Somebody gave me old copies of our PPCA Newsletter and I was looking through them to glean gems for our website. I ran across the following contribution written by Reverend John Nelson. Many of you may remember that John passed away in May of 2010, and is still greatly missed. This article was originally published in Sheriff, January-February 1999 issue. Enjoy John’s thoughts and reflections:
MINISTERING TO INMATES: THE REWARDS AND THE CHALLENGES
by Reverend John Nelson
In October 1997, Martin Horn, Commissioner of Corrections at the time for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, addressed the Pennsylvania Prison Chaplains annual meeting. He mentioned that he had noticed a frightening trend during his speaking engagements across the state. Among high school students, even in rural areas, he sensed a mean spiritedness toward inmates, even to the extent of strongly promoting the death penalty.
Realizing that in a few years several of these students could be seeking employment with the corrections institutions, he called on us to get the word out. Referring to the rapidly growing prison population, he stated that we have to get away from just warehousing prisoners. In many cases, he said, a chaplain would be the only friend inmates would have.
This is where chaplains can come into the picture: accept the challenge of ministering to incarcerated individuals and declare the good news of the Gospel (Torah, Qur’an, etc./Editor). Chaplains can help inmates understand that there is hope; they can change and find a new life in and beyond prison.
Drs. Frank Minirth and Paul Meir state in their book, Happiness Is a Choice, Part 2, “What Causes Depression,” that a healthy perspective is to realize that only two tangible things will last forever: the Word of God and people. Inmates are people.
About ten years ago, Dr. Andrew Purvis, a professor at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and author of the book, In Search of Compassion, spoke to the Pennsylvania Prison Chaplains’ annual meeting on the subject of spirituality. He shared an incident in the life of Henri Nouwen who was spending time at the Genesee Trappist Monastery in upstate New York. Some students were there and they asked the bishop if he could get Henri to speak to their group. Responding to the bishop’s request, Henri said, “I can’t. I don’t have time to prepare.” The bishop replied, “Henri, you don’t have to prepare, just share your life in God with these students for a couple of days.” Then Dr. Purvis said, “Ministry is sharing your life in God.”
Ministry to inmates involves sharing our lives in God. One speaker, lecturing about the purpose of a chaplain, said, “The role of a chaplain is to create sacred space for people who are hurting.” With the space shortage in most prison settings, we definitely need all the sacred space we can create.
In the Warren County, PA, facility where I minister, meals are served to the blocks in insulated trays. I accompany the officers and trustees who serve the meals; this provides an excellent opportunity for a chaplain to see all the inmates, greet them, and pick out any problems they have.
Greeting an inmate recently, I asked how it was going. The inmate responded that things were not going very well. I asked if he was having a bad day, to which the inmate responded that it was more than that. The two of us sat down and began to talk, and the inmate shared that he was having trouble with some long-standing anger and rage. I lent him an ear, and the inmate was able to vent his feelings. At our last meeting, things were fine.
In his book, Ministry to the Incarcerated, Dr. Henry Covert states that a great deal of a chaplain’s work is not spiritual. I agree with Dr. Covert wholeheartedly. A chaplain often finds himself busy supplying toiletries such as shampoo, toothpaste, soap, etc., but it always increases the response to the Gospel message.
Many, no doubt, find it hard to believe that inmates can minister to us, but they can and do. About nine years ago, I was suffering from a sciatic nerve that started in my back and moved down into my leg and ankle. Being on my feet so much on Sundays — in the pulpit Sunday morning and conducting about three services at the prison on Sunday night — by the last service, which was for the maximum-security inmates, I was really hurting. At the close of the service, I always take prayer requests. One night, at the height of my sciatic pain, one of the inmates spoke up very forcefully. He said, “I don’t think it’s right you coming here all the time taking requests from us. I think we should pray for you.” I replied that I was ready. We grasped hands and the inmate led a prayer. That night when I hit the street, the pain was gone and I was healed. I truly have great faith in inmates’ prayers.
The staff enjoys an unusually good working relationship at the Warren County Jail. They work together, not against each other, which, in turn, makes everyone’s job easier. In corrections, chaplains need all the help they can get. Security needs to be a top priority with an endeavor to maintain peace. I have high respect for Sheriff Larry Kopko and the job he does. He runs a tight ship, yet offers great freedom for the ministry and provides full support.
Prison administration is just business as usual; it can produce a lot of stress, yet it is very rewarding. It is a wonderful feeling to hear that lock click at night, see a big smile on the sergeant’s face, receive a “thank you and goodnight” and then walk out onto Market Street, look up at the starry sky, check the clock on the courthouse next door, and take a deep breath of fresh air. At that time, you can almost hear the words of Jesus: “I was in prison and you visited me. In that you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.”
Thank you, Lord, for calling me to minister to inmates. I’m blessed!
Pennsylvania Prison Chaplains Association 