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Our History
Converting Hearts Ministries was founded in 2007 by Carlton and Wayne Edwards situated in rural North Carolina. Although our farm-based facility primarily serves Wake and its surrounding counties, CHM has rescued hundreds of men from the state and continues to grow in popularity all throughout the Nation. CHM is a live-in facility meeting each individual where they are to provide hope and guidance with the love of Christ.
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Our Purpose
To reach broken families through the power of the gospel as an extension of the local church, and to produce a measurable impact at home, at work, and in the community.
Our Mission
To rescue men from addiction… for life.
This is what we believe.
These are the Pillars of CHM.
Our staff could tell you what we believe and are dedicated to teaching here at CHM day in and day out, but we would rather let the men in our program tell you for themselves!
The Pillars of CHM
We have a sin problem.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” John 8:34
We believe that we are all conceived in sin (Psalm 51:5) and not only that but we are enslaved to it until Christ sets us free. Many of the men who come into our program know that they have an addiction problem, but few know that they truly have a sin problem and Christ is the only fix. The goal at Converting Hearts is not mainly sobriety, but converted hearts for Christ!
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
John 8:36
2. Gods word is truth - The divinely powerful tool.
“The word of the Lord is perfect, converting the heart”
Psalm 19:7
We believe that God uses the inspired word of God to transform our hearts and lives. It is the only tool that breaks through our hearts of stone.
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
John 8:32
3. Gods word is Gods thoughts.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord.” Isaiah 55:8
This is a major pillar here at CHM. We make an effort not to bring our own opinions or solutions to the table. Why? Because there is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death (Proverbs 14:12). In a world filled with rehabilitation programs filling minds with man-centered fixes, we stand on Gods word alone for the true fix...salvation!
Jesus said if you want to find God’s way follow Me for "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. “ John 14:6
4. Faith comes by hearing.
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17
“Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?” Romans 10:13-14
We do not claim to convert hearts here at CHM, but we do proclaim the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). We believe our work here is to replace what the addict has been filling themselves with, (their drug of choice) with the perfect word of the Lord. Perhaps they may be granted repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth!
Many of the men who enter our program have never read a Bible in their life. We provide them with their very own Bible and teach them as much as we are able to during their 90 days, but we give God all the glory for every transformed heart.
5. Christ is God our Savior.
“But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us” Titus 3:4
Our ministry would not exist if it was not for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the freedom we can now boast in because He paid the price for our wretched and sin enslaved hearts. Apart from Him, we have no hope.
CHM is a very unusual program. While the lion's share of rehabs in this world will acknowledge the need for some generic “higher power”, the lamp...the doorknob...Harry Potter, we point men to the only God and Savior Jesus Christ and a personal relationship with Him. If a man receives Christ, he’s receiving the one who is able to keep him from relapsing.
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 1:24-25
6. The Holy Spirit produces the change.
“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” Titus 3:5
Just as Jesus paid the price we never could, the Holy Spirit also has an irreplaceable role in our transformation. Men come into our program thinking change is impossible. Well, what is impossible with man, is possible with God. God is the Savior and salvation includes sanctification which means change. The Holy Spirit is the difference maker...the change agent. Jesus prays to the Father, “sanctify them in truth, Your word is truth.” (Jn 17:17) The powerful combination of the work of the Holy Spirit and the living and active word of God makes CHM a very successful rehab for God’s glory.
“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” Ezekiel 36:25-27
7. Therefore we are new in Christ.
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
We are so thankful to work in a ministry where we literally get to see the transforming work of God in men’s lives. God isn’t satisfied simply forgiving us of our sin. He also transforms us into new creations, able to live our lives for His glory and the good works He has prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
We say it often, true and lasting sobriety is not in the absence of a substance, but in the presence of God!
“that in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” -Ephesians 4:22-24
8. Now we walk by the Holy Spirit.
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit" Ephesians 5:18
Many of the men who come to us know and feel convicted that they shouldn’t be getting drunk, but few of them know there’s clear scripture commanding them not to. We not only teach the absence of drunkenness, but also the second command in this verse which is to be filled with the Spirit instead.
Colossians 3:16 tells us to Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, the key to being filled with His Spirit is to put in deep amounts of Gods Word. Addiction is a life guided by a heavy consumption of substances…A Spirit led life is a life guided by a heavy consumption of Scripture.
You can only white knuckle your personal brand of sin for so long, or we may even replace one sin addiction for another, but our only help is in the Helper (the Holy Spirit) who not only helps us resist and die to our flesh by giving us self control (Galatians 5:22-23), but He also replaces our desires for sin with Godly desires. He truly converts the heart!
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16
Meet our staff.
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Doug Lovette
Executive Director
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Brad Hatley
Director of Discipleship
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Chris Combs
Teacher/Counselor
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Morgan Lovette
Marketing Coordinator
Board of Directors
Wayne Edwards
Co-Owner Cozart & Edwards PA
Co-Founder Converting Hearts Minsitries
Gerald Lloyd
Granville County Vice-President Market Executive
Kevin Haynes
VP, Client Acquisition: Cloud Construction.
Dr. Samuel Winchester
Retired VP Operations Shepherds Theological Seminary
Stephen Pritchett
Pastor, Counseling & Care: The Shepherd’s Church
Carlton Edwards
Co-Founder & Thrift Store Manager
Converting Hearts Ministries