Joshua Vaughn (Narrator/Reporter)

Hello, this is a prepaid call from... An inmate at the Dauphin County Detention Facility. To accept this call, press... Hey, how you doing?

Hello, this is a prepaid call from... An inmate at the Dauphin County Detention Facility. To accept this call, press... Hey, how you doing?

They turned on all the electricity, y'all. We were just eating in the dark. Dark place, lunch and dinner in the dark. They had to use the bathroom in the dark. How long was the electricity off for? 17 days with no electricity.

They turned on all the electricity, y'all. We were just eating in the dark. Dark place, lunch and dinner in the dark. They had to use the bathroom in the dark. How long was the electricity off for? 17 days with no electricity.

Wondery Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of Death County PA early and ad-free. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. It was a cloudy Sunday morning when Justin Douglas got to the Bridge Church.

Wondery Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of Death County PA early and ad-free. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. It was a cloudy Sunday morning when Justin Douglas got to the Bridge Church.

The Bridge Church is about eight miles east of Harrisburg and Dauphin County Prison. At that time, Justin didn't have much reason to think about the jail. It was just a simple rectangular brick building, kind of like his church, pretty drab and unassuming. Justin, on the other hand, is a sight to behold. He's a big guy with a beard, visible tattoos on his arms, and gauged ears.

The Bridge Church is about eight miles east of Harrisburg and Dauphin County Prison. At that time, Justin didn't have much reason to think about the jail. It was just a simple rectangular brick building, kind of like his church, pretty drab and unassuming. Justin, on the other hand, is a sight to behold. He's a big guy with a beard, visible tattoos on his arms, and gauged ears.

He looks like he's in a rock band, not a pastor at a small Pennsylvania church. And the sermon he was preparing that early morning wasn't an ordinary sermon.

He looks like he's in a rock band, not a pastor at a small Pennsylvania church. And the sermon he was preparing that early morning wasn't an ordinary sermon.

Justin's church was part of an evangelical denomination called the Brethren in Christ. Justin had taken a strong stance. He welcomed gay and lesbian members into Bridge Church. He was open to hiring them in church positions. On this Sunday, the community was going to take a vote on whether they wanted to continue Justin's approach. Members of the congregation were streaming through the doors.

Justin's church was part of an evangelical denomination called the Brethren in Christ. Justin had taken a strong stance. He welcomed gay and lesbian members into Bridge Church. He was open to hiring them in church positions. On this Sunday, the community was going to take a vote on whether they wanted to continue Justin's approach. Members of the congregation were streaming through the doors.

But it wasn't just the churchgoers that were at Bridge Church that Sunday. When the national leaders of the Brethren in Christ found out Justin was welcoming gay and lesbian members, they strongly objected. So Justin invited the leadership to come to his church and hear from the congregation directly.

But it wasn't just the churchgoers that were at Bridge Church that Sunday. When the national leaders of the Brethren in Christ found out Justin was welcoming gay and lesbian members, they strongly objected. So Justin invited the leadership to come to his church and hear from the congregation directly.

members of the church got up one by one and spoke on the stage was justin the board of the bridge church and the president of the denomination most of the people who spoke were either those who were family members of lgbt people in our community or lgbt people in our community and most of what they said was incredibly heartbreaking

members of the church got up one by one and spoke on the stage was justin the board of the bridge church and the president of the denomination most of the people who spoke were either those who were family members of lgbt people in our community or lgbt people in our community and most of what they said was incredibly heartbreaking

It was a landslide. 133 in favor of being inclusive. Just three votes opposed.

It was a landslide. 133 in favor of being inclusive. Just three votes opposed.

Justin walked out of that meeting feeling good. He was confident that church leadership was going to back down once they saw what their own members wanted. After all, they were a thriving and growing church. He was wrong.

Justin walked out of that meeting feeling good. He was confident that church leadership was going to back down once they saw what their own members wanted. After all, they were a thriving and growing church. He was wrong.