A once-prominent Houston pastor who served as a spiritual adviser to Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama has returned to the pulpit nearly a year after his early release from prison.

Kirbyjon Caldwell, former senior pastor of Windsor Village Church in southwest Houston, received a warm welcome last Sunday as he returned to the megachurch he helped build, according to ABC13 Houston.

In 2020, Caldwell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a scheme that defrauded investors of $3.6 million.

He began serving a six-year sentence in 2021 but was released early in 2024.

Caldwell and a co-conspirator had persuaded people to invest in historical Chinese bonds.

While no Windsor Village members were among the victims, court records say Caldwell wired $25,000 from a church account, which was later repaid in full along with restitution to investors.

On Sunday, Caldwell addressed the congregation with humor and humility, saying: “I went all the way to Beaumont, Texas, looked all around, couldn’t find nobody.”

Friends and church leaders, including Pastor and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, have expressed support, saying Caldwell has repented and should be “forgiven.”

The church announced he will preach his first full sermon this Sunday.