Convicted Miami Gardens pastor returns to the pulpit after 10 months in jail
The rain was pouring outside on Sunday morning, but the energy inside Miami Gardens’ New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church was high. Embattled pastor Eric Readon was back at the pulpit after 10 months in jail.
“I made it through what I went through because it should have destroyed me,” said Readon, 50. “But the reality is, it didn’t destroy me. God used it to develop me.”
During a service that began at 8:45 a.m. and lasted an hour, Readon delivered a sermon to the 20 or so people inside the small church. The church is surrounded by modest homes in a quiet neighborhood.
Some people stood up and joyfully shouted throughout the sermon, hanging onto the pastor’s every word.
Readon served 10 months in jail after he was convicted in June 2025 for stealing retired postal worker Edward Fuller’s home. Fuller’s home was on Northwest 19th Avenue near Opa-locka.
READ MORE: A pastor will be back in church after serving time for stealing retiree’s home
Fuller was attracted to Readon because he believed the pastor to be a “man of God,” prosecutors said. Readon’s scheme included property-deed transfers, construction loans, mortgages and credit-card advances.
In addition to his 10-month jail sentence, Readon was ordered to pay Fuller $180,000 in restitution and to serve 15 years of probation.
After his first sermon back in the pulpit, Readon stayed at the altar Sunday to thank churchgoers and friends who showed their support during the time that he was incarcerated.
He also told the congregation that the church would have a new home soon and that an unnamed billionaire he spoke to on the phone would be paying for it.
“How do you handle life when you got to choose between God and the law?” Readon asked his church.
The answer is unclear. But the congregation’s lively reaction showed that it was in solidarity with Readon.
This story was originally published May 17, 2026 at 12:54 PM.
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