Death on Hold
A Prisoner's Desperate Prayer and the Unlikely Family Who Became God's Answer
- History & Biography
- Publisher: Nelson Books (Thomas Nelson)
- Published: 2015
FritzSearch.com earns a commission on purchases made through Bookshop.org links.
Publisher's Description
In January 1983 Burt Folsom read a story in Time about Mitch Rutledge, a man on death row with an IQ of 84 who said he was sorry for what he did. "Forget him," the last line of the story read. But Burt wrote Mitch a letter and discovered a man more interesting and intelligent than the article revealed. Burt and his wife, Anita, began a friendship with Mitch and saw him become a leader and role model for others in prison, teaching himself to read and write (starting with copying down the spelling of items he knew from TV commercials) and becoming a national spokesman on prison life. Death on Hold is the amazing story of their friendship, and of grace, reconciliation, and redemption for a man without hope who was given a future.
Endorsements (8)
“Burt and Anita Folsom capture an amazing story of hope in Death on Hold. The story of Mitch, an Alabama man described as worthless by Time magazine, demonstrates his real worth in God. A great read for Christians and non-Christians alike.”
“Death on Hold is a modern-day book of Acts and shines a light on one of the most promising mission fields in America today: her bulging prisons.”
“A real-life example of how faith can allow a person to ‘create’ purpose and meaning in life rather than passively waiting to find it.”
Dr. Kent Hawkins
“Anita and Burt Folsom tell a captivating and inspirational story of God’s redemptive power, reminding us that we are called to love all of God’s children, including those who are hardest to forgive. When we do so, we encounter God’s redemptive power in our own lives, just as Mitchell Rutledge did.”
“In Mitch’s story, told in his own voice, the poverty, loneliness, confusion and hopelessness of a stolen childhood come through with visceral impact. When, in the providence of God, unlikely individuals respond with love and hope, they become conduits of His Grace. After reading this book, the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:36, ‘I was in prison, and ye came unto me,’ will take on a renewed significance.”
“Death on Hold is a powerful and engaging narrative. It has the power to change lives. I hope that jail and prison ministries around the world will use this book to help inmates live more successful lives, whether in jail or on the outside. Mitchell Rutledge’s story is a warning about the tremendous damage that drugs can bring into anyone’s life. But there is redemption and a new beginning, once he turns from his old ways and begins to build a better life.”
“I started reading Death On Hold and could not put it down. What a powerful story! I’ve worked with inner-city ministry in Houston for more than twenty years, and Mitchell Rutledge’s story is a special triumph of God’s grace over death and despair.”
“Mitch’s story is truly remarkable and a beautiful reminder of the inherent dignity that everyone has, which can only come from our creator. It is also a vivid reminder of how reconnecting with Christ, no matter what our past, is the only way to redemption. Burton and Anita Folsom have demonstrated what it looks like to live out the gospel, making this is a must-read and a reminder that, in Christ, not one of us is forgotten nor should we be discarded.”
Dr. Anne Bradley
See something wrong on this page? Report a problem