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Christianity Today, December (Web-only), 2008 |

At Prison Church, Inmates Find Faith Behind the Razor Wire

In one Michigan institution, it's a real congregation — not just a ministry.

Charles Honey, Religion News Service | posted 12/31/2008 08:42AM

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Eppinga is one of the volunteers that organizers hope will maintain relationships with inmates after they leave prison. But even those who never leave will benefit from a church within the walls, organizers say.

Jim Tuinstra sits on the national board of Prison Congregations of America, based in Sioux Falls, S.D. At a prison church council meeting there, a man with a life sentence told him how church volunteers used to come each week inviting them to accept Jesus.

"The guy says to me, 'I do believe in Jesus Christ,'" Tuinstra recalled. "'I'll spend the rest of my life in prison. How can I live a redeemed life in prison?' "

Prison congregations help inmates do that and improve their behavior, Tuinstra said. About 14 prison churches operate in 10 states, including Cornerstone Prison Church in Worthing, S.D., another CRC congregation.

Tuinstra, Rienstra and others visited that congregation in 2006, and returned resolved to start one in Michigan. They formed a team of CRC and RCA faith leaders that lay the groundwork for a prison, approved in October by a state prison chaplains advisory council.

The project was fueled in part by Richard and Carol Rienstra's son, Troy, who is serving a life sentence for attempted murder and armed robbery. His conversion behind bars led him to form Christians for Prisoners-Prisoners for Christ, a ministry supported by Church of the Servant CRC of Grand Rapids, which also called Rienstra as pastor of Celebration Fellowship.

Troy's dedication to prison ministry stoked "fire in the belly" for the Ionia congregation, the elder Rienstra said.

"The more we became acquainted with the prison system, the more we were aware of the fact there may not be an opportunity to develop the gifts (inmates) have in Christ under normal circumstances," Rienstra said. "They had to have the support of a church itself within the prison congregation."

Charles Honey writes for The Grand Rapids Press in Grand Rapids, Mich., where a version of this article first appeared.

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Norm L.

Posted: January 02, 2009 3:14 PM

Great article and a great idea. I am in a prison ministry called Kairos Prison Ministry at Donovan State Prison in San Diego. Many of your readers may know of this program. Kairos is an international prison ministry with headquarters in Winter Park, Florida with programs running in several hundred prisons throughout the United States and 13 counyties. It is a first step for many of the inmates in becoming active in church services and Bible studies in the institution. An article on the Kairos program would be a great follow-up to this article. www.kairosprisonministry.org

dan	Posted: January 02, 2009 11:59 AM


Great Article! However, it should be noted that "Soon and Very Soon" is not an "old spiritual", but a contemporary gospel song written by Andre Crouch just a few decades ago.

anonymous

Posted: January 02, 2009 11:15 AM

You're wrong mike One of my college roommates, an honors graduate from seminary, is serving a sentence of life without paroll for killing his abusive parents while in his 30's. He very much needs the support of a fellowship of growing believers. Of course I believe he would rehab on the outside and not be a threat to others, but that is not a realistic possibility given his situation and lack of resources for help after 20 years in prison. He loves the Lord, has an ongoing interest in missions worldwide, and yet faces concerns that are every bit as dark as the horror stories that we hear about what goes on behind those walls.

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