Pastor Sean, Wife Natalie, children: Grace (l) and Elijah (r).

Hope Church

Contact: 5651 Water St. La Mesa 619-922-1547 www.hopechurchsandiego.com

Attendance: 125-150

Pastor: Sean Beaudoin

Age: 44 

Born: San Diego 

Formation: 8 years in county, state, and federal prison as a six-time convicted felon; Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA; Gateway Seminary, Mill Valley; North Central Theological Seminary, St. Petersburg, FL

Years Ordained: 8

San Diego Reader: Why did you become a pastor?

Pastor Sean Beaudoin: Most of the charges I was sentenced for involved selling marijuana (which I did most of my life) and possession of firearms in my house. When they raided my house for marijuana, they found a pistol. I got charged for both. I never thought I’d be a pastor. I have tattoos and stuff. I was doing a year inside the county jail. I wasn’t a Christian yet, but I believed there was a God up there somewhere. I would pray, and I prayed the same prayer everyone prays who is in jail: “Dear Lord, please let this be the last time going to jail.” Then I heard a “No.” It wasn’t an audible voice, but it was a strong thought inside my head. I asked again and heard another “No.” I thought, “This praying doesn’t work.” Then, one day, I was in my bunk, staring at the ceiling, daydreaming. I saw myself preaching behind a pulpit, and I heard, “You’re going to be a pastor and you’re going to serve me.” I laughed out loud and said, “Yeah, right. Not me.” I got out of prison, forgot about it, and moved to Vegas. I started doing some illegal activities, so much so that I thought I was Scarface. Then I started going to state and federal prison. I was in federal prison for four years and was released when I was 33 — Christ’s age when he was crucified. That’s when I thought about that daydream. I found a Bible and started reading it—five times, front to back. I got released from Federal prison, and wanted to go to a church so God could show me something real. The next day, I sat in front at a church so I wouldn’t miss anything. People around me were putting their hands up on the sky, and I said, “Okay, God, I’m here. I’ll serve you. I’ll do whatever you want me to do, but you got to show me it’s real.” Then I started bawling like a baby and went out to the lobby and sat down. I went through hot and cold sweats; I wasn’t sick and I wasn’t coming down off drugs. A security guard at the church came up to me and said, “That’s the Holy Spirit.” That’s when it hit me: it’s just what I had asked for. For the first time, I realized God was real, and therefore my sins and all the bad things I did were real. When I finally got up, I saw an application on a table for an interim pastor. I filled it out and started going to seminary. I had a number of great mentors and started reading about leadership and what it took to become a pastor. About two years later, I was ordained a pastor.

SDR: Where do you go when you die?

PB: It’s either heaven or hell. Based on the Bible, if you believe in Jesus, you’re going to be with him in heaven, and if you don’t believe in Jesus, unfortunately, you’re not going to go to heaven. You will go to hell. I wish it wasn’t true, but I believe it because the Bible says it’s so.