At Hope Center, we believe that taking the time to recognize the progress made by our residents does more than just remind them of how far they've come in recovery – it also reminds us of the life-saving nature of our ministry, and why we do what we do.
This Transformation Tuesday we celebrate exactly this sort of change through the testimony of John Neiner, National Recovery Pastor for Hope Center Ministries!
Prior to coming to Hope Center John was locked in what he describes as an 'active' addiction for 17 years. Bouncing between opiates, heroin, fentanyl and meth, his life was ruled by substance abuse from a relatively young age. That isn't to say that there weren't bright spots in the midst of the madness however: while many who struggle with addiction also struggle with simply wanting to 'give up', John found a reason to keep going – and to want to get better – in his children.
But addiction is powerful, and as many addicts know, it sometimes doesn't matter how much we want to be better for the ones that we love; the turmoil that our lives become without our substance of choice brings us low regardless of how chaotic things feel when we're under their influence.
This cycle of insanity defines addiction, and it is often the case that this cycle only ends when the addict has lost something they can't easily get back: either a job, a relationship, or potentially, their lives. In John's case, things came to a head in early 2018 with the loss of custody of his children. By losing his children he also lost control over his addiction, which while active, he had at least been attempting to keep in check for their sake. In the first half of 2018 alone he had 5 separate overdosing incidents that nearly cost him his life.
But while addiction may be defined by the cycle of abuse that keeps many trapped, the story of recovery is always one of perseverance, and John was not ready to give up on life just yet. In November of 2018 John came to Hope Center Ministries by way of our Waverly, TN campus, and like so many before him, found a new path forward by way of spiritual experience; in his case, he states that he literally heard God speaking to him in the kitchen of the Waverly Hope Center, and knew that he was ready to turn his life over to His care.
Through tireless effort in his own life and for others, John became both a Community Leader in the Waverly Center and an impassioned student of God's Word. He graduated our recovery program in November of 2019 and immediately came to work for Hope Center; he knew that his future lay not in attempting to salvage the pieces of the life he'd come from, but in building a brand new life with Christ at its center, and in reaching out to those who were still struggling as he'd struggled before.
Recovery is never an immediate process, and the rewards one finds in embracing that journey don't always present themselves overnight. But through his commitment to himself, to God, and to his children, John slowly began to see the fruits of his labor. In April of 2021 he regained custody of his daughter and slowly began to repair his relationship with his son. In August of 2023 he met the love of his life Robin, who he is now married to. In January of 2024 he was made the National Recovery Pastor for Hope Center Ministries, and only a few months later was able to purchase his first home.
In less than 5 years John went from being lost in addiction and ready to give up on life to becoming a homeowner, a husband, and a nationally-recognized leader in our ministry. In John's own words, "I was saved by God and delivered from my affliction, but it was the Hope Center that taught me to live a life that brings honor and glory to God."
John is a figurehead not only in what he does for our ministry, but for everything our ministry seeks to do for others, and we couldn't be more proud to share his testimony.
This kind of transformation is achievable, and if you're struggling with addiction, we want to help you find it too. Reach out to our admissions coordinators today and let Hope Center Ministries start you on your journey to lasting recovery.