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Bible-based program helps men fighting addiction

By Bryan Gray
Published  April 17, 2025 6:36pm EDT
What's Right with Tampa Bay
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • A movement began 15 years ago to give hope to men trapped by the cycle of addiction.
    • Today, the Timothy Initiative is changing lives.
    • The program houses 13 men at a time, offering a structured, faith-based approach to healing.

TAMPA - Fifteen years ago, a small but powerful movement began in our community, offering hope to men trapped in the cycle of addiction. 

Today, that movement called the Timothy Initiative is changing lives. 

The story is "What's Right With Tampa Bay." 

This Bible-based program helps men fight addiction, not just with treatment, but with purpose. 

"Timothy Initiative is an organization set up to disciple and lead men from where they have been in their past through addiction and recovery into where God wants them to be," said Brad Ewert, Executive Director of Timothy Initiative. 

The Timothy Initiative is proving that faith and mentorship can be powerful tools in the battle against substance abuse. 

With an 80% success rate two years after completion, the results speak for themselves. 

"When trials and tribulations come up, these guys know where to go," said Ewert. "They know to go back to their faith and to lean into God during those seasons." 

Ewert, the CEO, knows this battle firsthand. He once struggled with alcohol, and he now leads the program with a passion rooted in personal experience. 

"If we give God that opportunity to work in our lives, he can do transformational things," said Ewert. "Things that the world would say are impossible become possible through the Lord." 

The year-long residential program begins with 90 days focused solely on recovery. After that, men are coached into the workforce, learning trades, securing jobs, and reintegrating into society. 

"To see a guy overcome generational curses in his life, and be able to have hope, and to be able to have a future, and to be able to have opportunity that he never would have otherwise had," Ewert explained. 

One key to the program's success? Mentorship. Graduates of the program return to mentor others, creating a cycle of encouragement and accountability. 

"It's literally brothers in Christ, coming alongside one another and lifting each other up out of the pit of despair," Ewert said. 

Ewert says the transformation is more than just sobriety, it's about restoring lives, families, and futures. 

The program currently houses 13 men at a time, offering a structured, faith-based approach to healing and hope.

To learn more or find out how you can support the Timothy Initiative, click here.

The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13 journalist Bryan Gray.

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