Evan Roberts Locke: A Life That Will Live On

A Son Remembered

Evan Roberts Locke was 20 years old. Fearless. Full of heart. A young man whose greatest dream was to be a pastor and to one day open a drug rehabilitation center for every person still trapped in the same chains that had a grip on him. He wanted to be living proof that freedom was possible. On May 8, 2026, we were all devastated to hear the news that he had passed. Just five days later, his father, Pastor Greg Locke, stood before a packed Global Vision Bible Church in Lebanon, Tennessee and declared what grief and grace look like when they collide head-on. I personally knew Evan. My husband has known him since he was ten years old and we both loved him and prayed with him often. He was truly an amazing young man and we both can testify that he loved Jesus Christ with all of his heart. He was by far the sweetest, kindest teenager either of us have ever known. His struggle was real — and so was his faith.

The Battle Between Flesh and Rebellion

Pastor Locke made it unmistakably clear: “There’s a massive difference between someone who has a rebellious heart and a struggling flesh. Evan didn’t have a rebellious bone in his body, but he struggled.” (The Christian Post)  Ephesians 6:12 “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age.” Addiction is not a moral failure — it is a war being waged from within, and it demands compassion, not condemnation. The enemy had a target on Evan’s back because God had a calling on Evan’s life.

Pass The Baton

Evan’s greatest goal was to turn his pain into purpose — and even his death could not kill that vision. It is already being resurrected in others. Midway through the service, while washed in tears, Pastor Locke abruptly stopped and called up a young man who was somewhere in the congregation. James Turley is Evan’s lifelong best friend, and he too has long battled addiction. In one of the most suddenly raw moments I have ever witnessed, he received a Pastor’s calling out of his struggles and the challenge to finish Evan’s work. James burst into tears and affirmed every word. My husband and I just so happened to be sitting right next to James, so I had been attempting to console him throughout the service. When I saw his heartbreak instantly shift to hope, I cried right along with him. He was truly transformed in a moment — for Evan, for Christ. He left the service with an unquenchable fire I have seldom seen in my life, and it changed me too. We stand ready to walk this out with him, for Evan, for Christ. 

God does not waste pain. 2 Corinthians 10:4 declares the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God for pulling down strongholds. His story is not finished. It just changed hands — what the enemy meant for destruction, God will use for revival.

A Father Transformed

Grief either breaks a man or builds him into something the world has never seen. Greg Locke is letting grief do what only grief can — strip everything away and leave only what matters — declaring, “I pray God will use this in such an unbelievable way that, maybe for a moment, I can be known as America’s most compassionate pastor.”  Evan is still preaching — just from a different pulpit.

Freedom Is Calling

Evan Locke had people who loved him. He had a father who preached grace, two moms who adored him, siblings who cherished him, and friends who showed up at his funeral from across the world. Love was never the missing ingredient — the battle was just that real. If you are in addiction today, this is not the moment to hide. If you love someone who is drowning in it, this is not the moment to look away. Addiction is real. The darkness is real. The shame is real. But our faithful God is more real than all of it combined. He has never lost a single soul that cried out to Him. Not one. The same God who can raise the dead can resurrect every broken, addicted, shame-filled version of you that you thought was too far gone. Reach out. Get help. Tell someone the truth today. Because John 8:36 declares it with no asterisk and no fine print — “If the Son shall therefore make you free, you shall be free indeed.” Not partially free. Not free on your good days. Free. Indeed. Amen.

Amazon Best-Selling Author Pastor Greg Locke just launched his new book. Titled, The King Killers By PASTOR GREG LOCKE. When God places this prophetic sword in your hand, you will know—you were born to be a spiritual king killer. Grab your Book copy now on Amazon.com