. I felt so free!

Marcella told the McCarvilles what her plans were and asked them to pray. On April 9, 1972, a Wednesday afternoon, they came by to see me. Thank God for caring Christian people! My son Bobby answered the door and, even though I told him not to let them in, somehow they made it over to where I was. I had been listening over and over to the Gospel song “On the Wings of a Snow White Dove.” Somehow the song was touching my heart. When I told them how miserable I was, they knew it was God’s conviction and laughed with the realization that God was working. Not understanding what was happening to me, their laughter made me angry. Before they left, they invited me to church and asked if they could pray with me. After we prayed, my wife came home and told them they were just wasting their prayers. She had given up on me. Thank God, He hadn’t!

That night I kept my promise and went to the service. Though still drunk when I walked in the door of the church, I felt something I had never felt before. Dear old Brother Charles Bransecum grabbed my hand, welcoming me with a smile from ear to ear. It seemed like he grinned all over as he shook my hand. Sitting in the meeting, big tears started flowing down my face; I tried to hide them with a song book. The Christians looked like angels to me! I was so tired of the life I was living. At the close of the service, I went forward to the altar bench at the front of the church to pray. I don’t remember all that I said, but I truly repented of my life of sin. I told God, “If You will change my heart and life, I will serve You the rest of my days.” Suddenly a miracle happened. The old burden of sin lifted! I felt so light that I believe I would have floated out of there if I hadn’t held on to the altar. I felt so free! Somebody ran across the street and told my mother-in-law. We hadn’t gotten along in years, but she came over and hugged me. What a change! I was a new creature in Christ Jesus. Thank God for true salvation!

From that moment on, I haven’t touched another drop of liquor, smoked another cigarette, or wanted to go back to that old life of sin. Shortly thereafter, I received my sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Ghost. My marriage was restored, and I have been happy and content since giving my heart and life to God.

After a time, Brother Melvin Trotter asked me about being part of the Fort Smith jail ministry. I said, “No, I’ve spent enough time there already in the drunk tank.” He didn’t pressure me, but after praying about it for awhile, I decided to try it one Sunday. From then on, I have never missed going. I love to tell the fellows about what God did for me and that He can do the same for them. Someone told our neighbor, Mr. Oliver, about the changes in my life. He said, “Oh no, not the Red Arnold I know. You must be talking about someone else.” He could not believe it.

It is not always easy being a Christian. Difficult times come to God’s children and sinners alike. About three years after I was saved, my daughter Cathy was killed by a hit-and-run drunk driver. We buried her on her fifteenth birthday. Looking back, if God had not changed my heart, I would have killed that driver. Instead, God helped me to forgive her. A few months later, a large portion of our home was burned. Our personal tragedies continued when we lost our oldest son through a heart attack, and one daughter, who was seven months pregnant, lost her husband.

Not long afterward, I cut off two of my fingers on a table saw at work–they were almost completely severed. The doctor said they would never recover, but he didn’t know my Jesus. I told him to sew them back on and now they are as good as new. Prayer works! I’ve often wondered, “Why, God, did all this happen after I gave my life to You?” But God knew these things would have happened anyway. He prepared me for them and His ways are best.

Since my conversion, my life has never been the same. Loving the Lord and my family, and telling others what God can do for them, has made my life complete. My heart now sings His praise. I especially love that old Gospel hymn, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now I see.”

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Red Arnold was a member of the Apostolic Faith Church in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where he served God faithfully until his death in 2000.