Celebrating 25 Years Administer Justice
Administer Justice has stood alongside vulnerable neighbors for 25 years, offering church-based legal aid for civil issues, and now Spiritual First Aid.
Co-Founders of Spiritual First Aid, Jamie Aten and Kent Annan trained volunteers in Spiritual First Aid at the Restore Conference.
Sydni Worley | Dec 15, 2025 | 3 min read
Earlier this year, as Administer Justice celebrated its 25th anniversary, Co-Founders of Spiritual First Aid, Jamie Aten and Kent Annan, led a seminar at the Restore Conference. This collaboration initiated a training designed to specifically equip their volunteers for the challenging emotional and spiritual needs they encounter in their daily work.
Celebrating 25 Years of Ministry
Emily O’Donnell, the Senior Director of Church Engagement at Administer Justice, expressed their organization's excitement about their 25th celebration this year. Through Administer Justice’s partnership with host churches, they serve people who cannot afford an attorney for civil legal issues. In addition, they offer advice and assistance in areas such as housing, healthcare, family law, and estate planning. Rooted in the belief that true human flourishing comes through connection to God and the local church, this ministry has impacted over 250,000 lives in the last 25 years.
Why Legal Aid Matters
Legal challenges often push people deeper into poverty. While immediate needs like food and shelter get attention, the underlying legal issues - evictions, loss of resources, family law issues - are frequently overlooked. Administer Justice bridges this gap by providing affordable legal help and hope through local churches.
The Gospel Justice Center Model
At the heart of this mission are Gospel Justice Centers, hosted by local churches and staffed by volunteers, including both lawyers and non-lawyers. These centers not only resolve legal problems by opening their doors once a month for 45-minute appointments with an attorney, but they also foster spiritual and relational growth. Many clients return to the church on a Sunday, some find their home in that church, and others even volunteer, creating a ripple effect of transformation.
A Vision for Growth
Administer Justice dreams big: expanding from their current 118 centers at churches in 22 states to 1,000 nationwide. This vision relies on regional ambassadors, strong church partnerships, and increased awareness. The organization is funded in a number of ways, including foundations, donors, partner churches, and the $30 copay clients pay to book an appointment. The long-term goal is to have centers self-sustaining through client copays to cover important operational costs, such as malpractice insurance and scheduling systems, while other fundraising dollars are directed toward launching new centers and expanding access to justice for the most vulnerable.
Stories That Inspire
Behind every statistic is a life changed:
A grandmother caring for her autistic grandson faced eviction. One letter from a volunteer attorney saved her home. More importantly, the prayer and care of the volunteer team helped her reconnect to God and the local church.
A man seeking legal advice on an unemployment claim found prayer, legal help, and renewed faith.
A single mother sought custody of her child and obtained custody, was welcomed into the church community and was baptized along with her son after being discipled by the church.
These stories remind us that justice work is gospel work, meeting practical needs while pointing people to Christ.
Spiritual First Aid Training
Several team members from a Gospel Justice Center had completed the initial Spiritual First Aid training, and they quickly realized how much it was needed. That motivated Administer Justice to host a training for all attendees at their annual 2025 Restore conference.
Administer Justice volunteers regularly encounter individuals facing really tough and complicated issues each month at their centers, including scenarios related to domestic violence, complex immigration issues, and the difficulty of giving clients bad news.
Given the real-life challenges volunteers face, knowing how to respond is important. That is precisely where Spiritual First Aid comes into play, giving them the skills needed for those difficult conversations. Spiritual First Aid equipped Administer Justice volunteers through role-playing scenarios tailored to address these challenges.
With the Spiritual First Aid training, Administer Justice aims to ensure that even in the hardest moments, clients feel heard and receive the support they deserve.
Join the Mission
Want to make a difference and explore providing gospel justice in your church and community? You can:
Host a Gospel Justice Center at your church
Book an appointment for legal help or share Administer Justice with people you know need legal advice
Connect with Emily O’Donnell to learn more at emily@administerjustice.org
Visit administerjustice.org to take your next step.
To explore training and tools from Spiritual First Aid, visit: spiritualfirstaid.org
