The Rev. Isaiah D. Tunson Jr. has an extensive background in the ministry and law enforcement, so it made a lot of sense for him to join the Odessa Police Department’s chaplaincy program two years ago.
The Rev. Tunson worked at the Reeves County Detention Center and graduated from the Pecos Police Academy before joining the Ector County Sheriff’s Office as a jailer and deputy and working as a truck driver in East Texas for 17 years. His late father was a minister.
The Pecos native was pastor of Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Kermit for four years and three years ago, succeeding the venerable late Rev. Bill Tatum, he became pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church at 701 Wabash Ave., which meets at 9:30 a.m. Sunday with an average attendance of 15-20 people. He is also an operator for DCP Midstream.
Tunson and his wife Evelyn have two daughters and six grandchildren.
“The whole Bible is food for the soul,” he said. “Jesus came to die for our sins when no one else could do that but him. If it weren’t for his shed blood on Calvary, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”
Tunson’s favorite scripture is Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.”
Another that he often cites is Romans 10:9: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
“Every time I mount the pulpit, I try to draw people to Christ and preach salvation to those who are lost because we get visitors who don’t have a relationship with God,” he said. “I preach the good news of Jesus Christ, which is the Gospel.”
Tunson has a wide range of duties as an OPD chaplain. “There are various things in life that officers can’t discuss with their supervisors or commanders that they want to share with me,” he said.
“I go riding with cops and I talk with the civilian employees if needed. I’ve been able to view it on both sides, so I can relate to some of the things that bother them. I get called out on death notifications as well.
“You try to be strong in the community, but it can take a toll on a young officer when they see things happen. Just getting started on a career, you might see a death or something you’re not used to.
“It took a toll on me when I was involved in the Saragosa Tornado in 1987.”
