GOD STORIES 26 MARCH 2026 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition I’m excited to share that I’ll be starting a monthly column in GOOD NEWS where I’ll be highlighting real “God Stories” from the front lines of organizations I oversee, Calvary House and Recovery United. Every month, I’ll share testimonies of redemption, restoration and lives being rebuilt — not because of a program, but because of what God is doing in the hearts of men and families. My hope is that these stories will encourage you, strengthen your faith and remind you that no one is too far gone for God’s grace. So, I thought that I would share my God Story first to kick it off. Blessings and benefits My name is Antony Tchividjian. I come from a 16-year addiction to drugs. I currently am the director at Calvary House for Men, a recovery program in South Florida, and president of Recovery United, a nonprofit that delivers hope to families facing addiction. My life’s journey as a drug addict has not been a typical one. Unlike a lot of the people I work with, I did not come from a bad or broken home. I was not abused. I do not come from a family history of drug addiction. In fact, quite the opposite. I grew up in a loving Christian home. I am the youngest of seven kids. I always felt accepted and cared for by my large family. My dad was a well-respected psychologist and one of my best friends. My mom is the eldest child of the late Billy Graham. She devoted the best years of her life taking great care of us kids both physically and spiritually. But even with all of the blessings and benefits that came with growing up in a famous family who loved me and took care of me, I became a heroin addict. A slow drift My battle with addiction began as a slow drift. It started with the feeling I had when prescribed Percocet for a root canal when I was a teen, then led to taking pills recreationally in college to fit in with the crowd at parties. Before I knew it, I had become dependent on them and everything in my life revolved around how am I going to be able to supply myself with pills or whatever it was. That’s when it gets bad. You lie. You start stealing. You do anything to supply your habit… It becomes a vicious cycle, and you need something catastrophic to get you out of that cycle. As you can imagine, my life spiraled completely out of control. I checked myself into numerous rehab programs and nothing seemed to work. They did not work because I was not ready. I was still in denial that my problem was as bad as it was. I finally hit rock bottom and God led me to Calvary House. That is when things started to change. I’ve always believed God’s office sits at the end of our rope — and I found myself hanging there. When I walked through the doors of Calvary House I was utterly lost: spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. My choices and addiction had torn my life apart, and I didn’t know how to pick up the pieces. Calvary House met me at my very worst. They loved me when I felt unlovable and trusted me when I didn’t trust myself. With patience and grace, they helped me see my desperate need for Jesus without judgment, and they gave me a safe place to heal and be restored. He never let go My road to sobriety and freedom has been a long and winding one and I’ve had a lot of help and support along the way. But the One who gets all the credit for where I am today is Jesus. If it weren’t for His stubborn pursuit of me, I’d be dead. I’m alive today NOT because in my darkest despair I held on to God. I’m alive today because in my darkest despair He never let go of me. Knowing that God’s love for me is not contingent on whether I stay sober is one of the things that KEEPS me sober. Because I know that God’s love and acceptance of me is not dependent on what I do or don’t do, but rather on what Jesus has already done for me, I am able to press on. That’s just one of the things that I love about Calvary House — it is centered on the fact that God loves and uses messed up people to showcase His unwavering, no-strings attached love and mercy. Today, 10 years later, I’m blessed to be happily married to my incredibly beautiful wife, Christina — a true gift from God. Together, we have the privilege of working full-time to help individuals and families who are battling addiction through a nonprofit we founded called Recovery United. Antony Tchividjian is director of Calvary House for Men, a recovery program in South Florida, and president of Recovery United, a nonprofit that delivers hope to families facing addiction - Antony Tchividjian - President, Recovery United, and Director, Calvary House My God Story Antony Tchividjian with his gramdfather, Billy Graham. Antony Tchividjian before and after treatment with his wife, Christina
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