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PRISON MINISTRYN MINISTRY |
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OUR
CALLING FOR PRISONS
For many years I have been working within Prisons - mainly HMP Brixton and HMP Wandsworth. I started ministering in prisons when I was still working with YWAM and have continued to do so since we started with Holy Nation Church. The need in prisons is phenomenal. Prayer and counselling issues abound. Any inmates need much counselling, some need deliverance from demonic bondages, many have a great sense of shame and guilt, and most suffer some sort of rejection. On occasions we wonder just where can we begin with this great mountain of needs. The work is overwhelming and no matter how many prisoners we write to, pray for, minister to or visit, we always feel we are just touching the tip of the ice-berg. Currently we help to run Alpha courses in Brixton - three or four per year. I started running the Alpha course there in 1997 and we have now run about 16 courses. Nowadays I mainly only go to the Holy Spirit day and the occasional Alpha meeting, but it is truly awesome to see how the Alpha Course we run has evolved and improved with each successive course. We believe that we now run the course in such a way as to make a maximum impact in the lives of those who attend - we keep the teaching sessions short and succinct, giving more opportunity for inmates to open up in small discussion groups about the real issues affecting their lives. Over the years of ministry in prisons, I have made a few observations. 1) The vast numbers of people who are in prison for drug related crime is quite staggering. And the easy availability of drugs (it is, believe it or not, actually easier to get drugs inside prison than outside!) means that many come out of prison more addicted than when they entered. I believe we could solve this by creating drug free prisons. Prisoners could be given a choice, on sentencing, of a drug free prison or not. Currently prison staff turns a blind eye to drugs. If it helps keep the prisoners calm, prevent riots and does not get too obvious, then it is allowed to continue. Some officers even smuggle in drugs themselves. If a convicted prisoner
desires to go to an ordinary prison, then fine. But for those desperate
to start afresh, they need a drug free environment. A drug free prison
could offer that - with automatic transfer to anyone found with drugs
and thus in violation of the strict conditions. Having said all of this, we
have seen a number of prisoners gloriously delivered from the power and
addiction of drugs as Jesus has set them free. The difficulty faced is
that the continual temptation for (often new) believers in the ordinary
prison environment is so great that even after being delivered, many
still after some months turn back. Yes, I realise that the cost
of such prisons is enormous. However, the cost of re-offenders, more
crime, social disorder, court cases, policing, benefit payouts, affected
children, etc is in the long term far more for our society to pay. I suppose that if drugs never
existed then our prisons would have many vacancies! However, my guess is
that most who turn to drugs do so out of a need for fulfillment and due
to their own emptiness that exists without Christ. So in all probability
I’m sure the vast majority would have found something else equally
destructive without the Lord and ended up inside anyway! That is why I
say without any shadow of doubt, the only solution for this messed up
world is the Lord Jesus Christ! 2) A second observation I have made is that prisoners who freely admit their crime and guilt and who recognise that they deserve the sentence they have received are far more open for the gospel message. Many inmates continually
justify their actions and refuse to take personal responsibility for
their sins - someone or something else is always to blame, such as
parents, school, the system, society, the government, circumstances,
etc. Such prisoners are unwilling to repent and first of all need to be
brought to an understanding of self-responsibility for our own actions. By this very simple method
therefore we can discover if someone really does want the Lord Jesus and
His salvation - or whether they just want the chance to get out of their
cell for an hour or two. Whichever it is, we continue to minister to all and share His love with all. The needs as I mentioned are immense. But with God’s help and grace, little by little scores of lives are being touched and transformed by the living God. Mike Burgess |
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The
bible admonishes us in Hebrews 13:3 to, “Remember
those who are in prison, as if you were their fellow prisoner.”