From Prison to Purpose: Joshua’s Story of Redemption, Obedience, and Business as Ministry
How One Man’s Redemption Became a Blueprint for Business as a Ministry
For Joshua VanDusseldorp, prison was a dark and hopeless place—but it was also holy ground. It became the crucible where God forged a new man, not just for Joshua’s sake, but for the hundreds of lives his obedience would eventually touch. His story is a radical reminder that God doesn’t require a polished résumé or a perfect past. He requires a surrendered heart.
In C12’s Impact Beyond video series, Joshua’s story reveals a beautiful picture of redemption—how God took the ashes of a shattered life and built a thriving electrical contracting company and a discipleship-based nonprofit from it. It invites us to ask a question we all need to wrestle with: What if business really can be a ministry?
A Descent—and Divine Interruption
Joshua’s descent into crime wasn’t a slow fade—it was a sprint. By his early twenties, he had collected 18 felony charges, with no hope for a future beyond the revolving door of incarceration. But in a jail cell at 5:45 a.m., a voice broke through the darkness:
That voice—the Holy Spirit—planted the first seed of surrender. Joshua responded not with strategy or striving, but with a Bible and a simple, desperate prayer: “What do I do?” God answered not only with salvation, but with purpose.
Building Disciples, Not Just a Business
Through a prison Bible study, Joshua met Zach, an electrician who took a chance on him. Joshua learned the trade while still incarcerated, and within six months of release, he earned his unrestricted master’s electrical license. Soon after, he launched his own company.
However, this wasn’t just a job—it was a ministry incubator.
Joshua began hiring men with stories like his: men with records, shame, and little hope. He stood in the gap—attending court dates, connecting with attorneys, and getting men court-ordered into a yearlong discipleship program. As men graduated, he gave them jobs. More than that, he gave them community, dignity, and discipleship.
When they had no homes, he created one. When they had no vision, he offered one. His business became a literal platform for life transformation.
Redefining Success
At C12, we challenge leaders to build great businesses for a greater purpose. Joshua’s story is a case study in what happens when we stop compartmentalizing our faith and start surrendering everything—even our companies—to the purposes of God.
“I had to redefine success. I mean, there’s been times where things aren’t going well, and I thought, ‘Man, God, I’m really failing.’ And He said, ‘Look at those men. Look, no, you’re successful. This is My success.’”
– Joshua VanDusseldorp, CEO, Abel Electric
His company, Abel Electric, now employs over 100 people, many of them transformed disciples who are digging ditches and pulling wires with purpose. Each job fuels the next transformation, each profit funds the next bed at the ministry’s recovery housing, and each workday is a mission field.
What If?
Joshua’s life poses a bold, beautiful challenge:
- What if your darkest chapter could become your most powerful ministry?
- What if hiring decisions could double as discipleship strategy?
- What if God wants to use your business—right now, right where you are—to rewrite someone else’s story?
Joshua’s obedience didn’t start with a vision—it started with a whisper. A surrendered “yes.” And that’s all God needs to unleash impact beyond what we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).
Take Your Next Faithful Step
If you’re still wrestling with the sacred/secular divide, let Joshua’s story remind you: there is no divide. In the Kingdom of God, business is ministry when placed in His hands. The question isn’t whether your company can be used by God—it’s whether you’ll give Him permission to do so.
At C12, we walk with thousands of Christian CEOs, business owners, and executives asking the same question: What if? If you’re ready to explore how your company can serve as a vehicle for eternal impact, let’s take the next faithful step together.
Meet C12 Member Joshua VanDusseldorp
Joshua VanDusseldorp founded Abel Electric, an electrical contracting company, alongside his wife, Pamla, in 2009. Eight years later, recognizing the prevalent brokenness in the construction industry, Joshua and Pamla established Abel Ministries with the goal of serving men trapped in addiction and supporting their families. Despite challenges, their dedication has yielded remarkable results. Today, Abel Ministries employs 5 full-time pastors, operates in 3 county jails, and provides addiction recovery spaces for 36 men. Joshua and his team plan to expand their recovery facility to 60 beds in 2025, with a vision to grow to accommodate and employ 250 individuals. Joshua lives in Salem, Alabama, with his wife, Pamla, and their children.
July 21, 2025
