The following is an interview between Jim Quigley, Freedom Farm Ministries Executive Director, and Verne Hill, host of WBFJ’s Sunday @ 5. In the month of June 2024, Freedom Farm Ministries was featured as WBFJ’s Ministry of the Month. You can read the transcription below or listen to it via Soundcloud.
Interviewer: Our WBFJ ministry of the month for June is Freedom Farm Ministries. In studio with me is Jim Quigley, the director of Freedom Farm Ministries. Jim, thanks for coming in and sharing a little bit more about what you guys do, who you help, and maybe how we can get involved.
Jim Quigley: We’re so glad to be with you.
Interviewer: Now, you guys are based in Boone.
Jim Quigley: We are.
Interviewer: That caught my attention immediately, near and dear to my heart, a little slice of God’s country up there, and a lot of stories of hope through Freedom Farm.
Jim Quigley: Absolutely. Boone is a wonderful area. Part of my history with Freedom Farm is I’m a former resident. I came to the mountain 14 years ago, trying to find my own freedom from South Florida, which is pretty typical up there. Florida license plates, I believe, are the number two license plate in Boone. But, you know, it’s funny. I was talking to a parent this morning who is going to be bringing their son Monday to the program. He’s currently in a detox in Asheboro. And they had this divine appointment with a Walmart employee. They were getting their son boots, socks, and underwear, and I guess the Walmart employee knew what was going on. She said, “You’re going up to the mountain. God brings us up on the mountain sometimes so that we can come back down as different people.” She sent her son to the cash register to pay for the stuff, and she wanted to run back and tell the lady how amazing it was. The woman said, “Your son’s going to rehab, isn’t he?” And they hadn’t told her that. It was amazing. She said, “Give me his name because I’m going to be praying for him, and I want you to keep me updated.” So what an amazing story. I got that on the way down to the studio this morning, actually.
Interviewer: It’s amazing how the Lord impresses on us. When we meet someone, sometimes we say things, and they can be an encouragement, even if we don’t know the entire story of somebody’s journey. So talk to us a little bit about the mission of Freedom Farm Ministries.
Jim Quigley: Sure. Freedom Farm was started in 2006 and was actually birthed out of another ministry. The founder of Freedom Farm, who’s no longer with us, passed away a few years ago. He struggled with substance abuse into his 60s and went to a few programs. He went up to the mountain to another program in the area and stayed on after he finished his 10 weeks there. He worked in the admissions department and received so many phone calls that there was a waiting list. It was breaking his heart that he had to tell these men, “Call back. We’re waiting for a bed to open up for you.” But then, after the 10 weeks, he was getting calls from guys who had finished their 10 weeks, saying, “I went home, and I messed up, and I need to come back again.” So there was this need on both the front end and back end. He thought, “We need a safe place for people to wait for a bed and a safe place to transition back into everyday life after the program.” That’s how the idea of Freedom Farm was born. It was initially meant to be a beginning and end, with the middle piece done by various programs with different durations. Eventually, we decided to combine everything into one program, and now we ask for a one-year commitment. Participants go through four different phases during that year. The first stage involves a lot of supervision and accountability, gradually transitioning to employment and more freedom, where they start facing real temptations but with close support.
Interviewer: I know a number of organizations and recovery centers talk a lot about the one year. Is that important for the steps to recovery?
Jim Quigley: Sure. In my experience with other programs, there tends to be a competition over who’s doing it the right way. My opinion has always been that if we’re pointing to Christ, that’s the right way. The time frames vary; sometimes 30, 60, or 90 days might be sufficient for someone. For me, it took a year. I struggled with it and went to short-term programs. When my family was looking for a program for me, they wanted something out of state and long-term. That’s what we fit. I’m friendly with lots of other programs with different time frames. The more time you have away from temptation, the better. There’s nothing magical about 12 months, but nobody can argue against the benefit of more time away from temptation.
Interviewer: Well, they say 21 days to make a habit.
Jim Quigley: Yes, they do. Unfortunately, habit-forming on the negative side is quicker. Trying to get out of the negative and put more positive back in does take time. And that’s an important point to make. The habitual part of it, because there’s a lot of argument about what drives addiction. From a biblical perspective, we’re trying to diagnose behavior and ask what’s driving it. We would say it’s a self-worship problem, an idolatry problem, that has led to really bad habits. Just like you said, more time, direction, and accountability can help someone address their idolatry and start making new, beneficial, and long-lasting habits.
Interviewer: If we’re seeking Him and replacing all the negative with more Jesus, there is going to be that positive change, and you guys are seeing that firsthand.
Jim Quigley: Absolutely. I get the question a lot. People are desperate because addiction is the leading cause of death for men 18 to 55. They ask, “What is the answer?” I love having the confidence to say, “Jesus has always had the answer for this stuff.” There’s nothing new under the sun when it comes to dealing with people’s hearts. There needs to be a heart change, and only Jesus Christ can change a human heart.
Interviewer: Freedom Farm Ministries is a year-long Christian addiction recovery program designed to help individuals struggling with alcohol and drug addiction, bringing in more Jesus and normalcy to one’s existence. We’re talking with Jim Quigley, Executive Director of Freedom Farm Ministries, based in Boone. Jim, in reading about you guys, I love that the word “renew” or “renewal” keeps coming up. Explain a little bit about that.
Jim Quigley: Sure. A lot of people, when talking about addiction, want recovery. A good friend of mine who wrote a book called “The Heart of Addiction” said, “Recovery is a good goal, but freedom really comes from transformation, from renewal.” Recovery has a connotation of getting back to where you once were, like recovering from a broken arm. Jesus is in the business of newness. He makes dead things alive and sinful people righteous. This is a day-and-night transformation. So we emphasize words like renewal and transformation when people read about us or when we teach in our program.
Interviewer: I love that. That new beginning, dead to life. When you’re on a negative path of destruction, it can lead to death, unfortunately.
Jim Quigley: Absolutely. Like I said, addiction is the leading cause of death for 18 to 55-year-olds. I was reflecting on a photo of some men in recovery. A number of those individuals, unfortunately, have lost their lives. It was a picture taken close to a decade ago, with about 30 men. I was looking at it yesterday and counted five of the men who are no longer with us. I had been to a couple of their funerals. It’s very sad. Because of what I do, death has become something I deal with all the time. It’s very sad, especially when there’s an answer out there, and not many people are pointing to that answer.
Interviewer: Would you agree that when you’re in addiction or something negative, you reach a point where you feel like you can’t get out of it?
Jim Quigley: Describing what it’s like to be in the throes of addiction is hard. A father I spoke to this morning was emotional because his son is finally encouraged to get help after being basically on the street. His father was quoting Colossians to me about increasing his faith. He said, “It’s hard for me to believe that he’s finally done.” I told him, “Your son has discovered it’s the worst job in the world.” Everything in your being when you’re in addiction surrounds the addiction. From the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed, all you’re doing is thinking about how to get the resources to get your drugs. It’s all about you.
Interviewer: We’re talking with Jim Quigley, Executive Director of Freedom Farm Ministries, based in Boone. Freedom Farm Ministries is breaking the chains of addiction through transformation in Jesus. Helping men and women find hope and freedom in the name of Jesus. Jim, you mentioned you’ve been with Freedom Farm in Boone for about 14 years. Would you share a little of your testimony?
Jim Quigley: Absolutely. There is a uniqueness in my testimony. From ages 13 to 24, I experienced typical progressive substance abuse. Starting with smoking pot and drinking, and by the time I was 24, I was an IV drug user. I came from a typical middle-class family. We were church-going people, and I went to private Christian school. I was exposed to the gospel. I knew that when I died, I needed Jesus, and I believed that to my core. I even led friends who slept over at my house in prayer. It was a part of my being growing up, but I got into addiction.
At 24, I got arrested, found myself back in church and in secular recovery. Church and secular recovery were my two worlds, and they were essentially separate. I was six years sober and went to Bible college during that time because I wanted to go into ministry. Somewhere in that six years, I got spiritually arrogant. In secular recovery, I felt I was better than everyone because their concept of God was wrong. At church, I felt superior because they didn’t know real struggle like I did as an IV drug user. I was ripe for a fall, and that’s exactly what happened at 30. I was in a car accident, had major surgery, and started abusing pain medication. This led to a settlement, and I moved to Costa Rica for three years, going full-blown back into addiction. I returned to Florida for two more years of destruction, finding new lows and almost dying a couple of times.
In the last month of my addiction, I was living in the mother-in-law quarters of my pastor’s house. He and his wife wanted to help, so they took me in, gave me a job, and tried to keep me under 24-hour surveillance. Within two weeks, I was using drugs again, overdosed at their house, and was found by their children. I didn’t die from the overdose, but I went to the hospital. Two weeks later, I was at Freedom Farm. I’ve never left since then. I tell the guys that they may look at me after 14 years of not living like that anymore and think I have it together. But I think the Lord kept me here because I was that bad and needed to stay close. Today, I’m married for 10 years, have two beautiful children, and I’m the most blessed man I know.
Interviewer: Still on that journey of hope and recovery.
Jim Quigley: Yes, absolutely. And transformation. The Bible says we’re transforming our minds daily, moment by moment. Not just the eternal part, because accepting Jesus covers that. But it’s the daily grind that needs renewal.
Interviewer: People in that first period of my life, those six years of sobriety, would ask, “How do you know you’ll never go back to that?” I used to struggle with that question. Today, the difference is I know I need Jesus every day, not just when I die. That understanding has made all the difference.
Jim Quigley: When you understand you are completely dependent on Him for all things, it changes everything. How do I love my wife well? If I try to do it on my own, I’ll fail. I’m a married guy; everyone knows that. To be a great father, I can’t do it on my own. I’m human and will fail miserably. But knowing I need Him changes everything. My son graduated preschool today, and my wife sent me a list of things he made for Father’s Day. It said, “What is one thing you love about your dad?” He wrote, “That he loves God.” That was the most amazing statement from a six-year-old in my life. That’s what first came to my son’s mind—that his dad loves God.
Interviewer: That’s emotional. That’s awesome. It’s a blessing that he sees it. When we have that hope and joy of Jesus, people see it in us. There’s something different, and that’s a good encouragement. There is a difference in our lives. We don’t have to fill it with drugs, alcohol, and negativity. People think, “I’m just doing it; it’s not hurting anybody else. It’s self-destructive,” but that’s a lie. You’re hurting others by being destructive to yourself.
Jim Quigley: Yes, and that thought, “I can probably just do this and get away with it,” is why people are dying today. Most of them have been clean for some time. The drugs on the street today are like Russian roulette. They think they’re not hurting anybody and can sneak in one thing. I’ve been to two funerals where that was the case. They had multiple years of doing well and were found dead in their rooms. They were found because they were so good about getting up and going to work, and when they didn’t, something was wrong. It’s one of the most depressing things because of the strength of these drugs and the unknown about what you’re putting in your body. It could be the last thing you ever do.
Interviewer: But there’s hope. We’re talking with Jim Quigley, Executive Director of Freedom Farm Ministries, based in Boone, our WBFJ Ministry of the Month for June. Jim, do men and women battle this similarly, or is it different?
Jim Quigley: The problem is the same, and the solution is the same, but the process is different. He made us wonderfully equal but also different. Women need different kinds of care. We don’t physically house women in our program. I direct them to other programs that do it better.
Interviewer: Speaking of Freedom Farm, with the physical location and the ministry, how can we pray for what you do and who you help?
Jim Quigley: Pray that God would send people ready for a place like Freedom Farm. One of the hardest things is wanting to help everyone, but some people aren’t looking for a change, just a better situation. That can become a problem for those there for the right reasons. We need a lot of prayer for discernment from staff on who should be here and who’s not ready. We’ve grown since 2006, and it wasn’t strategically planned well, so we’re spread out. We’re in discussions about building a centralized campus to help with that. People could pray for resources and wisdom in maximizing our ability to help people.
Interviewer: There was mention of a thrift store. Is that an opportunity for people to help in some way?
Jim Quigley: Yes, absolutely. There are four main ways people can help Freedom Farm. We have a thrift store that brings in significant revenue through donations of good resellable items and purchases. If you’re in the Boone area, it’s a gem of a thrift store. Bring us your stuff. We’ll even take stuff from Winston. I had a father from Virginia who sent his son here and paid a guy once a month to drive a trailer of stuff down to us because of our impact on his family. We also process and sell firewood. It keeps the guys busy during the day, and we deliver and stack it. We also have a landscaping business for people needing things done around their house. Lastly, donations. Anyone wanting to donate can go to freedomfarmministries.org and use the give section.
Interviewer: Jim, as we’re wrapping up, talk to someone who is seeing a loved one in a destructive lifestyle and needs help. Give that encouragement.
Jim Quigley: Encouragement I often give parents is to stop funding their loved one’s lifestyle. Stop giving them a place to live, paying their cell phone bill, buying food, and gas, or paying rent. But don’t cut them off from your love. Tell them there are people who can help them, and they need to get help. Call a place like us. We don’t take the place of God; we’re just people transformed by Him who want to come alongside, as it says in Galatians 6, in a spirit of gentleness and compassion, and bring them back up in the spirit. We deal with people who are not saved, so they hear the gospel message. We also help those who are saved and struggling with sanctification and growth in holiness. Jesus has been in this business since we came to this planet. Have confidence in that. He can change a heart because He changed mine and everyone on my staff. I’ve seen hundreds of men have their lives changed after coming to Freedom Farm.
Interviewer: Jim, thank you and your staff for bringing hope to a hurting world. Thank you for coming in and sharing more. We’re praying that the Lord will expand, relocate, and centralize your property to be even more fruitful in the coming years.
Jim Quigley: Thank you.