Buying Cocaine, Preaching Christ: The Undercover Pastor Who Kept Faith in the Darkest Corners

Pastor Dale Sutherland walked a dangerous line between the sacred and sinful for two decades. As a youth minister in Washington, D.C., he spent his days guiding troubled youth towards a better path. By night, however, he donned the guise of a narcotics officer, delving into the dark underworld of drugs, violence, and vice during the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s and '90s.

Sutherland’s dual life was fraught with danger. Posing as a pimp or drug buyer, he found himself in the heart of difficult situations. “It was crazy,” he confessed, recalling the stark contrast between his daily sermons and the shadowy work by night. The job required him to navigate a world teeming with temptations, from alcohol-laden clubs to the grimy streets where crime ruled.

His faith, however, remained unshaken. Despite the moral challenges, Sutherland stayed faithful to his calling, using his experiences to connect with those he ministered to. After retiring from the police force in 2013, he continued his mission as a pastor at CityLight Church in Virginia, now focusing on healing the rift between law enforcement and the community through his nonprofit, Code 3 Association.

The pastor’s journey was not without close calls. One such moment occurred in 1992 when a young informant he had befriended was shot dead during a drug bust gone awry. Sutherland was late to the meeting, a delay that likely saved his life but cost the informant his.

Through it all, Sutherland’s faith only deepened. “I realized how final this life is,” he reflected, recognizing that only Christ offers true certainty in an uncertain world. Despite witnessing the worst humanity has to offer, Sutherland never lost sight of the grace that guided him through those dark times.

Now, Sutherland channels his experiences into his ministry, reaching out to those still in the grip of darkness. His podcast, “Cops, Criminals, and Christ,” shares stories of faith in law enforcement, while his partnership with God Behind Bars brings his message to prisoners nationwide.

“In my police career, I used to lock people up, but now, in my ministry career, we’re setting people free,” Sutherland said, reflecting on a life that has seen both the best and worst of the human spirit, yet always clung to hope.