While reading and writing historical romance is definitely a passion for me—I have nine published novels to date and one about to be published, I’m always working on a book, or reading one—it’s not the only passion that stirs my heart. Worshiping the Lord is high on my list. Loving my family and friends is another. Working in prison ministry is another of my passions, a calling I feel strongly about.
Twenty years ago while asking God to guide and direct me and put me somewhere that I could be of service to Him and the Body of Christ, I felt Him nudging me to begin helping out in our church’s prison ministry office.
My husband and I are members of Evangel World Prayer Center, and their prison ministry is now the largest in the state of Kentucky—largest in terms of how many inmates we serve. Evangel Prison Ministries is active in all 50 states and Guam through correspondence courses, a secure pen pal ministry, and intercessory prayer. This is apart from hands-on activities in the local prisons and jails (Bible classes, On-the-yard crusades, Christmas concerts, Christmas stockings, Action Bibles, back-to-school backpacks for inmates’ children, and an Appalachian outreach called, Coats for Kids).
EPM now offers fourteen different Bible studies through the mail, free of charge for the inmate, and each one is awarded a beautiful certificate of completion. Our courses are life changers, and we have received thousands of letters and notes from inmates across the country testifying how our ministry has helped, encouraged, and blessed them. We have study courses on how to be saved, how to be a man or woman of character, how to forgive, how to live a victorious Christian life—even while behind bars—how to pray for others, how to pray in faith, and so much more.
We hear from inmates all over—and we stopped advertising years ago—it’s all done by word of mouth. Inmates tell other inmates. Chaplains share about us. Big name ministries—like the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association—recommend us.
My job in the ministry is that of office manager. I’ve been inside on crusades several times (once to Roederer Correctional Complex and twice to Luther Luckett Correctional Facility, both in LaGrange), but that’s not my thing. I’m a behind-the-scenes kind of girl. I run the office where we produce, mail out, and facilitate the courses. I run the pen pal service (matching up volunteers to inmates who are on the waiting list for a pen pal) and process the incoming letters each week. I do most of the computer input, emailing, and coordinate about a dozen volunteers who cycle in and out of the office to grade the dozens of completed answer sheets we receive each week. I’m also the one that finalizes the design and layout of new courses, including several we are working on right now.
In all, it’s a demanding job, and no two weeks are the same. It’s exciting and a blessing to be a part of a ministry that is affecting lives for the good in such a profound way—and not only the lives of the inmates themselves, but their cell mates, the guards and officers with whom they interact on a daily basis, their families, and everyone who knows them.
The number of inmates in county jails, state prisons, and federal prisons in this country is staggering and growing all the time. According to a 2018 report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, nearly 2.2 million adults were held in America’s prisons and jails at the end of 2016. That means for every 100,000 people residing in the United States, approximately 655 of them were behind bars.
We think of it as the world’s largest mission field. We have a saying—being on the inside will either make you bitter (worse), or better (rehabilitated)—and we do everything we can to help the inmate toward the better. The world needs more organizations like us who are reaching out to those in prison and striving to make a difference in this crazy world—which is getting crazier all the time.
Reaching the inmates while they are in prison and working to steer them onto a path of finding and serving God is a much needed, very noble cause, and it does take money. If you’d like to give toward postage costs (which average about $180 per week), crusade costs (about $1,500 for food and incidentals), or other programs like Children’s Bibles or coats, just click on this link and you can give through our secure site: http://www.evangelprisonministries.org/index.php/donate2 Our ministry runs completely on donations and we are a 501c3, so it is tax deductible.
Also, the need for Christian mentors and pen pals is never-ending. We get anywhere from 20 to 40 letters a week from men and women seeking a friend to write to them. There are about 200 inmates on the waiting list at any given time (these are the ones who have been sent and returned our comprehensive application). The waiting time is an average of 8 months. Through our website, we now have volunteers in 43 different states and counting, and it is all very safe and monitored. All mail is funneled through our PO box, and the inmates are screened ahead of time to weed out those who may have other intentions. We provide training, advice, and support. We can help with envelopes and postage, and we even have several volunteer pen pals who type up their letters in an email and send to the office where I print them out and send them on to their inmate pen pals. Whatever help is needed, we can provide, and we keep tabs on our volunteers to see if they have any concerns, prayer needs, or questions. Click here to read more if you think this might be something you’d be interested in: http://www.evangelprisonministries.org/index.php/penpals2/pen-pals
I know what you’re probably thinking—much the same as I did before I got involved. If you’ve watched programs on TV about inmates, they’ve shown the worst of the worst. While there are, of course, extreme cases of insane murderers who are in prison where they should be—the majority of the inmates that we hear from are just men and women who made one or more poor choices, ran with the wrong crowd, or got caught up in something when they knew better and then got caught. Now they are inside, locked away from their families and loved ones, and have come to the end of their ropes. That’s when they reach out to God and truly want to get their lives in order. Many prisons don’t even have chaplains they can talk to and for those, organizations like ours are the only ones they can turn to for help.
They are all someone’s mom or dad, sister or brother, loved one or friend, and I believe when someone cries out for help, they deserve to be heard.
Like the old song said, “He ain’t heavy; he’s my brother.”
“Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” Hebrews 13:3, New International Version
Thanks for reading!
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Recommended Article: Linda Ellen – Historical Romance Author
Amazon Links:
Once in a While (Cherished Memories, Book 1)
The Bold Venture (Cherished Memories, Book 2)
Sweet Love at Honey Landing: A Mail Order Bride Story
A Bride for Finn (The Proxy Brides, Book 5)
A Bride for Sam (The Proxy Brides, Book 11)
A Bride for Tobias (The Proxy Brides, Book 26)
Her Blue-Eyed Sergeant (Soldiers of Swing, Book 1)
