Welcome to Living My Faith, a weekly show that celebrates the everyday believers who are walking with Jesus not just on Sundays, but in every area of their lives. From relationships and parenting to health, habits, and home, our guests share how they keep their faith at the center of it all. Hosted in Jacksonville, Florida and supported by Christ-centered partners, Living My Faith is a space where real life meets real faith. Today our hosts, James Fenimore and Chuck Coker, spoke with Doug McCary.
Doug McCary
President at SWAT Radio Podcast/ Hislight International Ministries
Website Address: www.swatradio.com
Short company description:
Hislight International Ministries serves God by seeking to fulfill the Great Commission through proclamation and mobilization. We communicate the gospel in a relevant and Biblical way.
Can you share a moment or experience that significantly deepened or shaped your faith journey?
Almost killed in a plane crash in 1987 while in military. God used it as an attention getter to refocus me on living for His glory.
In what ways do you actively live out your faith in your daily life — at work, home, or in your community?
Being a witness for Him wherever I am, looking to make disciples of those younger in their faith walk, seeking ways to serve him by caring for vulnerable, needy, widows, and orphans.
What encouragement or scripture has been especially meaningful to you in this season, and why?
Matt 4:19. Follow me and I WILL MAKE You. He does the work. Our goal is to follow and trust HIM.
What advice would you give to someone who’s struggling to live out their faith or looking to grow spiritually?
Keep their eyes fixed on HIM!
Transcript:
James Fenimore
Hi and welcome to Living My Faith, where we spotlight somebody that’s doing real great work for the Kingdom. I’m James Fenimore, and joining me, as always, is Doctor Chuck Coker.
Chuck Coker
It’s great to be here, James. And we have an amazing guest in front of us today. I can’t wait to hear his story. Yeah.
James Fenimore
Why don’t you, let us know who we’re talking to today?
Chuck Coker
Doug McCary, former marine pilot, I like that. I mean, I’m serious. First of all, let’s start with the right way. Thank you for your service.
Doug McCary
Well, it’s my pleasure. I, I come from a family of servants. I had a lot of aunts and or a lot of uncles that served in the military and, and, and just was very grateful to be able to do that.
James Fenimore
Chuck was a marine, too. So, he and I have always had that special bond, haven’t we?
Chuck Coker
We have indeed. So what experience was it that had a significant impact on your faith?
Doug McCary
Well, you know, Chuck, I grew up in the South and in the South. Everybody went to church, right? And unfortunately, sometimes Monday through Saturday look different than Sundays. And it kind of began that way in my life. In the Marine Corps. I love the Lord, but it wasn’t being practically lived out. And then one day I was flying a training mission. I flew a plane called the Harrier Aviate B Harrier. It was called the Widowmaker. It’s the most dangerous peacetime aircraft flown in U.S. history. More pilots have died flying that than any other plane. And, and and so I’m flying that plane on a training mission one day, and I had not been making the best choices in life, even though I was a believer, I wasn’t being a light in a dark world. I’d been influenced by the darkness somewhat. And, And so, God got my attention.
He brings attention getters into our life. And I was flying, at about 200ft, going about, 450 miles an hour and a 5 pound turkey vulture. A vulture came through my windshield, hit me in the shoulder, paralyzing my upper left side of my body, doing, a lot of damage internally as well. And for the first time in my life, I was dying. And I remember crying out to God at that moment, I wondered if I was going to see him. I really wondered if I would be cast into hell because of all my bad choices at that point. And living this so double life, so to speak.
And, it was amazing because I didn’t hear a voice. I wanted to see a bright light. You know, you heard about that and you wanted to see this bright light, but I didn’t I didn’t see it. I didn’t hear anything audibly. But it’s like God wrapped his arms around me in the cockpit that day because, I was totally, useless. I couldn’t move my left arm. I could move my fingers. But, I’m thinking I’m. I’m dead. And, at that moment, it’s like he wrapped his arms around me and said, Doug, it’s not what you do. It’s what I’ve done for you. And the grace of the cross became so real to me that day. That’s one of the few times in my life that I can say I felt God’s presence in such a strong way. It was almost tangible.
And, I don’t remember landing the airplane. I really believe it was a miracle. My wingman joined on me, led me to safety. But by the time I landed, they pulled me out of the cockpit. I was in shock from the blood loss, from my elbow up to my shoulder, down to my rib cage was dark blue purple. By the time I landed, this arm had swollen two inches bigger than this arm. There was a lot of internal bleeding. There was damage to my rotator, my labrum, and my. I basically didn’t have a bicep. But, after a few days and I see you in five months of rehab, I was able to fly again. But I’ve never forgot that moment.
And it was as if God said, you’re my child now. Go live like my child. And it really was one of those life changing moments that I’ll never forget.
Chuck Coker
Well obviously that had a tremendous impact on you. And it actually ordered your steps into the career that you have now. Tell us about that.
Doug McCary
Well it’s funny because I began sharing my story at churches and different groups and I felt God calling me to ministry. And so I told my wife I wanted to go to seminary because I’d preach one Sunday. And after the message, she basically said, you’re not a preacher. And so I said, well, maybe I just need to go to seminary. So I got accepted to seminaries and she said, Doug, I don’t feel that. And there was no unity there. And as I was praying about it, there was still a lot of pride in my life. And God was dealing with that.
And I said, well, Lord, the only other thing I want to do is be an FBI agent. And so she said, you watch too much Miami Vice. It ain’t like TV. And so I ended up applying for the FBI. I got hired, came to Jacksonville. That’s what brought me to Jacksonville. Spent four years here. I was on the Swat team here. I was a drug agent. I loved that job. I was very successful at it.
And then in 1994, God said, Doug, I want you to leave the FBI. I didn’t hear an audible voice again, but it was very affirming. I’d gotten an invitation to go on a mission trip, went to Russia, came back and resigned. But what was so significant was when I came back, my wife met me for lunch the day after I got back and she said, Doug, I know why you were gone. Gone. God did a great work for you, but he did a great work for me. And I just want you to know, if he’s calling you to leave the FBI to go into ministry full time, I’m 100% behind it.
James Fenimore
That’s amazing.
Chuck Coker
Yeah. After all of that, what would you share? With other people, perhaps helping them understand they don’t have to go through that kind of experience.
Doug McCary
No no no no no no no. And, you know, it’s so interesting. I tell people all the time there’s two ways to walk through life humbly, either through God’s Word or through circumstances. His words humbles us. If you’re in His Word, it’s like a mirror. Too often we use His word like a window to see through it and other people, but he pulls his word up as a mirror to say, I want to do a work for you.
You know? Jesus exuded humility, and he’s called us to do the same. And I think it’s probably one of the most difficult things for American Christians to do is walk in humility. So for me, my whole life has been about him revealing himself to me and saying, Doug, I want you to walk humbly and serve others. And that’s what he’s led me to do.
Chuck Coker
So has there been a particular verse that has stood out in your life that,
Doug McCary
Oh, there’s so many, Chuck, I can’t even begin to tell you, but there are, there’s two. One my dad shared with me as a young child that I’ve always hung to, and it’s Matthew 633, seek first the kingdom of God and all these things he’s going to take care of. That’s my paraphrase, but that’s ultimately what he says. But the most significant for me is Matthew 419. It’s my life verse. Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. And the key part of that is the middle I will make you. He does the work.
And from the moment of my bird strike, I said, God, you do it to me. And he brought people into my life, man after man, person after person to build into me. And he’ll do the same for anybody that will just simply follow him.
James Fenimore
That’s so good.
Chuck Coker
Yeah, that’s so good. Thank you so much for joining us, Doug.
James Fenimore
And I don’t know how far you must have come along as a speaker because this was incredible. You didn’t give a sermon, man. So, but we really, really thank you so much for joining us today, sharing your story, your testimony, and some great wisdom for our viewers.
Doug McCary
Oh, thank you. It’s been my pleasure. Thank you.
James Fenimore
I’m James Fenimore, this is Chuck Coker. This has been Living my Faith. And we can’t wait to see you next time.
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