Captive Audience: The Prisoner
I opened my snail mail to read a four-page hand-written letter from Terry, a prisoner in a state prison, requesting that I correspond with him for the final three years of his 33 year sentence. He’s thinking now about getting out and he needs real contacts, undoubtedly. He may even need to show the parole board some proof of connections, or perhaps, he has attended a class on what to do to prepare to get out of prison after rotting for 22 years. The reason he offers for contacting me, a stranger, after all these years in prison is that he recently has professed faith in Christ Jesus.
For the first 11 years in the pen, he fought for himself. Then he resigned himself to his sentence. About six years ago he began to go to a Bible study with 11 or so inmates. A Reformed group in Florida supplies literature to this prison and these inmates have been reading every book given to them. Terry put his faith in Christ and for six years has not only studied the Bible extensively and ardently, but he has also read nearly every Reformed theological book on the planet. He asked one of the volunteers of this Reformed ministry to connect him to a PCA congregation in Beaverton, Oregon, his home prior to imprisonment.
The volunteer surfed the web and found Evergreen PCA in Beaverton and gave my name and address to Terry.
Terry tells his story about how he was at the wrong place at the wrong time doing the wrong thing with men who did worse. The result was that he was sentenced to more time since he could not prove that he was not a party to the greater crimes of his cohorts. After 21 years of pastoral ministry, I am no longer willing to sort out whether or not someone’s story is accurate at each point. Most stories I hear have a little bull tossed in for color. As a follower of Christ, the question before me is what should I do to minister the grace of Christ to this person? I am not his judge. His story is interesting, tragic, moving, and I am not quite sure if it is accurately told at every twist and turn. Nevertheless, he is a prisoner. That’s a fact. And Jesus and the apostles are quite clear on how I should interact with a prisoner.
I am now corresponding with Terry, planning to do so until he is released. He plans to return to Oregon and so I look forward to meeting him face to face.
One or two months ago, Bob Morgan, an Evergreen PCA member, connected with a friend in the Clackamas County Jail. The inmate and the chaplain mentioned how little the inmates have to read, especially when it comes to decent biblical, theological books. Bob Morgan has begun to collect books at Evergreen. In the entryway there is a large plastic box filling up with books and Bob is delivering them to inmates through the chaplain.
Max Dougherty, Michael’s Dad, is a member of the chaplaincy team in the Washington County Jail. Anyone interested in actually visiting inmates at that site can complete the chaplaincy training - a one day workshop, and gain access to the jail for visitation. These men and women awaiting sentence or serving time are a captive audience.
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Nathan, Chad here from California. Been awhile since I have read your blog. While I do not know the full situation, from a quick read the gentleman writing to you appears to be sincere and is being proactive about his later transformation back to “regular” life. I know you have had different interactions with persons outside the church, like our shared mechanic in Aloha, your interaction with your nieghbor, the other pastors at the tanasbourne starbucks, and the gentleman the deacons helped move out of his apartment. We all have stories and many times we embelish. God knows our true heart, but this is a human way of coping. This story seems from a true heart of gentleman that wants change. Many times at starbucks while I was going to PSU we discussed the gentleman who gave you a ring and then later you returned it. We knew there was things not on the up and up but yet God challenged us to help him, however, there came a time when you/we decided had to make a decision for the safety of ourselves and family. A teacher in school put it to me once, all students walk in the door with an “A” grade, but your actions the remainder of the term decide who gets a lower one. So far, the man in prison is coming to you with an “A” grade, but only after a relationship and further interactions we will know what God’s plan is. I am not sure why I decided to respond to this, but I felt like I needed to encourage you. In christ Chad Moore
thank you, Chad for your charitable perspective and encouragement. This morning at Evergreen I had the privilege of baptizing a man upon profession of faith, recently released from prison, clean, dressed and in his right mind. The congregation erupted in applause, joyful, as I baptized him. The Holy Spirit was truly in our midst.
nathan.