Matt Pitt attempting to save ‘everybody in this jail’
By Gary Lloyd
TRUSSVILLE — The jail, a typically dejected place, a home behind bars for murderers, thieves and perpetual law-breakers, was alive.
One inmate, Brandon, came to the Shelby County Jail, a place he had been before. He expected to be discouraged, to be down and out until the bars clinked open and let him out for good. The experience, however, was different.
Brandon’s cellmate was 30-year-old Matt Pitt, a youth evangelist and The Basement founder, jailed until sometime in the late summer of 2014 on a probation revocation, which stems from a June 15 incident in Grayson Valley in which Pitt allegedly identified himself as part of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Pitt was charged with impersonating a peace officer. He was charged last year in Shelby County with the same offense after allegedly flashing blue lights on the interstate in Calera. Pitt is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Dec. 9 in Jefferson County on the most recent charge.
Brandon, now out of Shelby County Jail, never saw Pitt down and out, never saw him discouraged. Pitt, whose probation was revoked last month by Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Dan Reeves, has been performing Bible studies with inmates, trying to reach as many convicted felons in the various cell blocks as he can.
“We turned that jail from a jail where everybody was bound and frustrated and in despair to people that were jumping for joy, loving God, reading the Bible,” Brandon said in an Oct. 31 YouTube interview with The Basement. “He encouraged me to hope and to dream.”
Pitt has phone privileges from jail, and he uses the opportunity each week to call in to The Basement services, which are held in Trussville in a building off Main Street. The Basement security director Vince Lovell said when Pitt calls on Fridays, the services are called “Free Pitt Fridays.” Lovell’s cell phone is connected to a sound system, and Pitt will perform part of the service, read announcements, encourage followers, talk about life behind bars. Most of his phone calls last 15 minutes or less.
“This is so encouraging,” Pitt said through the static of a jail phone in the Oct. 31 video, describing the letters and postcards he’s received from around the world and locally.
Sometimes, other inmates are able to share their stories, of how they hit rock bottom and are on their way back up because of Pitt’s encouragement.
“The stories are endless,” Lovell said.
The Shelby County Jail website lists Pitt’s visitation is from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Lovell said Pitt visits with family once per week. Lovell talks to him a few times per week, updating him on his family and the ministry. Pitt has a good attitude, despite not understanding why he’s jailed without bond, Lovell said. He’s using his time in jail to do what he’s done for almost 10 years, to reach people through the gospel, Lovell said.
“He has an unbreakable faith,” Lovell said. “He’s doing the same things, he’s reaching the same people. He’s not a sit-still kind of person.”
Lovell described the jail as a “mini Basement,” a place that is like a church that has new members each week. The revolving door of inmates is his flock. Pitt said in the Oct. 31 YouTube video that he’s “using everything I can to see everybody in this jail get saved.”
“It’s just who he is,” Lovell said. “It’s his heartbeat. It’s just his heartbeat to reach out to people. He’s learned to be content in every situation, to be content in where God has him at the moment.”
In that same video, Pitt caused a bit of a stir when he described his faith with the other inmates, encouraging them to attend The Basement when they are freed from jail because the services include “beautiful women there that love God.”
Pitt said in the video that he believes that God is using The Basement to reach inmates, that God sent him inside the jail walls to minister to them. Pitt said in the video that The Basement followers have stood with him and have made God famous.
“We’re not perfect,” Pitt said. “We’re just forgiven. Sometimes, God takes you to the bottom before he takes you to the top.”
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.