Dear Editor,

On Sunday, May 11, a young teenager was baptized in our church (Savannah Christian Effingham campus) because a judge had court ordered him to attend church as part of his obligation to settle a speeding ticket.

He chose our church and had our pastor sign an attendance paper to return to the judge. He continued to attend church after his obligation was met and made the decision to be baptized.

On Thursday, May 8, I spent an hour in the Rincon Municipal Court awaiting my turn to plea to a speeding ticket (be careful of the 25 mph zones in Rincon). There were more than 50 people in that room and I listened to case after case (as they started in alphabetical order and I am an “R”), where the presiding judge, Tom Edenfield, would require defendants to attend the church of their preference in return for a lesser sentence. One woman he even told, “God is the only one who can help you now.”

I was so impressed with his compassion and insight to point these people in the right direction and couldn’t help but think when I was watching the young man being baptized in our church that Judge Edenfield was the same judge who put this young man on a path that will change his life forever. Although this was my very first court appearance for a ticket, I was truly grateful to be able to hear this wonderful judge.

Thank you, Judge Tom Edenfield, for making a difference in our community.

Stacy Rowbal