6 | May 2025
Florida-Ohio Partnership: “Only God Could Have Written That Story” By Stephanie Heading, managing editor
While patrolling the streets of Monroe, Ohio, Officer Drew White regularly stopped to make sure the doors of First Baptist Church, now Life Church, were locked. Frequently the doors were open, so Drew and his ser- geant, also a believer, entered the building. “It was pretty often we would come into that old chapel when it would slow down at night, and we would be able to take a break, and we would just pray,” Drew recalled. “We would pray over the church in the city, in our depart - ment, and God did that.” Today, Drew is the pastor of Faith Baptist Church, Lakev - iew, Florida. In 2024, he shared this story with Bill Sar- gent, pastor, Life Church, Monroe, as they became part- ner churches in the Florida-Ohio partnership between Ohio’s Southwest Region and Florida’s Central Region. However, serving as a senior pastor in a Florida church and partnering with an Ohio church are a long way from where Drew thought he would be. Born in West Chester, Ohio, Drew graduated from Lako- ta East High School and spent the first 33 years of his life in southwest Ohio. “I always wanted to be a police officer, and that was my goal,” he said. “That was my plan, and so when I grad- uated high school I got an associate’s degree and then enrolled at the academy in Sharonville.” Drew became a police officer in 2007, was hired full-time by the city of Monroe police department in 2009, and served there until 2018. “The interesting thing was that towards my last three or four years, God really put the call to preach on my heart,
Pastor Drew White and family.
and I ran from it because it wasn’t a part of my plan – it just wasn’t in the cards,” he remembers. “I was a police- man. I’m working the streets. I’m in a city that I love, and I’m close to home. However, God had a plan to get Drew’s attention and brought him to his knees. He was diagnosed with a blood disease called IHA–autoimmune hemolytic anemia. He developed jaundice as his body destroyed his red blood cells and endured a year of treatment to no avail. “It ultimately led to a surgery where I had to have my spleen removed,” he said. After surgery, he stopped running. “I made a commit- ment to him,” he said. “I said, ‘Lord, as soon as I get raised up and you give me health, the very first service I get to I’m going to surrender to the call of ministry.’” As Drew transitioned from police work to full-time min- istry, working nights on patrol in Monroe and attending seminary part-time, God gave him a burden for the offi - cers he worked with. “God also put on my heart to start a Bible study at our local police department,” he said. “I just felt that most of our department was lost or claimed Christ in name, but there was no fruit. I just knew that whatever way God would use me, I needed to be a shining light.” The Monroe police station didn’t have room for groups to meet, so Drew contacted First Baptist Church, now Life Church, where he had stopped to pray on nights when the building was unlocked. “We got permission to use the smaller chapel building, and we started meeting there once a month on Tuesday Story continues on the next page...
Pastor Bill Sargent and family.
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