Evangelist Ray Comfort, the New Zealand-born author and founder of the publishing ministry Living Waters, is used to dealing with adversity on the streets of Southern California. But this month, Comfort and his team were presented with a nerve-racking situation they didn’t see coming.
A prominent figure in evangelism, the 75-year-old is known for his bold street preaching and bestselling books on apologetics. Living Waters, located just 15 minutes north of Disneyland in Bellflower, serves as the hub for Comfort’s ministry efforts, producing resources and equipping Christians for evangelism. For nearly four decades, Comfort says, he’s always felt safe.
“In the 35 years I’ve lived in the U.S., I’ve never seen a gun pulled in our city,” he told CP Tuesday. “We live in a safe city. Some of the cities two or three over from us have a bad reputation, but ours has always felt peaceful.”
While there was one incident in the past when someone stole a $2,000 car part from an employee’s vehicle, Comfort says they assumed it was another one of those cases when a Living Waters staffer found his car was damaged in an apparent break-in attempt last week.
“But we were wrong,” said Comfort.
The July 20 incident began when a staff member noticed something amiss in the ministry’s parking lot. After reviewing security footage, Comfort’s wife uncovered a more alarming situation.
“My wife, Sue, is naturally curious. Like many women, she likes details,” the pastor shared. As she reviewed footage from their 32-camera system, Sue spotted a man in his mid-30s wandering the property, testing doors.
“At one point, she called me over and said, ‘Look at this, he’s lifting one of our warehouse doors and crawling under it,'” he said. “A few moments later, she added, ‘He hasn’t come out!’ That changed everything.”
Comfort says the discovery prompted an immediate call to the police, who were already in contact with a staff member. The response was swift and dramatic, with seven police squad cars, fire trucks, an ambulance and a helicopter descending upon the ministry.
“They were very friendly when I explained who I was,” said Comfort.
The suspect, police told him, had barricaded himself inside the warehouse and was “high on drugs and reportedly had a knife.”
With that revelation, Comfort says he reflected on a fortunate twist of fate. Sue typically visits the ministry on Saturday mornings to prepare orders, but stayed home that day.
“We pray every day that God would direct our steps and keep our family from harm. That day, He clearly did,” the evangelist said.
He also expressed deep gratitude for the officers’ bravery, saying, “We often take police officers for granted, but these men were willingly putting themselves in danger to confront someone like that.”
Comfort does not believe the ministry was specifically targeted.
“We’re currently undergoing renovations, and with construction in full swing, it was easy for [the suspect] to slip through a temporary wall,” he said. “Most likely, he was looking for something he could steal and sell to feed his drug habit.”
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It’s not clear whether the suspect was booked into the county jail.
While it left him and his wife startled, the incident, Comfort said, wasn’t all that surprising.
“These are dark times, and it’s the responsibility of the Church to step up and boldly preach the Gospel — the message of the cross and the necessity of repentance before the Day of Judgment,” he said.
As for the person who was taken into custody, Comfort said he needs to hear the truth about Christ Jesus as much as anyone.
“Only when hearts are transformed by the power of the Gospel will people love righteousness and desire to please God. That kind of change doesn’t just impact individuals. It transforms families, communities — and entire nations.”
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