Warrior Stories
April 2026
Lives are being changed every day at Warriors Center. Before we share this month’s story and a few important updates, David wanted to say a brief word.
A NOTE FROM DAVID
Over the past several months, I have been reminded again and again of the power of a changed life.
At Warriors Center, we don’t measure success by numbers alone. We see it in men and women who come to us broken and uncertain, and through faith, structure, and hard work, begin to rebuild their lives one day at a time.
What continues to encourage me most is not just the transformation that takes place inside our centers, but what happens after. When someone steps into responsibility, into purpose, and into a future they once believed was out of reach, it is a powerful reminder of what God can do.
In this update, I want to share one of those stories with you. It’s a story of growth, leadership, and the kind of life change that is possible when someone is given both a second chance and the tools to move forward.
Thank you for continuing to stand with us and make this work possible.
Under His Command,
David Vincent
Founder & CEO
From the Edge of Losing Everything to Leading Others: Matthew Ince’s Story
“They won’t think I’m crazy today.”
That’s what Matthew Ince told himself one morning early in his time at Warriors Center. He had just been told he might be sent to a psychiatric hospital. So he got up, showered, shaved, and put on his nicest clothes, hoping that if he looked normal, maybe everything else would be too.
But nothing about his life was normal at that point.
Not long before, Matthew had been a strong student and athlete with Division I baseball opportunities in front of him. For years, the game had given his life structure, purpose, and identity. But when that chapter came to an end, something deeper was exposed. The routine was gone. The direction was gone. And in its place was a kind of emptiness he didn’t know how to handle.
That’s when the pills entered the picture. What started as a way to cope slowly turned into something he couldn’t control. Alcohol followed. Then meth. And before long, everything began to unravel.
He lost direction. He lost stability. He found himself caught in a cycle of addiction that led to petty crime, nearly a year in the Shelby County Penal Farm, and eventually homelessness. The deeper he fell into meth use, the more his mind began to slip. By early 2020, even his own family feared he was losing his sanity.
Matthew had actually been to Warriors Center once before in 2019, but he only stayed a month. At the time, he wasn’t ready. But now, everything was different. He had reached the end of himself.
In desperation, he turned to prayer. And in that moment, he felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Direction. He believed God was calling him to go back…to give Warriors Center another chance. In January of 2020, Matthew returned, not because he had it all together, but because he had nowhere else to go.
The beginning wasn’t easy.
Matthew walked back into a structured environment filled with early mornings, shared rooms, and expectations he wasn’t used to meeting. Nearly 70 men. A 5:30 a.m. wake-up call. Daily discipline. And all of it while his mind was still clouded from meth, wrestling with paranoia and instability.
There were moments he wanted to leave. But this time, he didn’t. He knew he was at the end of his rope, and for the first time, walking away wasn’t really an option.
As the weeks passed, something began to change. His mind started to clear. The fog lifted just enough for him to begin thinking differently. More importantly, his relationship with God began to grow. What started as desperation slowly became something steady…something real.
After a few months, that change began to take shape in visible ways. Matthew was baptized at Bellevue Baptist Church. He stepped into HVAC training. He volunteered to help renovate the future Hardeman County women’s center and was eventually trusted to lead the crew. During the day, he worked the program. At night, he kept working, building skills and learning what it meant to be dependable again.
He completed the program and graduated in February of 2021. But for Matthew, that wasn’t the finish line. It was the beginning of something he hadn’t thought possible just a year earlier.
He was asked to serve as the maintenance lead across Warriors Center locations, taking responsibility for multiple campuses. Not long after, he stepped into the role of Executive Director in Bolivar, where he learned what it truly meant to lead. Not from a distance, but by serving the men walking through the same struggles he once faced.
Later, he was ordained into ministry, a milestone that reflected how fully his life had been redirected. What once felt broken and directionless had become grounded in faith, purpose, and a calling to serve others.
That same mindset carried into his work with Lion Company. What began as an opportunity to grow the construction side of the ministry turned into something much bigger. Today, Matthew serves as General Manager of Lion, helping grow the organization from less than $100,000 in annual revenue to more than $2.5 million in 2025. But for him, the work has never just been about the numbers. It’s about creating opportunity…giving men a chance to rebuild their lives the same way he did.
His life today looks nothing like it did when he walked through the doors in 2020. He is now married to Holly, a fellow graduate and former Warriors Center leader who now serves as Chief Operating Officer for Warriors Center USA. Together, they’ve built a life centered on faith, service, and family, including time spent with grandchildren and moments that would have felt impossible not long ago.
Matthew often tells others not to believe the lie that they have to keep living the way they are. Real change is possible. But it starts with humility…with letting go of pride, asking for help, and being willing to take that first step. For him, Warriors Center wasn’t just a program. It was the place where he found his life, his purpose, and a future he never thought he would have.
Matthew and Holly today
The Role of Lion Company
Stories like Matthew’s don’t happen by accident. For many of the men and women at Warriors Center, real change begins to take shape through meaningful work. Lion Company plays a critical role in that process, placing residents in structured, real-world job training where they can build skills, grow in responsibility, and prepare for long-term stability.
Residents working through Lion Company
Lion offers training and employment in HVAC, electrical, plumbing, painting, sheetrock, and general construction. At any given time, between 10 and 15 residents from Memphis, Bolivar, and Olive Branch are actively participating in job training through Lion.
Today, 13 graduates of the program, including administrative staff, are working full time at Lion Company. More than 80 percent of residents who complete job training step into jobs in that same field after graduation. Most remain with Lion, while others move into outside employment opportunities.
This is where recovery becomes tangible. Through consistent work, practical training, and daily accountability, Lion helps turn progress inside our centers into lasting momentum beyond them. Learn more about Lion Company.
What’s Happening Now
New Albany Transition from Helena
Our women’s program has officially transitioned from Helena to New Albany, Mississippi. With greater capacity, stronger community support, and closer proximity to our other centers, this move positions us for long-term growth and impact.
Learn more about our New Albany center →
Revive Memphis: 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting
Revive Memphis is bringing together our staff, residents, churches, and community for 21 days of prayer, fasting, and faith. Each night has created space for people to seek God and experience renewal together.
Learn more about Revive Memphis →
James Road & Walnut Grove Expansion
Through Operation Believe Memphis, we have acquired two large properties that will significantly expand our ability to serve. These facilities will allow us to reach more individuals and families who need recovery but currently cannot access our program.
Celebrating Our March Graduates
Lives Changed • New Beginnings • Purpose Restored
In March, we celebrated two graduates from our program, one from Memphis and one from Bolivar. Each represents a life changed through faith, discipline, and the daily work of recovery.
So far this year, 8 men and women have graduated from Warriors Center programs across Memphis, Bolivar, and Olive Branch.
Alex (Memphis)
Alex came to Warriors Center from detox, struggling with alcohol addiction and in a deeply broken place. Within a few months, he began to fully engage in the program, going beyond expectations and committing himself to real change. Staff quickly saw a dramatic shift in his attitude and direction.
Today, Alex is living in sober living in Memphis and working full time at Memphis Country Club. “I didn’t know if I would live to see another birthday, but God led me here and now I know I will.”
Jeremy (Bolivar)
Jeremy arrived at Warriors Center straight from jail, carrying anger, isolation, and a deep belief that change wasn’t possible. There wasn’t much hope left, and he didn’t think his life could look any different.
But through the program, something began to shift. Jeremy developed a new attitude and a willingness to change, learning how to face life without drugs and realizing they were never the answer. More importantly, he came to understand that he was not alone—that God had been with him all along.
Today, Jeremy is building a new foundation for his life. Through his work with The Lion Company, staying consistent in his responsibilities, and remaining grounded in the Word, he continues to grow in strength, stability, and purpose.
“Don’t leave before the miracle happens. The miracle is in the changes you make for yourself.”
Lives Are Being Changed Right Now
Every day, men and women walk through our doors broken by addiction, hopelessness, and loss. And every day, we watch God begin to rebuild their lives from the inside out.
They are finding freedom. They are being restored to their families. They are stepping into a future they never thought possible.
But none of this happens without people who choose to stand with us. Monthly partners are what allow us to say yes to the next man or woman who needs help. If God is moving you, please step in and make it possible.