LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF

 

    

 

April 20, 2010

 

LW, 26, cautiously ambled over to our booth during the mandatory monthly parolee meeting in Salinas, finding Pam's presentation on For The Least Of Us relevant and sensitively delivered. This was her first week out after spending four and a half years in prison. Communication was more than difficult what with sixty-five parolees, a dozen officers, and twenty representatives from the non-profit agencies gathered too closely together at the speaker's table, struggling to discover something of value in the despair of their desperate lives.

 

We reconnected again later that evening; only this occasion was even less fruitful as LW's cell phone kept cutting in and out. We derived this much. She did graduate from Carmel High, had lived with her family in their upscale Pebble Beach home, and has a highly achieving sister now the lead attorney in her firm. Meanwhile Loretta was now living in Carmel apart from her family who were still reliving the pain from five years ago. All of which piled on even more guilt and self-depreciation in Loretta's shattered ego.

 

Pam and I are vainly attempting to come aside Loretta and bring her into our church family. Family Matters with Christina seems just right, as does one of Brian's home churches. How good it would be for a team of mentors to arise. Loretta seems to crave acceptance, desires fellowship, and to experience the unconditional love of Jesus.

 

Her pledge to meet us at Church this Sunday failed. We offered a ride, but was rejected. Attempts to reach LW through her sister have not yet worked. We'll back off for a week or two then try again. Maybe starting with a paid visit to her sister's office.

 

 

 

Rochelle, about 45, hasn't been seen since the last rain. No rain, no Rochelle. Mrs D, on Atherton, the former proprietor of an acclaimed Carmel restaurant, has arranged her garage for both Rochelle and her dog – an inseparable pair. They've been doing this for years . Going to a shelter is out of the question. Rochelle wouldn't part company with her pooch for all the creature comforts of man. This week all the goodies prepared for by this gourmet chef were left untouched. Ditto for the dog. Mrs. D knew the family. They once had great wealth. The mom has moved out of state to parts unknown, while the brothers have nothing more to do with Rochelle. What happened is both a mystery and sad. Twenty years ago Rochelle and Mrs D ran in the same circles; Rochelle was engaged to the D's best friends, then something bad happened.

 

Mrs D left $50 out for Rochelle last week. When the rains came a few days later, Rochelle drove up in a taxi for which Mrs D paid the bill. Where the money went isn't known.

 

Neither Mrs D nor Pam and I know what to do. Past efforts to board the dog with us while Rochelle moves into a rehab shelter failed. We're both given to more prayer than usual.

 

 

 

 

Charles, Michelle, and Royal are faring much better. Michelle has come out of her shell and, in trust, spends a fair amount of her day, texting Cynthia, The long and short of it is her intentions to have Royal not relive her own lifestyle. Charles is working, thanks to Dr Kirk. Last reports he's doing about four hours of good work cleaning up the weeds and brush of Kirk's old residence. Then too, Bob, also from the Men's Saturday Mens' Fellowship is going to have Charles build him a fence.

 

Meanwhile Charles has struck it well with HUD and its Housing Resource Center. They'll be providing a house of the Murray's finding for a four month stay while the case manager works with Charles to improve his fuller restoration.

 

This will dovetail with our connecting the family with Pueblo Del Mar. It's a two year program with a supplied house and a full program for successful reentry. There Charles with a job in hand, will be continuing with Recovery on a weekly basis. I'll be tagging along at Pastor Mike Casey's highly engaging Monday sessions at Calvary Chapel.

 

What's particularly appealing is none of the above programs are a free ride. Charles will pay as he goes. And while the non-profits pay the lion share, the Murrays contribute their fair share and get involved in the program activities

 

Meanwhile Cynthia's bible group is dropping off warm and appetizing dinners to the Murrays on a scheduled basis. Independently, ditto Joanna and her thoughtful family

 

 

 

Helen, from our church, asked assistance for her dear friend down in Glendale whose daughter, now 62, was recently imprisoned at Valley State Prison in Chowchilla. There almost 4,000 women are incarcerated, some lifers, some short timers. (The facility was built to accommodate 2,024 inmates). The problem: Nary a word has been heard from the daughter, Maureen, on this, her first incarceration almost three months ago.

 

I got in touch with a member of our church whose daughter knows the system there from having spent a good many years there. It turns out, that the initial 90 days, while in "receiving", no telephone calls are permitted and only a few mailings are permitted. There are essentially zero options. Thereafter, one is "classified" and the first order of the day is a gratis phone call to family while in the counselor's presence.

 

Meanwhile, Helen's friend was left the number of the "A Yard Watch Captain" to let the daughter know her mother misses her with the love of Christ.

 

 

Bill and Pam Ziering

26033 Mesa Drive

Carmel, CA 93923

831-250-7921

 

 

For The Least Of Us", Inc. is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit faith-based Christ centered prison ministry (EIN 26-1361229, DLN 17053351309017). Web site: fortheleastofus.blogspot.com

 

PEN-PAL gives HOPE

\P

 

 

    

PEN –PAL: A much appreciated source of encouragement and friendship to a lonely prisoner. 

 

STORY        Visiting Prison in an Envelope            

 

PLAYERS    Pastor Mike Harbert        

        Inmate Michal Evans

        Inmate Willie Johnson

        Pen-Pal Bill Ziering

 

ONSET        August, 2009

 

OPENING    Michael Evans, a Christian, wishing to connect with a Church outside the"wall", wrote to CPC. Pastor Mike passed the message to our ministry.

 

EXCERPTS

 

Ziering (8/09)        Pastor Mike Harbert at our church, Carmel Presbyterian Church, passed your name on to us. We are members there too, and my wife and I team lead two ministries, For The Least Of Us (devoted mainly to the wives and children whose man is incarcerated) and the Coalition of Churches for Reentry and Restoration.(a consortium of 16 churches in Monterey County). I too, a former physician, served 6 months at the Atwater Camp, 9 years ago, never imagining I'd wind up dedicated to saving souls rather than bodies.

             

I understand you are a "Believer" and are a member of the "choir" there at Salinas Valley. Bravo! Having faith is what got me through our trials.Frankly, my "Summer Camp Atwater" was worth the experience, giving up "some time" to gain an eternity with him.

 

            ************************************************

 

Evans (Thanksgiving day)    I've been here 15 years and it's starting to get old. I am very bored and lonely. No friends and no one to write to……..I am a born again believer in Christ (Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!(2 Cor 5:17) I grew up in the Church playing the organ and piano, but then made some foolish mistakes…..I always stress to the choir we must live the life we sing about…..My release date is 2020 if it's God's will. . Please continue to write and pray for me.    

 

            ************************************************

 

Evans (12/27/09)    Praise God! He has blessed me with another year of life. Soon I will be 56 and although 15 years have been spent here at Salinas Valley State Prison, I have met some great guys who I have ministered to………….I am at peace and very happy I got Jesus back into my heart…….. Our choir is breaking up due to a deficit in funding for an officer to baby sit us while we rehearse…..Can you help me with the purchase of a CD player and headphones so I can listen to my Christian CD's. I'm a bit short and if you can contribute half, I can pay you back with doing a portrait of your family or whatever scene you prefer. It's a talent I picked up here at Soledad.

 

            **************************************************

 

Evans (1/26/10)    Hi Bill. I pray this letter finds you blessed. As for me, I am OK and continue to live saved. God has been good to me helping my sick back to heal with less pain as I am shunted in and out of the hospital……….. I am ready to draw for you whenever you are ready.

 

            **************************************************

 

Evans (2/8/10)        Hi Bill, I haven't heard from you for awhile. I pray you are well and in good spirits. I no longer have money problems, so you don't have to contribute to my CD player. One of my brothers was released and gave me his gear and sent me $100 too. But I do welcome your letters, they're so inspirational. Remember the drawing I promised to do for you, and please know there is no charge. If I am able to help someone, that's my purpose in life.

 

                                            

            ***************************************************

 

Ziering (2/19/10)    Brother Michael - so sorry for the delay. I waited for our Board to release some funds to help you get to your Christian music. They did and I've already ordered the approved unit to be forwarded to you. We can empathize with your joy in music. Our church choir is one of the highlights of our worship service each Sunday, something we couldn't possibly do without.

 

            ****************************************************

 

Evans (2/24/10)    Praise your ministry! I have 9 CD's to listen to now during my good and not so good days. Now I'm pretty much complete and happy. Praise God. Please let the Board know they have made my day, month, and year! Please continue to write.

 

            ****************************************************

 

Evans (4/08/10)    I am so happy right now more than you will ever know……..I'll send you a visiting form too. Maybe you can come visit me. I haven't had a visit in 15 years. I may not know how to act. Respectfully, Michael.

 

            *****************************************************

 

Johnson (4/25/10)    My name is Willie Johnson. I am Mr. Evans cell mate. He went to the hospital on April 20^th and hasn't yet returned. When he received your gift he was so happy. That was the first time I've seen him smile in a long time. He's been in great pain with his bad back. He's such a cool guy claiming God has been good to him even with his bum back. The choir is waiting for his return. He plays the piano and without him there's no music. …… I too need a pen-pal. I've been here 23 years. My mom and sister have pass away so I have nobody in my life so if you wish to write me too, it's all good. Have a nice day. Willie Johnson.

 

 

Bill and Pam Ziering

26033 Mesa Drive

Carmel, CA 93923

831-250-7921

 

 

For The Least Of Us", Inc. is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit faith-based Christ centered prison ministry (EIN 26-1361229, DLN 17053351309017). Web site: fortheleastofus.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

        
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAN YOU HELP

 

    

March 30, 2010

"Can you help?"

 

"There's this homeless couple with the most adorable 1 year old, living in their car which is about to be compounded. It doesn't run, needs a lot of unaffordable work, and is stuck there in front of a church." The police have given them until the end of the week to move it or lose it."

So went the 911 conversation with our CPC sister inquiring direction. She had happened upon the mom with infant and sensed things were not right. Over the next few days Cynthia has provided the basic necessities to mom, Michelle, and baby girl Royal. Now she needed more help.

First up, a call to the Salvation Army. I was ultimately connected with a case worker, Psyche (in truth!). Best as I could, from my vantage point as a distant third party I related the story -a story Psyche likely hears a couple of dozen times daily. She picked up on the number 1, 2, and 3 absolute need - shelter, and asked I drop the family off at their headquarters, 800 Scott in Sand City for an "intake history" and appropriate placement.

The long term core issue to the married couple is a car that works, that works more than just as a domicile, but runs and moves so that mom can get Royal to the doctor (multiple allergies), can drive to the food bank, and enables dad to keep up with collecting recyclables for sustenance

Pam and I met Michelle and Charles today at their big bronze '90 Lincoln Continental grounded outside San Carlos Church. Charles, 50ish, gentle and articulate, has two broken down knees, badly in need of joint replacement, but unavailable to him. He struggles to walk. His manner was peaceful, his nature positive, his character, grateful, his love of Michelle and Royal, abundant. Michelle, 25ish, reserved, and withdrawn, was content to play mother, leaving the role of family head to Charles. And in the midst of our fellowship, it began to rain

"Can you help?" The plea was simple, but at this moment of truth, my confidence was iffy. Each S.O.S. distress call is unique. I enjoy the opportunity and always manage to learn from the challenge, but score a total victory, no, and certainly nil without prayer and guidance from the Spirit.

After Charles locked their two bicycles to a post, and transferred the baby car seat, we made off to meet with Psyche. Psyche was sensitive and cordial but not gushy. She could not fulfill the couple's primary interest, a shelter that accommodates families. There are a limited number of shelters for the homeless in our county, a few for men, and even less for women, but none for couples with children. And Michelle and Charles are not about abandoning Royal or aborting their marriage vows for their individual self interests.

The immediate solution provided was a night's rest and shower at a local motel, one replete with a microwave oven and refrigerator (for Royal's soybean formula – available at $3.39 a half gallon). Further, Psyche provided us with a list of low cost apartment units in the area for which the Salvation Army will help with the first month's rent and security deposit – a solution, on the surface, not remote from Charles' ability to handle

Their long term goals are not unrealistic. They need a car that works. Charles' knees don't carry him further than a half block or much longer than 4 minutes. He continues to apply for jobs, any job, minimum pay or otherwise, but never comes close. So he does recyclables 6 days a week. On a bad day he brings in $8 and when he is graced, $22.

(Charles is a Christian, was brought up Catholic, sent his first children to parochial school in Salinas, and a bible is what we're gifting him today.)

The vouchers still remaining from the Yellow Brick Road will come in handy later in the week. We'll take Michelle, Royal, and yes, Charles, on a shopping spree there after the rains let up

Meanwhile Cynthia has arranged for their own local mechanic to check out "the car that couldn't" to assess the best price available for the block repair.

What Cynthia, Pam, and I are requesting are two items

• Can you bring your recyclables to CPC on Saturday mornings at 8:30 AM. Pam and I will deliver them to our new friends?
  
• And, prayerfully, can you part with and donate your old car (that still works or needs not major repair) to our non-profit, For The Least Of Us, (fully deductible). Charles can scrape together up to $500 (if needed) in the transfer.
  

  
   

Bill and Pam Ziering

26033 Mesa Drive

Carmel, CA

831-250-7921

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAN YOU HELP?

 

    March 30, 2010

 

"Can you help?"

"There's this homeless couple with the most adorable 1 year old, living in their car which is about to be compounded. It doesn't run, needs a lot of unaffordable work, and is stuck there in front of a church." The police have given them until the end of the week to move it or lose it."

So went the 911 conversation with our CPC sister inquiring direction. She had happened upon the mom with infant and sensed things were not right. Over the next few days Cynthia has provided the basic necessities to mom, Michelle, and baby girl Royal. Now she needed more help    

First up, a call to the Salvation Army. I was ultimately connected with a case worker, Psyche (in truth!). Best as I could, from my vantage point as a distant third party I related the story -a story Psyche likely hears a couple of dozen times daily. She picked up on the number 1, 2, and 3 absolute need - shelter, and asked I drop the family off at their headquarters, 800 Scott in Sand City for an "intake history" and appropriate placement

The long term core issue to the married couple is a car that works, that works more than just as a domicile, but runs and moves so that mom can get Royal to the doctor (multiple allergies), can drive to the food bank, and enables dad to keep up with collecting recyclables for sustenance

Pam and I met Michelle and Charles today at their big bronze '90 Lincoln Continental grounded outside San Carlos Church. Charles, 50ish, gentle and articulate, has two broken down knees, badly in need of joint replacement, but unavailable to him. He struggles to walk. His manner was peaceful, his nature positive, his character, grateful, his love of Michelle and Royal, abundant. Michelle, 25ish, reserved, and withdrawn, was content to play mother, leaving the role of family head to Charles. And in the midst of our fellowship, it began to rain

"Can you help?" The plea was simple, but at this moment of truth, my confidence was iffy. Each S.O.S. distress call is unique. I enjoy the opportunity and always manage to learn from the challenge, but score a total victory, no, and certainly nil without prayer and guidance from the Spirit

After Charles locked their two bicycles to a post, and transferred the baby car seat, we made off to meet with Psyche. Psyche was sensitive and cordial but not gushy. She could not fulfill the couple's primary interest, a shelter that accommodates families. There are a limited number of shelters for the homeless in our county, a few for men, and even less for women, but none for couples with children. And Michelle and Charles are not about abandoning Royal or aborting their marriage vows for their individual self interests

The immediate solution provided was a night's rest and shower at a local motel, one replete with a microwave oven and refrigerator (for Royal's soybean formula – available at $3.39 a half gallon). Further, Psyche provided us with a list of low cost apartment units in the area for which the Salvation Army will help with the first month's rent and security deposit – a solution, on the surface, not remote from Charles' ability to handle

Their long term goals are not unrealistic. They need a car that works. Charles' knees don't carry him further than a half block or much longer than 4 minutes. He continues to apply for jobs, any job, minimum pay or otherwise, but never comes close. So he does recyclables 6 days a week. On a bad day he brings in $8 and when he's graced, $22.

(Charles is a Christian, was brought up Catholic, sent his first children to parochial school in Salinas, and a bible is what we're gifting him today.)

The vouchers still remaining from the Yellow Brick Road will come in handy later in the week. We'll take Michelle, Royal, and yes, Charles, on a shopping spree there after the rains let up

Meanwhile Cynthia has arranged for their own local mechanic to check out "the car that couldn't" to assess the best price available for the block repair

What Cynthia, Pam, and I are requesting are two items:

• Can you bring your recyclables to CPC on Saturday mornings at 8:30 AM. Pam and I will deliver them to our new friends?
  

  
   

• And, prayerfully, can you part with and donate your old car (that still works or needs not major repair) to our non-profit, For The Least Of Us, (fully deductible). Charles can scrape together up to $500 (if
  

  needed) in the transfer.
  

  
   

Bill and Pam Ziering

26033 Mesa Drive

Carmel, CA

831-250-7921

 

 

 

 

 

 

A CHURCHES RESPONSE TO THE PRISON FAMILY

 

 

Welcome to Overcomers: A post-prison Ministry In The Church

P.O. Box 403
Browns Plains
Brisbane, Qld 4118
Australia
3800 5813    
Australia
3800 5813

Mentoring Program Within The Local Church

The Need:- Many of the inmates and ex-offenders I have spoken with, both as I ministered to them and as I have come in contact with them during my work in the community have expressed a profound knowledge of the lack of support "on the outside".

 

They usually are scared to death of what they will face and have expressed the fact that there is a need for a major support group for all ex-offenders. Their main fear in recidivism is the "abrupt transition back into society". In most cases there is no preparation given to them for this. It is just open the gate, shove 'em out, slam the gate behind them with a "you'll be back" attitude.

 

Often if the ex-offender has served a long term of five years or more, everything they knew has changed and they feel completely lost. The biggest problem most ex-offenders face is fear. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection by people within the Church because of where they have been and the reasons behind it. The ex-offender will often confront the pressures and prejudices of friends and family. They often have a low self-esteem and feelings of failure, hopelessness, suspicion and apathy.

 

Most leave prison with the same problems they had when they entered. Some have added problems that have developed whilst incarcerated. Such things as family breakdowns, enemies they may have made whilst living in close quarters whilst incarcerated, what to do with their lives from here on in, how they will survive and more. Many have to now face a world they faced before they went into prison, a world where they see no other options other than to commit another crime to survive. A world where no one will care about them or understand them or their needs.

 

These facts are a major contributing factor to a high rate of re-arrest across Australia. Even perhaps, world-wide. Statistics from state governments in Australia place the recidivism rate at anywhere from 50-80% on average. The failure of the Corrective system to truly rehabilitate inmates world-wide is well documented.

 

Therefore it is up to the Church to go well beyond the scope of many government and secular programs and to develop faith-based solutions to the problem of recidivism. Many studies have been made into this problem (one major study being carried out by the Washington Post, October 4 1997, and made public, the fact that there was a major failure in this arena even with special programmed courses for inmates in place. This is so in many cases of ex-offenders in Queensland's Correctional system. It has been found through research that Christian faith-based programs greatly reduce recidivism among their participants. This still however, does not fully eradicate the problem. It is up to the Church to ever look for the means to do this through the extending of the love of Jesus to these folk.

 

Both men and women. Overcomer's program is designed to have a major role in this area. Mentors General description: Mentors do not necessarily need to be trained counselors although if they are it is even better, but mostly they need to understand the needs of these people as they reintegrate into society. The mentors will need to be friends who will show they truly care for the well being and self-esteem and Spiritual growth of the ex-offender, bearing in mind that they will be working not only with Christians, but leading others to Jesus who have sought assistance as they come to the realization that they are in need of a mentor and assistance. All mentors undergo a training program which will equip them for this work. This training will be undertaken at various venues as both numbers and time permits. It will also incorporate ongoing training as the need arises. Mentors are responsible for providing support, encouragement and guidance to ex-offenders participating in the reintegration program by meeting with them regularly to listen and to share knowledge and experience. Both mentor and participants will have input into determining with whom they will be placed. Their placement will be with the denomination of their choice. It is also an excellent opportunity for students who wish to become involved with this work in the Pastoral Care practicums of their studies and future Ministry through working alongside Overcomers staff. The mentors can be from a variety of backgrounds ranging from psychology to Theology students and those who have at some time been incarcerated in a correctional center (a twelve month probationary period alongside of a proven mentor would be required in this latter).

 

This is not a ministry for what is often termed the "do-gooder". This is a very serious and important ministry and there must be a definite calling upon one's life to minister Christ to the fullest in this arena. This is an excellent opportunity to become involved in assisting the ex-offender to follow a life void of crime and full of Christ. The mentor should not be one who feels they would not be able to maintain confidentiality in their dealings with individual ex-offenders. They should also minister only to those of their own gender, except in the case of qualified psychologists or counselors and then only in the company of another person. For this reason it saves both time and effort in an emergency situation when an ex-offender needs immediate attention.

 

Qualifications for Mentors 1. Must believe in the program and the participant 2. Must be relationship-oriented, especially in relationship Evangelism. 3. Must understand ex-offenders and the problems they face. 4. Must be able to encourage and support without creating dependency. 5. Must be a responsible Christian fellowshipping regularly at a local Church. 6. Must be drug free and crime free for at least 1 year prior to appointment. 7. Must be approved by local Church leaders, with personal Pastoral reference. 8. Must reside in or within quick traveling distance of an area where Overcomers is operational. 9. Must be prepared to be called on a 24 hour basis if and when required. (This would be screened by a volunteer, 24 hour answer service). Responsibilities 1. Initiate and maintain contact with the participant in prison and after release; encourage the participant to feel free to call the mentor. 2. Visit participant at least once Bi-weekly. To write to the participant whilst they are still incarcerated or call at least once per week by telephone upon their release until the participant no longer requires their assistance. 3. Maintain contact with the participant for at least six months. Upon agreement by both parties, their relationship can be continued beyond this six month period. 4. Help the participant develop a life plan and obtain resources necessary for survival. The participant is to be encouraged to take the major role in this development. 5. Give general support as the participant goes through with his/her plan. 6. Avoid personal financial involvement. Overcomers support of Mentors.

 

Mentors will receive support from the program in the following ways: 1. An orientation meeting will be held to meet other mentors, review responsibilities and answer questions. This will be done by meeting together with the Chaplains of various Centers to develop a plan of action for the particular participant since the Chaplain will be the initial contact and will usually have a firsthand understanding of the individual ex-offender concerned. 2. The Project Coordinator will interview the mentor by appointment on a monthly basis to evaluate the mentor/participant relationship. 3. Regular meetings will be held for mentors to discuss problems and exchange ideas in problem solving and ongoing training as new methods are developed. 4. If a mentor relationship develops serious problems, which can happen to the best of them, Senior staff will help solve the problem where possible or after discussion with all parties concerned, will terminate the relationship and where possible, appoint a new mentor to the case. 5. Mentors will have available to them a resource list of shelters, release houses, emergency food sources, job leads (through both a list developed by Overcomers and an appointed local employment agency), etc. 6. Initial and on-going training will be provided for interested mentors in local Church settings. 7. For confidentiality purposes, mentors will be able to use Overcomers address or telephone number if they do not wish to disclose their own, however it is preferred that at least one other contact telephone number is used for emergency purposes. Overcomers Need:- To support this ministry, like everyone else, we have the need for prayer and financial partners. Please prayerfully consider this aspect of perhaps the most important ministry to the ex-offender.... that of continued discipleship according to the mandate in Matthew 28:20.

 

Remembering that in today's society there is a need for financial support for a ministry to continue and meet the daily need. For further details on how you can become a support partner and for prayer needs please feel free to contact us by email. Donations are best sent by cheque or money order to our office. As a Church fellowship, you might like to consider our "Gold Coin" option...If each Church member donated a gold coin once per week toward this ministry, imagine what God could do in discipling these folk in a year. Please feel free to contact us and we will advise of further details involving this area. Thank you for taking the time to read this page and please do come visit us again. Mentor and financial support partner applications can be made directly to our office. 192 Browns Plains Road, Browns Plains, Brisbane 4118 Telephone 617(07)3800 5813 Facsimile (07) 3809 0707 Email: Overcomers@mpx.com.au 

 

FOR THE LEAST OF US

Bill and Pam Ziering

26033 Mesa Drive

Carmel, CA

831-250-7921

ziering@pacbell.net

fortheleastofus.com

This post was published to For The Least Of Us at 11:19:37 AM 3/27/2010

THE CHURCH: AUTHENTICITY

return to religion-online The Call to Prison Ministry by Kenneth L. Carder Kenneth L. Carder is a bishop in the United Methodist church in Nashville, TN. This article appeared in The Christian Century, October 3, 2006, When I was a newly ordained pastor in 1966, I heard a speech by a federal judge that significantly shaped my life and ministry. The judge said that he kept in contact with every person he sentenced to prison. His rationale for writing or visiting inmates was simple: he didn’t want his only impact on an individual to be the act of denying his or her freedom. This highly regarded jurist then said, "Pastors should be as familiar with the inside of the local jails and prisons as they are the local hospitals." He observed that most people who are hospitalized have a strong support system and are surrounded by people devoted to their healing and well-being. By contrast, people housed in jails and prisons receive minimal support, and the people around them are mostly committed to confining and punishing them. Though as a pastor I had visited hospitals almost daily, I had never been inside a jail. Within a few weeks of hearing that judge’s challenge. I made my first visit to the county jail. I reluctantly and anxiously entered a world often hidden from and ignored by congregations and pastors. There I met more than law enforcement officers and inmates. I met the One who said, "I was in prison and you visited me. The incarcerated are among the fastest-growing populations in the U.S. Approximately 4,500 are added to the prison population each month. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2004, there are more than 2.2 million inmates in the nation’s jails. The 2004 figures reflect a record 32-year continuous rise in the number of inmates. The U.S. incarceration rate of 724 per 100,000 residents is the highest in the world. The rate of incarceration has quintupled since 1971. Prisons and jails are grossly overcrowded, with no relief in sight. Prison ministries are usually relegated to specialized groups such as Prison Fellowship or Kairos. Inmates are seldom on the regular visitation schedules of pastors. Government-funded prison chaplains are relied upon to provide pastoral care and religious services to inmates. Very few local jails have chaplains. While many dedicated chaplains serve in prisons, they are often seen as hired hands of the department of corrections, and they often lack the trust of inmates. For pastors, finding the time to add prisoners to the list of those to be visited is a challenge. Personal fear and lack of confidence in relating to the criminal-justice system creates understandable hesitation and resistance. Entering the unfamiliar world of inmates entails moving outside comfort zones, and those who desire to do so will receive little encouragement. Hostility and prejudice toward the incarcerated are impediments to ministry. The criminal justice system is dominated by notions of retribution, vengeance, punishment and isolation. The core values of the Christian gospel -- forgiveness, compassion, redemption, reconciliation, restorative justice -- run counter to prevailing sentiments in the justice system. Pastors and congregations engaged in prison ministry often meet bureaucratic resistance. Prison staffs are overworked, underpaid and undervalued, and they work in a high-stress environment. They are among those who need the ministry of the church. Building trust among the staff is essential for access and effectiveness in any prison ministry. Though the obstacles are formidable, the potential benefits to pastors and congregations are substantial. And much is at stake: faithfulness to Christ’s mandate and mission, renewal of the church’s witness and ministry, the theological integrity of the church’s proclamation, the spiritual vitality of pastors, and the well-being of more than 2 million inmates and their families. Prisons and jails present in microcosm the challenges confronting the church and the world -- racial polarization, economic disparity and poverty, terror and violence, drug and alcohol abuse, personal and family brokenness, isolation and loneliness, anger and meaninglessness and guilt. Behind the walls of every prison and jail are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors -- all persons made in the divine image who, like the rest of us, have distorted that image and who long for love, reconciliation and purpose. Ministry in such contexts of intense needs and opportunities can energize and shape ministry in the broader society where the same realities exist in less concentrated form. Inmates and their families have shaped my own experience and understanding of the gospel. During my first jail visit a young man asked to speak with me privately. Ed was a muscular man whose arms were covered with tattoos. On his left arm was inscribed Born to Lose, and on his other arm, Born to Raise Hell. He immediately blurted out, "How do I get God in my life?" "Why,", I asked, "do you want God in your life? What difference do you think that would make?" For the next several minutes he shared his life’s story of abuse, foster homes, repeated incarcerations for drunkenness, theft and larceny. He then added sorrowfully, "I’ve obviously made a mess of my life. I want to amount to something. I’ve hurt a lot of people and I ain’t worth shit." I responded, "Ed, you don’t have to get God in your life. God is already present in you. Your guilt and regret, the longing to make something of your life, the desire for a sense of worth -- that is God’s presence with you. We can begin by thanking God for being present in those feelings and desires and then open your whole life to that Presence." What theologians call prevenient grace took on new meaning in that conversation. I learned that we never take God anywhere; we find God already present. Ed helped me learn early on that the Christian gospel must be more than a theological abstraction; it must be embodied. How was Ed to know the meaning of love when all he had known was rejection? How was he to understand forgiveness when vengeance and retribution had dominated his experience? How was he to experience the worth and dignity rooted in grace when he felt worthless? After several visits, Ed asked, "Can you introduce me to a man in your church who can show me what it’s like to be a Christian?" That opened the door for congregational involvement. I introduced him to a person in the congregation who subsequently involved others in baking cookies and providing reading material for inmates and organizing occasional worship services. Some of my most profound theological insights, transforming experiences and enduring friendships have come out of my relationships with  incarcerated persons. Inmates have plenty of free time, and artwork can be a popular pastime. Several men who occupied the same cellblock in one county jail were particularly adept at creating cartoons. I provided them copies of the New Testament in a modem translation and asked them to read the parables and sayings of Jesus and identify those that lent themselves to cartoon portrayal. The result was a collection of insightful portrayals of the blind leading the blind, a rich man trying to go through the eye of a needle, a man removing the speck from another’s eye while a log was protruding from his own, and the laying up of treasures where moth and rust destroy and thieves steal. The cartoons led to long hours of discussion of the teachings of Jesus that would rival most seminary classes for passion and depth of insight. Involvement with prison and jail ministries keeps the pastor focused on life-and-death matters. Leaving the "free world" and entering the world behind prison walls tends to strip one of pretense and superficial preoccupations. No place confronts us with life-and-death challenges like death row. Relationships with the condemned and those whose job is to guard them and execute them are among the most intense and transformative pastoral relationships. Capital punishment ceases to be an abstract political, ethical and theological issue. Being present with persons who are awaiting execution, along with their families and the families of the victims of violence, pushes the pastor to the edges of faith and stability. Bill has been a friend since I met him on death row more than 20 years ago. We have shared many experiences -- his retrial and resentencing (to life in prison) and my changes in pastoral assignments. When I was elected bishop he called me from prison to say, "Finally, an American election that turned out right." Bill is always forthright, insightful and compassionate. When I asked him if any pastors or people from local churches ever visited his prison, which houses approximately 3,000 people, he said, "I’ve been in this prison six years and I haven’t seen a preacher yet, and I’m not aware of any churches that are involved here." I had passed several churches of various denominations along the rural west Tennessee road that leads to the sprawling prison complex. Since I now help to educate and form pastors in seminary, I asked Bill, "What do you consider to be the most important qualities of a pastor?" He replied, "Integrity, consistency and dependability." By integrity he meant that there should be congruity between the pastor’s proclamation of the gospel and the pastor’s life. Consistency, for Bill, involves treating people consistently with respect, compassion and dignity regardless of their status or condition. Dependability is "doing what you say you will do." He added that over his more than 25 years of incarceration he had seen many pastors and church people promise, with good intentions, to visit, but "only a handful can be depended on to stick around very long." Such unfulfilled promises add to the cynicism and disillusionment of inmates. Unless it is involved with the people in jails and prisons, the church will surely lack integrity, consistency and dependability. Bill and Pam Ziering 26033 Mesa Drive Carmel, CA

THE CHURCH: AUTHENTICITY

 

return to religion-online The Call to Prison Ministry by Kenneth L. Carder Kenneth L. Carder is a bishop in the United Methodist church in Nashville, TN. This article appeared in The Christian Century, October 3, 2006, pp. 25-29. Copyright by the Christian Century Foundation; used by permission. Current articles and subscriptions information can be found at www.christiancentury.org.This material was prepared for Religion Online by Ted and Winnie Brock.   When I was a newly ordained pastor in 1966, I heard a speech by a federal judge that significantly shaped my life and ministry. The judge said that he kept in contact with every person he sentenced to prison. His rationale for writing or visiting inmates was simple: he didn't want his only impact on an individual to be the act of denying his or her freedom. This highly regarded jurist then said, "Pastors should be as familiar with the inside of the local jails and prisons as they are the local hospitals." He observed that most people who are hospitalized have a strong support system and are surrounded by people devoted to their healing and well-being. By contrast, people housed in jails and prisons receive minimal support, and the people around them are mostly committed to confining and punishing them. Though as a pastor I had visited hospitals almost daily, I had never been inside a jail. Within a few weeks of hearing that judge's challenge. I made my first visit to the county jail. I reluctantly and anxiously entered a world often hidden from and ignored by congregations and pastors. There I met more than law enforcement officers and inmates. I met the One who said, "I was in prison and you visited me. The incarcerated are among the fastest-growing populations in the U.S. Approximately 4,500 are added to the prison population each month. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2004, there are more than 2.2 million inmates in the nation's jails. The 2004 figures reflect a record 32-year continuous rise in the number of inmates. The U.S. incarceration rate of 724 per 100,000 residents is the highest in the world. The rate of incarceration has quintupled since 1971. Prisons and jails are grossly overcrowded, with no relief in sight. Prison ministries are usually relegated to specialized groups such as Prison Fellowship or Kairos. Inmates are seldom on the regular visitation schedules of pastors. Government-funded prison chaplains are relied upon to provide pastoral care and religious services to inmates. Very few local jails have chaplains. While many dedicated chaplains serve in prisons, they are often seen as hired hands of the department of corrections, and they often lack the trust of inmates. For pastors, finding the time to add prisoners to the list of those to be visited is a challenge. Personal fear and lack of confidence in relating to the criminal-justice system creates understandable hesitation and resistance. Entering the unfamiliar world of inmates entails moving outside comfort zones, and those who desire to do so will receive little encouragement. Hostility and prejudice toward the incarcerated are impediments to ministry. The criminal justice system is dominated by notions of retribution, vengeance, punishment and isolation. The core values of the Christian gospel -- forgiveness, compassion, redemption, reconciliation, restorative justice -- run counter to prevailing sentiments in the justice system. Pastors and congregations engaged in prison ministry often meet bureaucratic resistance. Prison staffs are overworked, underpaid and undervalued, and they work in a high-stress environment. They are among those who need the ministry of the church. Building trust among the staff is essential for access and effectiveness in any prison ministry. Though the obstacles are formidable, the potential benefits to pastors and congregations are substantial. And much is at stake: faithfulness to Christ's mandate and mission, renewal of the church's witness and ministry, the theological integrity of the church's proclamation, the spiritual vitality of pastors, and the well-being of more than 2 million inmates and their families. Prisons and jails present in microcosm the challenges confronting the church and the world -- racial polarization, economic disparity and poverty, terror and violence, drug and alcohol abuse, personal and family brokenness, isolation and loneliness, anger and meaninglessness and guilt. Behind the walls of every prison and jail are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors -- all persons made in the divine image who, like the rest of us, have distorted that image and who long for love, reconciliation and purpose. Ministry in such contexts of intense needs and opportunities can energize and shape ministry in the broader society where the same realities exist in less concentrated form. Inmates and their families have shaped my own experience and understanding of the gospel. During my first jail visit a young man asked to speak with me privately. Ed was a muscular man whose arms were covered with tattoos. On his left arm was inscribed Born to Lose, and on his other arm, Born to Raise Hell. He immediately blurted out, "How do I get God in my life?" "Why,", I asked, "do you want God in your life? What difference do you think that would make?" For the next several minutes he shared his life's story of abuse, foster homes, repeated incarcerations for drunkenness, theft and larceny. He then added sorrowfully, "I've obviously made a mess of my life. I want to amount to something. I've hurt a lot of people and I ain't worth shit." I responded, "Ed, you don't have to get God in your life. God is already present in you. Your guilt and regret, the longing to make something of your life, the desire for a sense of worth -- that is God's presence with you. We can begin by thanking God for being present in those feelings and desires and then open your whole life to that Presence." What theologians call prevenient grace took on new meaning in that conversation. I learned that we never take God anywhere; we find God already present. Ed helped me learn early on that the Christian gospel must be more than a theological abstraction; it must be embodied. How was Ed to know the meaning of love when all he had known was rejection? How was he to understand forgiveness when vengeance and retribution had dominated his experience? How was he to experience the worth and dignity rooted in grace when he felt worthless? After several visits, Ed asked, "Can you introduce me to a man in your church who can show me what it's like to be a Christian?" That opened the door for congregational involvement. I introduced him to a person in the congregation who subsequently involved others in baking cookies and providing reading material for inmates and organizing occasional worship services. Some of my most profound theological insights, transforming experiences and enduring friendships have come out of my relationships with incarcerated persons. Inmates have plenty of free time, and artwork can be a popular pastime. Several men who occupied the same cellblock in one county jail were particularly adept at creating cartoons. I provided them copies of the New Testament in a modem translation and asked them to read the parables and sayings of Jesus and identify those that lent themselves to cartoon portrayal. The result was a collection of insightful portrayals of the blind leading the blind, a rich man trying to go through the eye of a needle, a man removing the speck from another's eye while a log was protruding from his own, and the laying up of treasures where moth and rust destroy and thieves steal. The cartoons led to long hours of discussion of the teachings of Jesus that would rival most seminary classes for passion and depth of insight. Involvement with prison and jail ministries keeps the pastor focused on life-and-death matters. Leaving the "free world" and entering the world behind prison walls tends to strip one of pretense and superficial preoccupations. No place confronts us with life-and-death challenges like death row. Relationships with the condemned and those whose job is to guard them and execute them are among the most intense and transformative pastoral relationships. Capital punishment ceases to be an abstract political, ethical and theological issue. Being present with persons who are awaiting execution, along with their families and the families of the victims of violence, pushes the pastor to the edges of faith and stability. Bill has been a friend since I met him on death row more than 20 years ago. We have shared many experiences -- his retrial and resentencing (to life in prison) and my changes in pastoral assignments. When I was elected bishop he called me from prison to say, "Finally, an American election that turned out right." Bill is always forthright, insightful and compassionate. When I asked him if any pastors or people from local churches ever visited his prison, which houses approximately 3,000 people, he said, "I've been in this prison six years and I haven't seen a preacher yet, and I'm not aware of any churches that are involved here." I had passed several churches of various denominations along the rural west Tennessee road that leads to the sprawling prison complex. Since I now help to educate and form pastors in seminary, I asked Bill, "What do you consider to be the most important qualities of a pastor?" He replied, "Integrity, consistency and dependability." By integrity he meant that there should be congruity between the pastor's proclamation of the gospel and the pastor's life. Consistency, for Bill, involves treating people consistently with respect, compassion and dignity regardless of their status or condition. Dependability is "doing what you say you will do." He added that over his more than 25 years of incarceration he had seen many pastors and church people promise, with good intentions, to visit, but "only a handful can be depended on to stick around very long." Such unfulfilled promises add to the cynicism and disillusionment of inmates. Unless it is involved with the people in jails and prisons, the church will surely lack integrity, consistency and dependability. Bill and Pam Ziering 26033 Mesa Drive Carmel, CA

 

NO WAY THIS CAN HAPPEN TO YOU?

FOR THE LEAST OF US
Restoring Families and Challenging Churches 

Invisible prison

Inmates' families face many challenges

By Christina Quick

Ann Edenfield Sweet never expected to be the wife of a prison inmate.

The former cheerleading captain and college homecoming queen married a commercial airline captain who seemed to share her Christian faith. They and their four children lived in a spacious home in suburban Albuquerque, N.M., and actively participated in a local church.

But on Aug. 5, 1986, Sweet received a phone call that changed her life. Her husband had been arrested, taken to jail and charged with drug trafficking. Unaware he had ever engaged in illegal activities, the news stunned Sweet.

"The old me really died that day," she says. "In many ways, I became a different person."

Unfortunately, Sweet took on a new identity in the eyes of others as well. As news of the arrest spread, friends and neighbors avoided her. Parents no longer allowed their children to play with her young sons. She was asked to resign as a Cub Scout leader. She says even members of the church she and her husband had attended for 12 years kept their distance.

"Unless you've lived through it, you don't know what it's like to have people turn the other way and not return your wave when you pull into the cul-de-sac," Sweet says. "As far as other people were concerned, my children and I were the guilty ones."

With four boys between the ages of 6 months and 7 years, Sweet's troubles had just begun. Within hours of her husband's arrest, the family's assets were seized. Sweet discovered while trying to buy groceries that she no longer had access even to her checking account.

"I literally became penniless overnight," she says.

Sweet took a low-paying position working with youth at a large, downtown church. There she encouraged other women and children dealing with the stigma of a family member's incarceration.

"My faith was the only thing that kept me going, and I tried to share that with others," Sweet says.

Six years into her husband's prison sentence, Sweet learned he had been approved for early parole and could be released in five months.

When Sweet told the new senior pastor her family soon would be reunited, she thought he would be happy for her. Instead, she says, he told her he could no longer be her pastor.

"I started sobbing," she says. "I felt like this was the second church that didn't want me. I knew God wasn't kicking me out, but when a pastor rejects you and you no longer feel welcome in church, you're tempted to think that way."

Sweet left the church and took a job with an audiobook publishing company. She also launched a new ministry to help families such as hers make positive connections with local churches. Wings for LIFE hosts parties for inmates' families and provides Christmas gifts, school supplies and other items for their children.

Sweet has written a book, Family Arrested: How to Survive the Incarceration of a Loved One, to help others navigate the penal system and the challenges of having a family member behind bars.

"It took me more than 13 years to be able to talk about my husband's incarceration and the impact it's had on my family without crying," Sweet says. "My greatest freedom was in finally letting go of that pain and giving it to God."

Though Sweet and her husband remained together four years after his release, the union eventually failed.

Studies have shown incarceration takes a heavy toll on marriage. Marriages that survive a prison sentence often dissolve after the spouse's release.

Scott Jett, director of Shapes Mentoring Program, an Assemblies of God outreach for inmates' children in southwest Missouri, says families of the incarcerated are a largely unreached mission field.

"Unfortunately, many people in the church are afraid to open themselves up to vulnerability," Jett says. "They're worried someone might steal from them or take advantage of them. But many times, what these families need most is to feel accepted and valued."

Jett says families of inmates face "invisible bars" that can dramatically affect their quality of life. Most live below the poverty line, and studies indicate children of inmates may be at increased risk of being incarcerated during their lifetimes.

"They feel isolated and abandoned," Jett says. "There are financial and emotional issues. And there is intense shame. To be the spouse or child of an inmate is to wear a label no one wants."

Manuel Cordero, a Colora, Md.-based national correctional ministries representative for Assemblies of God U.S. Missions, agrees.

"They're treated like they are also inmates, as if they are bad by association," Cordero says. "They're marginalized and ostracized. The greatest tragedy is when that happens in the church."

Amelia Velazquez says discipleship is crucial in helping inmates' families get past obstacles society and circumstances may place in their paths. She says her relationship with Christ provided an anchor when her husband went to prison on a drug conviction shortly after she became a Christian.

"What makes it difficult for women who don't have a relationship with God is not having a purpose for the future or knowing what the future holds," she says. "With God, you have hope and you can have the courage to continue."

Velazquez says becoming involved in ministry herself also helped her cope. Throughout her husband's incarceration, she led a ministry at a women's prison.

"You really are serving time with the person inside," she says. "But you can't wait for that person to get out of prison to begin your life. You have to get involved with something that will bring fulfillment and help shift your focus from your problems to the needs of others."

Velazquez and her husband, Alex Velazquez Jr., beat the odds by keeping their marriage intact. Alex Velazquez accepted Christ as Savior during his four years in prison. The two now serve as pastors at Oasis City Church, an AG congregation in Philadelphia.

"I know what it's like to go to Christmas parties and be the only person there without a spouse," Amelia Velazquez says.

Yet she says God's presence was enough for her during that time. She tells other women she mentors that just as God was with the biblical patriarch Joseph during his imprisonment, He wants to help families of prisoners break through every barrier that stands in their way.  

"A relationship with God is the starting point for true freedom," she says.