Introducing the Ministry
In the final hours leading up to His crucifixion, Jesus went on trial for the crimes of blasphemy (Matthew 26:65), threatening to destroy the Temple (Matthew 26:61), and insurrection (Luke 23:1-2; John 19:12). Innocent as Jesus was, He fell to the conspiracy of the Jews, becoming a curse (Galatians 3:13), numbered among the transgressors (Mark 15:27-28), and died the death of a criminal. While in His incarceration no one other than His accusers visited Him. Friends fled from His presence. He patiently endured torturous abuses, “...endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrew 12:2).
Jesus was and is the first prison evangelist! He was that light that came into the world - a light that shows in the cell, if you please (Acts 12:7). He is that light “to all those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79). There are those who now sit in darkness and the shadow of death. They lift their voices to the Lord, crying for help in their troubles. What Jesus endured, He did it all for your sake, for our sake. If He had not come into this dark world of imprisonment in sin, none would hope, none could know the peace that is in our Lord and Savior. Because He was willing to leave His heavenly abode and reach out to those in prison, there is salvation at hand. There is a full pardon awaiting to all who would receive it!
Who Are We?
We are a not-for-profit prison ministry, serving jails and prison inmates in and around Leavenworth, Kansas.
This Website represents the earnest endeavors of the Church of Christ prison ministry in Leavenworth, Kansas. Our volunteers represent nine faithful congregations of the Lord's body. They are retired persons, working men and women, ex-offenders, saints in the army of God. The work is supported by the free-will gifts of the Saints across the country.
Our overseeing congregation for this work is the Heartland Church of Christ in North Kansas City, Missouri. They accepted responsibility for the work in mid-1985 and faithfully encouraged and supported the work.
What Do We Do?
- Worship Services & Bible Classes: Since June of 1975, this ministry has striven to preach and teach the gospel of salvation to the incarcerated. Joe George, Director of the ministry, William Crossman, Associate Director, and volunteers conduct weekly worship services in prisons in and around Leavenworth, Kansas area. There are 11 prison units in this area, and we have been in every one of them for Christ's sake. At present we conduct some 11 worship services and classes each week.
- Bible Correspondence Courses: Our progressive Bible Correspondence program offers some 35 to 40 courses in English and Spanish. We average 200 to 250 enrollments each year with inmates across the country. Inmate students are able to sign up for correspondence courses through Freedom in Christ Bible School (non-degree and non-credit school operated by this ministry). The courses are divided into four levels - freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior. For each course successfully completed, students will be recognized with a certificate of completion that includes a grade point average. A formal certificate of achievement is awarded for a successful completion of each grade level. Students may take courses without earning the curriculum certificate if they so choose. Our volunteers spend many hours on grading the courses, searching for right materials to send, keeping records of student progress, and typing memos and mailing. We thank all the volunteers without whom the school and ministry would not operate.
- Family Outreach & Counseling: Through the local congregation of the churches of Christ, we assist the families of our inmates. We also provide assistance to our inmates for preparations in their release.
- Other Activities: We participate in attending Workshops and Lectureships, writing articles for brotherhood papers, and visiting other congregations upon invitation.
Why Are We Doing This Work?
Jesus said, “I was in prison and you came to Me” (Matthew 25:36). The fact is we were in prison and He came to us. The Lord did not forget us and we will not forget the Lord. He has the words of life and we must see to it that others in prison hear the message. He is the Savior of the World and we are striving to let the world know it!
Our History
Reaching 35 Years of Service
We celebrated our 25th anniversary in prison evangelism during the June, 1999 National Jail/Prison Ministry Workshop. Each successive year shows the same superb harvest of souls in the Lord. In recognizing these years we also pause to acknowledge the sacrifices of the volunteers who faithfully labor in this outreach and those who support the work financially. In this the Lord has met our every need! The durability of this ministry is the providence of the Lord -- of those who love the gospel of truth. With your partnership, we look forward to future years of harvesting souls!
Recognizing Our Purpose
In 1990, Federal and State prisons held 773,919 inmates. By the end of 1997, the population was 1,244,554. From 1987 through 1997, the total prison population increased by 113.5 percent. During 1997 the number of female prisoners rose by 6.2 percent. In addition to the above, the military (all branches) held 2,772 inmates.
Man has his way of doing things. It has yet to turn out well. Is there a better way? What can you and I do about it? Perhaps the reason that the prisons are so full is that the churches are not so full.
Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 12 that the whole duty of man is to serve God and keep His commandments. If this is true, and it is, it warrants - commands - our undivided attention. The word must go out, even to the darkest corners of man's existence. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (Jesus)... To preach deliverance to the captives...” (Luke 4:18). When one is privileged to stand on the mountain of God, the entire landscape of Christianity presents itself in new splendor. The fields are white to harvest. The heart is aflame for service - a new dimension of life. The impetus of Jesus' invitation removes every barrier.
The prison ministry not only instructs lost souls in salvation, it makes our communities safer by releasing inmates who have committed themselves to walk in God's way. Not only are they free from prison, they are free in Christ. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
As our Lord hung on the cross, they put an inscription above Him: “The King of the Jews”. They also crucified two robbers; one on His right and the other on His left (Mark 15:26-28). “And He was numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12). In this dire state our Lord responded to the plea of one criminal crucified with Him: “...today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43).
Our purpose then “is to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord”(Ephesians 3:11-12). We seek just one more life snatched from the fire of Hell. We seek not to entertain nor to pacify the inmates. Our commitment is to preach and teach the gospel in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:1,2).
Our History: How it all Started
In February, 1975, permission was granted for David George, the new preacher for the Leavenworth Church of Christ, to conduct classes and worship services at the facility. Brother George's enthusiasm for the gospel of Christ did tremendous good for inmates seeking God's truth. By this time four inmates had been baptized into Christ via the prison hospital's bathtub.
In July, 1975, Ted Ogle, preacher for the Raytown, MO. Church of Christ, was invited by brother George to be a guest speaker at USP. Brother Ogle took his impressions of prison evangelism to his elders. Brother George resigned as minister at Leavenworth to begin full time prison evangelism with the support and oversight of the Raytown Church.
The ministry spread to the Federal Honor Camp at Leavenworth, and the US Disciplinary Barracks at Ft. Leavenworth. Leonard Watts, preacher for the Bonner Springs, KS Church of Christ, began holding classes at the Kansas Correctional Facility for Women in Lansing. By late 1977, the prison ministry included the Kansas State Prison for Men.
When Bill Crossman was released from prison in April, 1978, he immediately began holding classes at the Disciplinary Barracks (Fort Leavenworth), the Wyandotte County Jail (Kansas City, KS), the Jackson County Jail (Kansas City, MO), and the Leavenworth County Jail.
The prison ministry now serves nine penal facilities with ten weekly worship services and eleven weekly Bible classes. It averages 70 baptisms each year with an average enrollment in the Bible Correspondence Study Program of 200 students, distributing more than 8,800 Bible lessons each year. Miscellaneous study literature numbers in the thousands - personal letters to inmates, personal counseling, family outreach and assistance.
The ministry is a resource for training others in prison evangelism, workshops, and a center for information on prison evangelism. This ministry has held six national workshops for Jail/Prison Ministry hosted by the Leavenworth Church of Christ, Raytown Church of Christ, and Gladstone Church of Christ.
People
Leadership
Bill Crossman began serving as director of the prison ministry in September, 1978. With the encouragement of the elders of the Raytown Church of Christ, the ministry prospered. Bill worked out of the basement of his home with a weekly salary of $50.00.
In 1985, the Elders of the Gladstone, MO. Church of Christ accepted the oversight of the ministry from the Raytown Elders. Their commitment to the work has played a major role in its continuing success. They authorized funds to purchase a building in Leavenworth for office space and a service center for ministry's activities. Roy Malone was deacon over missions at that time. His enthusiastic zeal for the prison program guided the work to a greater outreach than it had known before. Through his leadership, the mortgage on the office was paid off within five years.
In January, 1996, Joe George was engaged as a second full-time evangelist, with the responsibilities of associate director. Previously, Joe served more than ten years as a volunteer. This man's talent and fervor has contributed to major growth and effectual opportunities in prison evangelism.
As of July 1, 1999, brother George has served as the director of the prison ministry. He is a man in love with the gospel of Christ.
Volunteers
From the beginning, volunteers have been significant to the success of this prison outreach. They are the backbone of the ministry. Unfortunately, space does not allow us to list all those who have given his/her time and energy for the cause of Christ in these prisons over the years. Today, thirty volunteers share in this labor of love. We thank God at every thought of them! They are as lights shining in a dark place.