LINCOLN, Neb. (BP) — It happens every weekend. On Saturday the men have breakfast and join for a Bible study at Bethel Baptist Church, then do some work on the grounds. The next day they return for Sunday School and worship. Lunch follows in the fellowship hall.
Then it’s back to the Community Corrections Center of the Nebraska Penitentiary System.
For 10 years now this church that routinely runs 50-70 in attendance has welcome the men on work-release and within at least a year of fulfilling their sentence. George Darlington brought the program from the previous church he attended.
“The ministry gives these men sound Bible teaching and the feeling of acceptance,” said Darlington. “Some come to faith in Christ; some don’t.”
Any first-time visitor to a church wonders how they may fit in. Now imagine doing that and people knowing you are currently incarcerated. Suffice it to say, acceptance is big to the men, even if just for four hours.
Drug-related offenses dominate as to why they are there. No guards come with them from the prison, though Pastor R.D. Fowler’s wife, Deborah, is a former corrections officer. The men receive transportation from a van rented by the church.
“It’s a ministry of love,” said Fowler. “You love on the guys, who are going to hear the Gospel every week. Some have said they never felt accepted before like when they came to church. You have victories and you have setbacks. But you hear how it has changed their lives.”
Bible leaders from throughout the area lead the Saturday studies. Many inmates in the ministry’s decade of existence have gone on to join the church alongside their families. About a dozen come Saturday, with up to around 16 on Sundays. Fowler has performed three weddings for them. Seven men were baptized this year.
They have also become part of the church’s ministry. Two former prisoners play guitar for the church’s worship band.
Churches have a tendency to fall into routines where things can become homogenous. Sometimes the ways the men participate and “salty” language that slips out has a healthy, Herdmans-type of influence on how others see the Gospel and the need we all continually have for it.
Darlington knows well the need for giving second chances. As a defensive coach on Tom Osborne’s Nebraska teams for 30 years, he observed gifted young men who made mistakes. Some took advantage of grace extended to them; some didn’t.
For the church’s part, Darlington has observed the impact just from where you sit during a meal.
“There is no expectation that the men sit somewhere else. People see them as human beings who happened to have gotten in trouble for something. In some cases, [church members] can relate if they have had trouble with their own children,” he said.
Every prisoner’s release is celebrated by the church.
“We have a party for them,” Fowler said. “The men talk about how the impact this has made. Some have shared with me that it was the first time someone had baked a cake for them.”
Sometimes the men remain in the area while others return to their hometowns. Unfortunately, the latter tends to lead to falling in with old crowds and bad habits. Some have found themselves back in prison and, eventually, back at Bethel with promises that this time changes are going to stick.
The ministry is geared toward helping those find solid footing in their faith. Becoming a consistent, contributing member of a local church is crucial, and a role Bethel continuously serves.
“We talk about reacclimating often for after they are released,” Darlington said. “If they return to us, it means a lot.”
Related posts:
Church ballet studio performance centered on missions 
Baptist Collegiate Ministry: “I Remember” 
Body of missing SBC pastor’s wife found 
Maryland church provides VBS for kids with special needs 
Why your church needs more announcements in the morning worship service 
Southern Colorado association sees opportunities for planting, revitalization 
On Graduate Sunday, consider looking forward, say leaders 
Northwest Pastor’s Family Rediscovers God’s Faithfulness After Heart Attack, Redeployment to Arkansas
