The home of seventy-six
Presbyterian churches in northeast Missouri is also the home
of fifteen state prisons for men, women, and youth. Unlike many
of the 8,064 Presbyterians in Missouri Union who are unaware
of these institutions, a retired salary administrator in rural
Eastern Missouri is well aware of them. Her small congregation
of fifty-four members has distributed over 350 large study Bibles
to people in prison. Because word passes easily through the
prison system, interest in these Bibles has spread beyond the
bounds of the presbytery. Her church is now distributing Bibles
to prisons throughout the state of Missouri.
Other churches have become involved, and now ten churches
in the presbytery have some form of prison ministry. The presbytery
created a Mission Team on Criminal Justice a few years ago,
and that small group has been actively developing new horizons
for this ministry. Their efforts include translation services
for Spanish speakers, Christmas gifts for the children of women
prisoners, support for people on probation and after their probationary
period, a copy of Presbyterians Today in every prison library,
and two Agape houses so visiting family members can spend the
night at a very small fee.
The Presbytery Mission Team on Criminal Justice sparked a
statewide event hosted by the Missouri School for Religion where
over one hundred people gathered to learn about corrections
and the churches’ outreach. The Mission Team is composed
of five very dedicated folks who share the good news of Jesus
Christ. These few folks make a big difference in the lives of
hundreds of prisoners in Missouri. |
