KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A Tennessee pastor held in India for months was featured on the opening night of the Republican National Convention.

WATE 6 On Your Side has followed Bryan Nerren’s story for close to a year now, since October, when he was arrested and accused of failing to declare money he brought on a mission trip.

On Monday night, the Shelbyville pastor appeared in a video with President Trump at the RNC.

Nerren was at the White House on Sunday, meeting and speaking to the president, and hearing from others with similar stories.

“I had never met him obviously before, but he knew everybody in the room, he knew our families, he knew everything about us, he knew everything about our situation,” Nerren said.

Nerren and five others who were held in overseas countries appeared in the program. The Middle Tennessee pastor, for his seven-and-a-half-month detainment in India.

He touted the president’s role in his May 2020 homecoming.

“He said they were playing hard ball a little bit. He said ‘but I called and talked to Prime Minister Modi and told him that next week starts an international incident unless you send pastor Nerren home,'” Nerren recalled.

The pastor said he learned this about the commander in chief: “It’s such a pleasant thing to know that there was a genuine man with a huge heart behind that office, behind all of the tough talk and the things that he does as our president.”

Nerren is now back home in Shelbyville. He says he’s thankful for his role in the convention video.

“I mainly was very happy to help him in any way I can. Because when we were in the darkest moment in the worst place in our life as a family, he saved us. He did what he had to do and got it done and got me home,” he said.