PrisonMinistry

Celebration

North Raleigh United Methodist Church

April 11, 2010

History / Why

Scriptural - Jesus gives clear Command

Matthew 25I was hungry . . . Thirsty . . . A stranger . . . Sick

I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Hebrews 3Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those

who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering

Wesleyan Heritage – The Roots of Prison Ministry and even Chaplaincy lie in

Methodism via requesting permission to visit the prison

Charles Wesley in

Newgate Prison

Prison Ministry Arenas• Prevention

– Before the “arrest” – Focus = => Children / Youth

• Strengthening our Families • Investment in Neighborhood

• Institutional – During incarceration

• Visits / Bible Studies• Support Family / Mothers & Children• Pen Pals

• Reentry– After incarceration

• Mentoring• Housing• Jobs

North Raleigh UMC Ministry Areas

– Inmate Ministry ( Inside Institutions )

• Visits• Pen Pal

– Family support ( Mothers & Children )• Angel Tree ( Gifts & Visits )

– Reentry support• Mentoring• Readiness Education• Jobs • Housing

NRUMC Prison Experience• 10 years in

– Angel Tree Ministry ( Annual )• 2009 Touched 60+ inmate families with over 100 children

from over 80 NRUMC families 10 volunteers

• 30 years In

– Yokefellow Prison Ministry of NC ( Weekly )

• Small group Christian Sharing

– Disciple Bible Outreach Ministry ( Weekly )

• Structured Bible Study

• 15 years of

– Reentry Ministry• Mentor / support ( Community Success Initiative )• Mothers and Their Children M.A.T.C.H.• Community Success Initiative

•

• •

Recent Prison Volunteers

Kelly Bailey KairosThomas Beam YokefellowDon Bobo YokefellowKeith / Wanda Dixon ReenryDan Duffy YokefellowPat Ford DiscipleFern Grounds YokefellowGerry Guthrie YokefellowSheldon Howard ReentryBetty Osborne YokefellowBob Panton DiscipleMack Parker YokefellowPeggy Poole Pen PalSusan Sorrells Angel TreeDave Westfall Reentry

This Ministry Needs Your

• Prayers• Service

– Consider donating your time• Inside Prison Ministry• Outside Reentry Service

• Support for Special Activities– Gifts – Food

• $ to support

Conference Support for Ministries• Disciple Bible Outreach Ministries (Inside/+Youth )

– ~ 2400 inmates / ~ 200 Volunteers / 65 Units

• MATCH (Inside + Children)– ~ 220 inmates / ~ 120 Volunteers

• Yokefellow Prison Ministry of NC (Inside)– ~ 3200 inmates / ~ 850 Volunteers / 63 Units

• Epiphany Ministries (Inside/+Youth )

~ 185 Youth / ~ 400 Volunteers / 5 Units

• Kairos / Kairos Outside (Inside/Outside)– ~ 400 inmates / ~ 1000 Volunteers / 4 Units

• Prison Fellowship / Angle Tree (Inside/Outside/Children) – ~ 3200 Families / ~ 1850 Volunteers

• Community Success Initiative (Inside/Outside-Reentry)– ~ 400 inmates / ~ 50 Volunteers (Raleigh only)

• Capital Restorative Justice Project (Victim Restoration)

1988 General Conference Mandate Mission of Committee on Prison Ministry

• Raise Awareness & Encourage local

church involvement

• Identify & Promote Prison Ministries

• Serve as a resource and connectional link with – Local churches– General church agencies– Community & Government

1988 General Conference Mandate Mission of Committee on Prison Ministry

Ministry Areas– Inmate Ministry (Direct / Inside)

– Reentry support – Family Ministry (inmate)

– Juvenile Offence Prevention / Intervention

– Victim Support

– Chaplains/ Prison Staff Support & Encouragement

– Legislative Reform / Alternatives

– Volunteer Recruitment / Training

– Existing Prison Ministry Support

– New Ministry Discovery / Support

– Innovative funding

Committee Activities

• Encourage Conference Level Focus– Conference WEB pages

– Methodist Advocate news articles / publicity – Annual Conference Resolutions – CJAMM display at Annual Conference– Updates and Activities for Bishop/Cabinet (Prison Visits / Issues)

• Engage/Support each of our Districts– Providing Resources & Recognition (Ministry Directory)

– Work Shops & Speakers Bureau • Recognize/Promote Prison Ministries (Over 30)

– Partnered / Helped Start 2 Major Ministries • Provide financial support to ~ 10 New Startup Ministries

2009 - 2010 Criminal Justice & Mercy Ministry Committee

District to Member .

• Burlington Lois Wright *Lay

• Durham Jim Modlin * Lay

• Elizabeth City Pat Ford Lay • Fayetteville Carol Cummings-Woriax *• Goldsboro Ray Warren• Greenville Gary Murphee• New Bern Gary Murphee• Raleigh Joan Purcell• Rockingham Leslie Womack• Rocky Mount Carol Taylor *• Sanford Leslie Womack• Wilmington David Wade * James Waggoner

Budget / Spending

$0.000

$2.000

$4.000

$6.000

$8.000

$10.000

$12.000

$14.000

$16.000

1992 1997 2003 2008 2011

TOTAL

Startup Funding Policy(New Prison Ministries)

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1st Yr 2nd Year 3rd Yr 4th Yr

NC Dept of Corrections

• 1992• 92 Prisons• 20K Incarcerated• Cost/day $35 ($.5 Billion)

• Race– White 34%

– Black 63%

– Other 3%

• Recidivism 34% / 3 Yr

• 2009• 80 Prisons• 41K Incarcerated• Cost/day $75 ($1 Billion)

• Race– White 35%

– Black 57%

– Other 8%

• Recidivism 37% / 3 Yr• Gender

– 80% Male

– 20% Female

John & Charles Wesley

• William Morgan & Castle Prison 1729• There begun Prison outreach which preceded John’s

Aldersgate 1738• There begun their understanding of prevenient grace• John was led “without previous design” to declare to nine

prisoners the night before their execution “God willeth all men to be saved” after which they fell to their knees and wrestled in mighty prayer and joy was visible on their faces

• Here they confirmed that God’s grace could transform

them as well as the most wretched of persons

NC Dept of Juvenile Justiceand

Delinquency Prevention

• C.A. Dillon YDC, Butner• Dobbs YDC, Kinston• Jackson YDC, Concord• Samarkand YDC, Eagle Springs• Swannanoa YDC, Swannanoa

• DOC MAP

Frequent Crimes• Drug Possession 20%• Assault 11%• Larceny 11%• DWI 10%• Breaking & Entering 9%• Traffic 6%• Robbery 5%• Sexual Offense 5%• Fraud 4%• Drug Trafficking 3%• Habitual Felon 3%• Murder/Manslaughter 3%• Possession of Firearm/Weapon 3%

NC Dept of Correction

41,000

NC Dept of Correction

41,000 30,000

NC Dept of Correction

41,000 30,000

30,000

NC Dept of Correction

41,000

37% Recidivism

30,000

19,000

11,000

Committee on Prison Ministry

Ministry Areas

– Juvenile Offence Prevention / Intervention– Inmate Ministry (Direct / Inside)– Reentry support – Family Ministry (inmate)

– Victim Support – Chaplains/ Prison Staff Support & Encouragement – Legislative Reform / Alternatives – Volunteer Recruitment / Training – Existing Prison Ministry Support – New Ministry Discovery / Support – Innovative funding

Matthew 25 The Sheep and the Goats31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Hebrews 3 Concluding Exhortations1 Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

REENTRY SUPPORT

“Here we come - Ready or Not”Back to our neighborhoods

• Cost of incarceration / Weak Economy

• Legislature may opt for a Early Release Program in order to lower cost

Prison Ministry Details• Disciple Bible Outreach Ministries • MATCH (Inside + Children)• Yokefellow Prison Ministry of NC (Inside)• Epiphany Ministries (Inside/+Youth )• Community Success Initiative (Inside/Outside-Reentry)• Capital Restorative Justice Project (Victim Restoration)• Prison Fellowship• Kairos

• Leslie’s Doc

NCCUMC.ORG/CJAMM

Prison Chaplains in the NC Conference

• William Hoyle Federal Prison (Butner, NC)

• Neil Smith McCain CH

• Berry Taylor Pasquotank CI

• Joan Purcell NCCIW (MATCH)

Prisons, Prisoners & Ex-offenders

• Await the church’s commitment to– engaging in ministries with the poor– expressions of radical hospitality

• Prisons are concentration camps for the poor • Prisons are outside the comfort zone for many church

members who worship in our churches on Sunday

2008 The Seven Pathways

1) Transforming existing congregations.2) Developing new congregations3) Strengthening clergy and lay leadership.4) Teaching the Wesleyan model of forming

disciples of Jesus Christ5) Reaching and transforming the lives of the

children.6) Eliminating poverty in community with the

poor.7) Expanding racial / ethnic ministries.

2008 The Seven Pathways

1) Transforming existing congregations.2) Developing new congregations3) Strengthening clergy and lay leadership.4) Teaching the Wesleyan model of forming

disciples of Jesus Christ5) Reaching and transforming the lives of the

children.6) Eliminating poverty in community with the

poor.7) Expanding racial / ethnic ministries.

Major Points

• History• Current Members• How many Prison Chaplains• How many programs • Mass Exodus facing NC Reentry• Funding $ curve / guidelines• Measurable results• Testimony

Our History         -  1988 Mandate /  Fulfillment of scripture /  Wesleyan tradition•                                    How CJAMM has fulfilled the mission since 1991•                                    Ministries we have touched                                      Joint Conference

efforts ( DBOM )•                                     Guidelines used  for:•                                    Congregational awareness / education / support / encouragement  •                                                                                  Focus ministries guidelines PIE Chart•  Changes              -  Brief  comparison  of what is was and  what it is  NOW•                           Prison/jail   population /Justice trends etc•  Mission Today    -  ReThink this Ministry and our Methods •                                       ReThink our priorities                                                •                                                   Fields of opportunity  today

Methods WEB Tools http://nccumc.org/cjamm •                       -  Revitalize our spirit  Tie into Seven pathways•                                                Promote and Utilize our resources• Council of Bishops initiatives•                                                 Our Council of Bishops initiatives •                                                 Resources such as•                                              "I WAS IN PRISON"  and how CJAMM is promoting book•  Closing                         a 3 minute   testimony from an  Inmate   =====>video clip   

Status Today / Goals for Tomorrow

• Status Today – Recognizing our Weaknesses – Rethinking our Methods

• Consider Measurable Results• Greater use of Technology• Continued presence in Districts

– Revitalizing our Spirit• Map to Seven Pathways

– Seeking Council of Others• Reading our Bishops messages

– Wesleyan tradition

• Study of current writings:– “I Was In Prison”– “Changing Paradigms”

• Goals for Tomorrow– Teaming with connectional

resources• Academy for Leadership• Missions & Justice• Bd of Laity & Ordained Ministry• Multicultural Ministry• UMW & UMM

– Preparing for Greater Opportunity via Goal Setting & Intense Focus

• Increase % congregational involvement each year

• Create a Criminal Recovery support plan to address Recidivism / Reentry

Notes

• Opening prayer– As we are gathered hear at your Church

– Help us to focus on YOUR will . The CENTER of your will

– Lord I am unworthy to stand before your people

– Help me remove my pride and humble myself so that I may see the vision of your true WILL for your people here assembled and this ministry

Big / Little Things

• Life is full of Big things and Little things– Ministry is the same

More often than not the little things we’re able to do make far more impact on our world than the seemingly BIG things

Remember those in prison via prayers / cards / letters

Pray for those in prison . . . inmates, volunteers and staff

Pray for the victims of crime who are left to survive the memory

Pray for those who are rebuilding their lives after incarceration

• We all like our comfort zone• It’s not about knowledge / It’s all about relationship• Knowing about Jesus versus A relationship with Jesus

1991 North Carolina Annual Conference

- Committee Formation with 12 Appointed - One person from each of the 12 Districts - Met once each quarter - Met in prisons all across the conference- Each member chose to champion a different

- In Prison - Victim support- Youthful Offenders- Women / Mothers - Legislative Reform / Alternatives

Rockingham Prisons/Church Involvement

• List of Prisons in and near District– Need Leslie’s input HERE some are in SC ?– DOC MAP

• Jump to Conference Resource Guide to show Church activities– Need Leslie’s input HERE where she knows

Rockingham district is active but NOT listed in the Conference Resource Guide

• Drug Possession

Drug Possession