For the past six years, Leon Jones has brought the gospel through music to the Burns Adventist Church community in Detroit, Michigan. I had the privilege of attending this year’s “Community Jam.” It was a day filled with music, food, and fun, all of which carried one important message—the gospel offers a new life.
Leon’s passion for sharing the gospel came from personal experience. As a member of the Burns church, back in the days when Marshal Kelly was pastor, Leon’s musical giftedness eventually brought opportunities to play in clubs and other questionable venues. As a result, his attendance became irregular and his spiritual commitment uncertain. Leon's lifestyle choices eventually landed him in prison in 1977.
While there, Leon was contacted by members of Prison Fellowship, a national prison ministries organization founded by former Nixon aide, Charles Colson, and he began the process of recovery and healing.
Leon shared his new life with those around him and determined, along with fellow inmate, Robert Evans, to do all he could to share the gospel and help others.
He returned to the Burns church in 1981, his love for Jesus strong and with a passion to help his community.
In 1986, Leon and Robert formed a recording group to provide a vehicle for their new-life message. “Music is the instrument we use to reach people,” Leon stated with a sense of mission. “We chose 'Resurrection' for the name of our group because we had experienced death to an old way of life and resurrection to a new way of life,” he recalled.
After two years sharing the story of their changed lives through music, they were encouraged by Charles Colson, four-time pro bowler Bill Glass, and others, to formally establish their ministry in prisons, rehab centers, youth homes, and communities. They officially formed Another Chance Ministries, a non-profit corporation. They began participating in local programs and ministries associated with Prison Fellowship. Colson liked what he saw and set up a tour for them in the Midwest.
“My ministry is not only to inmates, but to victims,” says Leon. “We can do more in an effective and practical way to empower people to share the gospel. My calling, as a member of the church, is to mobilize people in their community, reach the person who would never come into a church, and share the gospel with that person. We are in denial about practical issues within our church. God has taken my experience and refined it to use it to glorify Him. I want to encourage others to take our religion to the streets. I see Jesus moving about in communities, even amongst the religious leaders, to transform and restore humanity.”
In October of this year, Leon received a special award from Jennifer Granholm, the Michigan governor, for community involvement. At the ceremony, he spoke about putting programs in place to help ex-offenders return to their communities. “Unless we do something, they will become repeat offenders,” Leon pleaded. “Policies and legislation should be passed that will allow offenders to contribute to the community as part of their rehabilitation and as part of the process of their release. They have a message to share with those who are on the verge of coming into the [prison] system. Offenders have a responsibility to better themselves while they are in prison,” he stated.
Speaking about the church, Leon says, “I have a real concern, because if we don’t do something for these people, they become a threat to themselves as well as a threat to us. It is time for the church to have programs that can make a real difference. Most churches mean good, but they don’t have the people in place to do what needs to be done. You can’t put a band-aid on a belly wound. There is a real sense of urgency for us, as a remnant church, to recognize and understand that we must be about our Father’s business of distributing the gospel and the three angels' messages. We’ve gotten caught up in a lot of other things.”
Leon believes the church has a responsibility, as ambassadors of Christ, to be represented in more situations. “We’ve been silent for too many years on issues that really matter. Jesus was in the mix. He was stirring things up, not to cause trouble, but to get people to think,” observes Leon. “We haven’t encouraged critical thinking in these critical times. It’s all right there—in black and white—in those little books we read. We’ve been silent on issues that effect our communities and the entire world. We really have the answer. We should proclaim it!”
He also suggests we need to be more visible as individuals within our communities, as liaisons connected to city counsels, government officials, and civic leaders. He even suggests that we invite the community to our churches for town hall planning sessions and match community needs and suggestions with our resources and ministries. Another suggestion is to approach businesses with a plan to sponsor at-risk kids in youth and children’s ministry programs, such as Pathfinders.
Leon’s conversion experience in prison has not only given him another chance and a new life, but a greater sense of his responsibility to his community and a deep compassion for those who do not know what he knows about a loving, compassionate God who can change lives—a God who offers another chance.
Gary Burns is the Lake Union Conference communication director and Lake Union Herald editor.
Fillers ideas if needed:
"…the love of Christ, manifested in unselfish ministry, will be more effective in reforming the evildoer than will the sword or the court of justice. These are necessary to strike terror to the lawbreaker, but the loving missionary can do more than this. Often the heart will harden under reproof, but it will melt under the love of Christ…”
Desire of Ages, pp. 350-351
----------------------------------------------
Six Ministries Needed in Prison
• One-on-one visitations
• Teaching a set of skills
• Frequent correspondence
• Family transportation
• Creating seasonal special services
• Providing support after release
Allegheny East Conference Prison Ministries
-----------------------------------------------------
Biblical Passages for Prison Ministry
Mark 16:5
1 Timothy 2:1-4
Isaiah 61:1
Hebrews 13:3
Matthew 25:31-40
Acts 12:7
1 John 3:1,2
Allegheny East Conference Prison Ministries
--------------------------------------------------------
According to Tom Becker, a leading authority on prison ministry and the criminal justice system, there are 1,400,000 people in prison, another 610,000 in jails, 720,000 on parole and a staggering 3,500,000 on probation.
Aula M. Sumbry
Allegheny East Prison Ministry Federation president
---------------------------------------
Adventist Prison Ministries Association
Walt Stewart, president
A volunteer organization that provides resources to prisoners and their families.
301-680-6430
------------------------------------------------------
Prison Ministries Handbook
The Prison Ministries Handbook is a comprehensive tool that will guide beginners of a local prison ministry. Topics include: Bible foundations for prison ministry; facts and figures about prison inmates; organizing a prison ministry; interacting with inmates and prison personnel; and a criminal justice system overview. This handbook also gives practical guidelines for Bible studies, inmate baptisms and marriages, and how to work with the families of those in prison. The training modules are completely outlined for certification in prison ministry by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America. Information about the Adventist Prison Ministries Association (APMA) is included.
AdventSource
800-328-0525
------------------------------------------------
Someone Cares Prison Ministry is a non-profit faith ministry that reaches out to inmates in major and minor prisons. Don and Yvonne McClure are Seventh-day Adventists living in Indiana who have developed programs to assist inmates.
Pen Friend is a risk-free letter correspondence program that uses a PO Box. All inmate mail is screened.
Dress Out is a program that provides inmates without funds, free quality, used clothes when released.
Pre-Release and Re-Entry is a program to assist prisoners with re-entry into society.
Remedial Reading is a program that uses the Bible as a textbook to teach inmates to read, and the Holy Spirit does the rest. Free Bible Study Courses for inmates in prison.
--------------------------------------------------
