JAMES G. SETTLES Executive Director

James Settles was born in 1963 in the “Birth Place of the Blues”. Memphis, Tennessee. He grew up in a large family, being the eighth of thirteen children. At twelve years of age life changed for him with the death of an older brother.

He began hanging out in the streets to make fast money. Then, like so many young black men around him, he began using and selling drugs. Within a short period of time, he found himself in a Tennessee state prison, sentenced to ten years for attempted murder and possession of illegal drugs-all because someone tried to bear him out of some drugs without paying.

James became a model prisoner and began studying the word of God. As he changed his ways of thinking, God put him in the presence of others, like his mentor, Dr. Robert Butler. Through Dr. Butler, he learned Godly wisdom and patience. He continually reminded James to “Quit whining,” and “Get focused and work your way to the top.” That became his motto until he was paroled after serving eight years in prison.

Prior to leaving prison, James met Jim Boyd, a prison volunteer. Jim convinced James to stay in Nashville and not go back to his old “playground” in Memphis. James started out working for minimum wage at a food store and then worked various other jobs.

Within two years he founded MASTER DETAIL, a car detailing facility, servicing five certified car dealerships with an ongoing inventory of over 5 thousand automobiles. The company employs five full-time detailing technicians, all of whom are former offenders and all of whom were trained by James.

In 1996, James married his wife, Renee. She and her son, Lance, joined James and his son, Marico, to become a family. Both young men have now graduated from college.

God placed in James’ heart the desire to establish a transitional living center and a program for former prisoners. Throughout the ‘90’s he kept telling his friend, Jim Boyd, that the two of them were going to open a halfway house which would grow and expand. This was accomplished in 2003 with a two-bedroom home in Madison, Tennessee. By May of 2004, a larger facility was needed. A property that could house up to 9 men was located in South Nashville at 1124 Fourth Avenue South.

Aphesis House is a Christian home geared to help men coming out of incarceration. The word “aphesis” comes from the Greek language and translates as “forgiveness.” The Aphesis program provided shelter, counseling, job acquisition, 24 hour spiritual support, life skills management and training, addictive behavior counseling, family reinforcement counseling, business and career guidance and personal support.

James continues to share and demonstrate with the men of Aphesis House that “You too can work your way to the top.”

JAMES S.F. BOYD

James Boyd was born in Florida in 1939. He graduated from Martin County High School in 1957. He received an honorable discharge from the US Navy after serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Antietam from 1957 to 1959. He graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1962 with a BS degree in Marketing and Real Estate. After holding various positions with real estate and financial institutions, in 1971 Jim formed his own real estate and brokerage company, EQUITY CORPORATION. He remains the President and CEO.

Jim has a long and stellar career as a volunteer and non-profit advocate. Among his long list of achievements can be found work with Partners of the Americas (he served as state chairperson); the founding of a substance abuse support group; membership on boards for Dismas, Inc., Dismas House of Nashville, Tennessee Prison for Women, Woodland Hills Youth Development Center, Middle Tennessee Intergroup Association, Work Release Commission, Tennessee Community Resource Board, Alcohol and Drug Council of Middle Tennessee, and Project Return, Inc. as well as numerous others.

He has been a finalist for the Mary Catherine Strobel Award for volunteerism and been named recipient of the Jim Muir Award as Volunteer of the Year in Corrections.

With the co founding of Aphesis House, Inc. Jim brings full circle his desire to assist in the transition from incarceration to free world.