Jail Ministry Gets Help from Friends

by Eleanor St. Clair, pastor
Oak Harbor mission, Ohio

 

“The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers….” So reads a portion of Luke 4 in the Contemporary English Version (CEV) Bible. I feel such a calling. It was 1994 when I began teaching GED courses at jails, and I officially began a jail ministry program in the spring of 1995. Bringing ministry to incarcerated people on behalf of the church and the community is the most fulfilling work I have ever known.

Eleanor (right) shares the CEV Bible with the jail's chief deputy administrator for the first time.

Every Wednesday I hold worship services at the Ottawa County detention facility as well as the misdemeanant jail, meeting with a total of three groups. I am also called on for individual ministry and have visited these institutions as often as four times per week. Fulfilling this role has not been an easy calling, especially in the beginning. Doors were often slammed in my face. I have been cursed at, lied to and about, and many who were not comfortable with the idea of inmates being treated with respect were openly uncooperative. Over time, and with the Lord’s help, this has changed and doors have opened.

Since its inception, the jail ministry program has greatly benefited from the generosity of friends, groups, and organizations. With the approval of the local sheriff, Craig Emahiser, a grant was obtained from the American Bible Society that provides the program with a case of CEV Bibles for every case purchased. John and Linda Rounds provided for the first case and additional cases have been purchased through a $500 gift from the Reynoldsburg, Ohio congregation.

Bibles are given to all inmates who request a copy. The CEV Bible was chosen because it is user-friendly. It can be read without stumbling, heard without misunderstanding, and listened to with enjoyment. The easy reading format encourages new-to-the-Bible readers to study daily. One long-time Bible student from the jail ministry program exclaimed, “It is the greatest gift I have ever received!”

Another gift that benefits seekers is the daily devotional The Upper Room. I originally planned to subscribe to twenty copies that would be shared in the jails. An editor for The Upper Room learned of my purpose for the devotionals and offered to donate as many of these bimonthly publications as needed at no cost. The Saints Herald is also donated, and the Oak Harbor mission covers the cost of postage.

Videotaped testimonies of convicts who want to share what God has done in their lives have been another excellent resource for this ministry. The videos feature personal stories of convicts such as Tex Watson, who was described as Charles Manson’s second lieutenant, who have turned their lives around and are making contributions to society. Videos like these are shown often because of their powerful witness of repentance, forgiveness, and the loving acts of God.

For a long time the television/VCR had to be moved upstairs in the jail each time a video was shown at the detention facility. Many times another lesson was planned in order to relieve the deputies of this cumbersome task. The Oak Harbor mission agreed to donate a second television/VCR, and the purchase was discounted by a local Wal-Mart store. Having another television/VCR at the jail has benefited the ministry program as well as the Alcoholics Anonymous support group that meets there.

Don Smarto, director of the Billy Graham Center for Prison Ministry and editor of the book Setting the Captives Free, stated, “In not too many years, if we keep the present trend, half of our American population will be in jail and the other half will be prison guards. We need to look for alternatives to help redirect the broken lives of offenders who want to change…we need to be offering new life and hope.”

In Psalm 40 King David cries out, “I have more troubles than I can count. My sins are all around me, and I can’t find my way. My sins outnumber the hairs of my head. And I feel weak.” But he also praises God with, “You have listened to my prayers and pulled me from a lonely pit full of mud and mire. You let me stand on a rock with my feet firm.”

I firmly believe criminals can change. All people can repent and be forgiven. In the church we are called to be agents of change by reaching out to prisoners in love and obedience to God’s call. He has placed his Spirit in each of us, but we are all sinners. Only God knows the potential we have to become sons and daughters of God. The statistics are that only 20 percent of released prisoners find a church home where they are accepted and embraced into the flock. The future of our society may hinge on our response to the scriptural mandate to “visit the prisoners” and “set the captives free.” This is the mission of our congregation.

NOTE:
Eleanor St. Clair was called to the jail on December 8 to provide counseling to two inmates. During her visit, the deputies asked to see her in the control room. They presented her with an invitation to an awards ceremony with a letter stating that Eleanor should be recognized for her commitment because she was a member of their family. Her response was, “Wow!” Eleanor was also honored as a Valiant Woman by Church Women United for her work in jail ministry-it is the highest honor granted by the organization’s national office. Eleanor feels that these recognitions reflect the teachings of the RLDS Church. She said, “Everything I am is because of the church and Jesus Christ….The honor goes to the body of Christ.”