Pastor visits jailed teen accused of torching church vans — then helps change his life forever: 'He gave his life to Christ'

A South Carolina pastor emulated a core teaching of Christianity when he forgave a teenager accused of setting fire to his church's vans.

Earlier this month, South Carolina police arrested 18-year-old Brandon Thomas Greene for allegedly torching two Ford Transit church vans in the parking lot at Philadelphia Baptist Church in Pauline, South Carolina.

'I told him that the church loved him because Christ loved us, and then, long story short, I got to share the gospel with him.'

He was taken into custody on July 5 and charged with two counts of arson.

To be sure, losing the church vans was an inconvenience for Philadelphia Baptist Church. Congregants were planning to use the vans to transport a youth team to a missions event in Kentucky. The departure date was the day after the vans were torched.

However, instead of responding with anger, Philadelphia Baptist Church pastor Kiah Graves visited Greene in jail and extended him forgiveness.

"'Brandon, we forgive you because we've been forgiven of our sins, but we want to know if you understand that,'" Graves recounted to WYFF-TV of the message he delivered to Greene in jail.

But that's not all.

Not only did Graves extend forgiveness, but he also shared the gospel with Greene.

"It was an amazing moment. We hugged each other. I told him that the church loved him because Christ loved us, and then, long story short, I got to share the gospel with him," Graves told WYFF.

"He gave his life to Christ in there, repented of his sins, and wants to be baptized," he explained. "But none of that would have happened, I don't think, if everybody wasn't on the same page of, 'Yes, let's catch him, let's make sure we get that squared away, but also don't leave him by himself.'"

Forgiveness is core to Jesus' teachings. Not only did Jesus emphasize the importance of forgiveness in his Sermon on the Mount, but he repeatedly told parables about the requirement of forgiveness.

Famously, Jesus even told his disciple Peter that forgiveness should be never-ending.

As this situation demonstrates, forgiven people forgive — and receiving the grace of forgiveness contains a transforming power.

"Forgiveness and a hope of redemption for other people, offering second chances, is a way that Spartanburg could be known as one of the best places on Earth to live," Graves told WYFF.

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