July 24, 2020 | Andrew Hurst

Waxahachie, TX

Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) Assistant Chief of Safety and Security and Ellis County Peace Officer Brent Fulfer recently reached the highest credential that a Texas Police Officer can receive. With over 6,000 training hours and approximately 15 years of experience in law enforcement, Fulfer received a Master Peace Officer (MPO) Certification from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) .

“It’s extremely humbling,” says Fulfer. “It’s quite the achievement for me because it’s one of those things that you look back on and realize just how much blood, sweat, and sacrifice went into it.”

As Fulfer reflects on his career, he describes it as a very emotional experience. He shared that life as a police officer is a series of ups and downs. “But, the good always outweighs the bad,” he says. Throughout his law enforcement career, he has lost brothers and sisters in the police force and witnessed the repercussions of heinous crimes and tragedies.  “I’ve had to deliver devastating news of loss and death to anxious families. There’s a lot that you just can’t un-see,” he says.

However, at the same time, he believes that God has uniquely equipped him to be effective in these very moments.

“I am doing my job as a calling from the Lord. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ministered to people even as I’ve transported them to jail. Often, it’s just planting the seed and letting them know I care about them – that God loves and cares about them.”

The opportunity to minister and be a positive influence in the community has driven Fulfer’s career in law enforcement. Having experienced the supernatural transformation and power of God in his own life, he enjoys the opportunity to help others experience the same sense of fulfillment and purpose.

From the time Fulfer was a child, he knew God had placed a calling on his life for ministry. Yet during his years as a teenager and young adult, he ran from this calling. As the son of a minister, he was aware of the many challenges of full-time pulpit ministry, but it was not until his parents brought him on a tour of his alma mater, Southwestern Assemblies of God University, that Fulfer’s perspective began to change. He still gets choked up as he vividly describes that day. As a 21-year-old, he followed his father around the old Davis dormitory. He recalled how his father eventually led him to the end of the first wing to the prayer room.

“As soon as I stepped over the threshold of that room – the power of God hit me so hard, and I just knew – I knew I had to go to Southwestern.”

In the midst of his running, God stopped him right in his tracks and redirected him. Fulfer would later go on to attend SAGU to pursue church ministry. Through a series of events that would occur years down the road, he learned that God had different plans for his life. But, in that moment of surrender in an old prayer room on Southwestern’s campus, his obedience to serve the Lord set a precedent for the rest of his life. From this point, he grew more attentive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. When God opened and shut doors, he faithfully followed.

His love for people and caring for others eventually led him to his calling in law enforcement. Time and time again, he explains, God orchestrated events and circumstances to direct him towards a greater purpose—one much bigger than any derived from his own ambitions.

Fulfer started his law enforcement career with the Waxahachie Police Department in 2005. He later transferred to Ovilla Police Department where he worked for several years before he stepped into the role of SAGU Assistant Chief of Safety and Security in 2014. In 2016, because of the diligence of SAGU Security Chief Ron Crane, the department attained Level III status to employ Commissioned Security Officers, who were authorized in the use of firearms within. With Fulfer’s extensive experience on the police force, he was able to implement extensive weapons and defensive tactics training for the SAGU Security team.

“I give them the resources and knowledge so that they’re prepared for the worst situations. We’ve been blessed with the time and resources that SAGU has given us to train our officers.”

Fulfer has faced seemingly impossible obstacles throughout his career. Still, one of his greatest feats was not spent on patrol or responding to a call or disturbance – it was in a hospital bed.

In November of 2015, Fulfer received a diagnosis of hemochromatosis, a genetic mutation which causes too much iron to build up in the body. Excess iron can poison organs and lead to severe conditions. For Fulfer, it caused cirrhosis of the liver, and eventually an urgent need for a liver transplant.

By the end of 2017, he was hospitalized and his condition had worsened to a point where death was inevitable without an emergency liver transplant. Fulfer explained that, at the time, his sodium level was so low that he was not likely to survive an invasive surgery, and therefore, would not qualify to receive a donor organ—that is, until he said a prayer. “I told the nurse ‘Well, I am going to pray, and I believe that before the transplant committee meets, my sodium will be up to the level it needs to be for them to approve me.’”

The next morning, the blood work revealed that his sodium had reached the minimum, enabling his candidacy for transplant. The transplant committee met later that afternoon and unanimously approved him for an organ. Within 24 hours of going on the transplant waiting list, he was notified of a donor match.  On January 7, 2018, Fulfer received the liver that saved his life.

“It’s just from walking with the Lord,” he simply says. He is grateful for more time to spend with his wife and kids and the ability to continue serving the community. His reliance on God gave him peace in spite of the chaos of those years of illness.

For Fulfer, his Master Peace Officer certification is just one more evidence of God’s hand at work. It validates the relationships and bonds he has created with fellow officers, leaders, and mentors. It was made possible because of the love and support shown by family through some of his darkest and most challenging experiences.

“I have to dedicate a lot of this to my family,” he said. “They stood behind me, and my wife stuck with me in the hard times…taking care of the kids. I’ve missed birthdays and a lot of big moments because of my duties as an officer. But, God has blessed us so much, and He is so good.”

Today, in addition to his role in SAGU Security, he serves as a Reserve Officer for Precinct 4 in Ellis County, a Constable’s Office based out of Midlothian. “Right now is the happiest I’ve ever been, and this certification – well, it means a lot.”

As a leading Christian university, SAGU educates and prepares individuals who want to serve Christ and others. SAGU helps students discover and develop their God-given callings in a Spirit-empowered, learning community.

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