The Reality of Ministry Behind the Walls of the Prison
By Dr. Jerry McNabb, Assistant Director, Chaplains Commission
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Chaplain Standifer |
Have you ever wondered what a prison chaplain does? What kind of ministry do they provide to those individuals who have been locked away and forgotten by society at large. The issue is not whether they belong behind bars or not, but what will the church do with the people who do not fit in “normal” society. A female university professor, Chaplain (Dr.) Betty Standifer, knows the answer and has put her burden for the lost into action behind the bars of a local prison in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The name of the prisoners nor the prison is important, but the story of ministry that this chaplain tells is very important. Listen as she shares with us a typical day “outside the gates” of the church.
“Come and go with me to the prison. Tonight as I went into lock-down, I saw new and old faces. Some have been in lock-down for quite some time. As I entered the area a young woman jumps up and gives me a great big hug. “Oh, it is so good to see you she said.” This young woman was once a student at a Bible college and she is in prison for attempted murder.
Inmate 2 reached out her hand and ask that I pray with her. We both went to the table and talked for a while. She cried and asked that we pray for her 7 year old daughter and she ask that God would REALLY come into her life. She repeated over and over, “I have just got to change.” We prayed together.
Inmate 3 was suffering from asthma. She could hardly breathe. She ask that we pray for her healing and her family.
Inmate 4 ask that we pray that God would deliver her from alcohol and drugs. She also stated that she had no place to go when she left prison. Pray that God will provide a place for her.
After visiting lock-down I went to the chapel for Bible study. Seven inmates remain in my study. Several have already gone home. All of the women that remain are Christians. Last week I had to leave the chapel without Bible study because of an emergency prison-wide lock down. However, it was interesting to note that these seven women said that they were not going to be defeated – so they went back to their dorms and carried on with the study by themselves. Praise God for their interest in His Word and the Christ that I have been able to see implanted and grow in their heart.
In our study this week I used scripture from Ephesians 4:22- 5:7 and many of the inmates told about their past and the involvement with sinful practices. It would be difficult to describe all that I heard tonight. They told their stories in detail. These inmates come from the very depth of sin. They discussed all of the things that they had done in their lives and how God was leading them to turn their lives in a different direction. Please pray that this happens.
We always pray together before leaving Bible study. The inmates always have many requests, especially for their children. Tonight, we gathered in a circle and held hands to pray. It was amazing how they all started praying out loud to God and then a weeping spirit hit my very soul. This weeping came over every inmate in the Bible study. We stood and cried before God for some time. God met with us in a very special way. When I finally opened my eyes, I saw all of them weeping before the Lord. God is answering our prayers and something wonderful in the Lord is happening in each inmates life! Pray that they truly turn their lives around and do not return to the harshness of prison life.”
To learn more about the Church of God Chaplains Commission chaplaincy programs, visit the Chaplains Commission website at: www.cogchaplains.com
