Sojourner #090: On Duty With Christ; A Conversation With David Bankson

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9, ESV)

On Duty With Christ: A Conversation With David Bankson

The weight of a badge is more than the metal it’s forged from. It carries responsibility, authority, scrutiny, and at times, sorrow. In Etowah County, Alabama, Sergeant David Bankson of the Gadsden State Police Department bears that weight daily, but he carries something deeper still. His burden, and his strength, are shaped by the cross of Christ.

A few months ago, we had the wonderful privilege of speaking with David about what it means to labor faithfully for the sake of the Gospel in two callings that many assume cannot coexist: serving as pastor of Cove Creek Baptist Church while also serving as a police officer at Gadsden State Community College. What emerged from our conversation was not tension between the two roles, but harmony, both vocations lived beneath the Lordship of Christ.

Pastor and police officer may seem, at first glance, like opposing offices. Yet, they are not as opposite as they may seem, and the gospel does not always remove a man from his vocation, it transforms him within it.

David serves with the Gadsden State Police Department while also shepherding Christ’s church, and both roles flow from the same source. Christ reigns over every sphere of life. There is no sacred-secular divide for the believer. The same faith that steadies him in the pulpit steadies him while on patrol. The same grace that sustains him in pastoral ministry sustains him in moments of tension and crisis.

Law enforcement places a man daily at the intersection of order and disorder. Romans 13 teaches that governing authorities are servants of God, appointed to restrain evil and promote good. Yet Romans 3 reminds us why such restraint is necessary: “None is righteous, no, not one.” Beneath every incident report lies the deeper reality of human fallenness. David does not approach his work naïvely; he sees firsthand the brokenness of a world marred by sin.

And in that brokenness, what anchors him at the beginning of each shift is not self-confidence or accomplishment, but kingdom identity.

“My performance, reputation, control, and total ability comes from my relationship with Christ,” he told us. “Although I have to keep myself in check from getting in the flesh at times. Simply said, I am who I am because of Christ.”

That clarity shapes everything. A man justified by grace through faith no longer builds his worth on outcomes or professional success. He no longer needs to prove himself. Because he belongs to Christ, he is freed from that burden. At the same time, he is honest about indwelling sin. Sanctification is ongoing. The flesh does not disappear when the uniform goes on. He is, as he freely admits, a sinner saved by grace.

That humility is not abstract. It is visible. It is one of the reasons he is so deeply loved on the Gadsden State campus by everyone.

Students know him. They greet him. They trust him. Faculty speak warmly of him. His presence is not merely authoritative, it is pastoral. He does not carry himself as a distant enforcer, but as a steady, approachable servant. In a world where law enforcement can often feel impersonal, David is known personally by those he serves. And that matters more than we may even realize.

Scripture teaches that every person is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). That truth does not excuse wrongdoing, but it does establish a common, shared dignity as human beings. David shared:

“I am consistently reminded of the golden rule, to treat others as you would have them treat you. It doesn’t matter what state of mind they are in. I must meet them where they are and help them the best way I can.”

A common theme in our conversation with David is that he enforces the law while recognizing that apart from grace, he too would stand condemned before the law of God. In David's eyes, mercy does not replace justice, but it informs how justice is carried out.

For David, this is deeply personal:

“I am a sinner saved by grace, and I completely understand the mercy that God has granted me. Therefore, I will extend mercy to others who are in the wrong as best I can.”

When we asked him about the authority he holds, his response was striking in its truthful simplicity:

“I have no authority of my own. I operate under God’s authority.”

That conviction restrains pride. Civil, governmental authority is real, but it is derivative and not ultimate. The badge is a fine and honorable stewardship entrusted to him, not a means of power. He serves knowing that he, too, will one day give an account.

And he does not serve alone, His church prays for him, daily.

“I’m sure it’s their prayers and encouragement that helps me keep going,” he said, speaking of his church.

The ordinary means of grace, preaching, prayer, fellowship, sustain a man whose week may be filled with unpredictability. Even those entrusted with authority require shepherding. The body of Christ sustains its members through steady, often unseen faithfulness.

Most of all, David is careful not to exaggerate his witness, and what he said about it is yet another remind of why everyone loves him so much:

“It’s not what I say about myself that proves who I am, but it’s how I live that proves who I am. Therefore, witness through character speaks louder than words, but words should be spoken as opportunities allow.”

Perhaps the clearest mark of gospel sobriety in his perspective is his understanding of the limits of his role as a police officer in the face of abuse, suffering, neglect, addiction, violence, and oppression:

“The laws of the land and those who enforce them cannot fix all the world’s problems. Only my God can do that.”

Law enforcement restrains evil. It does not redeem sinners. It preserves order. It cannot regenerate hearts. Only Christ can do that.

David Bankson knows his role is real, but not the end and means. He does not wear the badge as a savior, but as a servant. Under Christ’s authority, sustained by Christ’s grace, and hopeful in Christ’s kingdom, he labors faithfully in a world that groans for redemption.

And here at Sojourner Magazine, we are not only grateful that Sergeant Bankson stands watch over his community, we are grateful for the kind of man he is. A brother and friend in Christ. A faithful shepherd of God's people. A steady presence in our community. A servant whose warmth and integrity have earned the love and trust of those he protects.

Most of all, we are thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ that sustains and sanctifies men like David, and calls them into His service. May we all lift our eyes to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

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