Wichita, Kansas | Calling the Shots for Jesus in Prison
Novo staff member Jeremy was praying for a gospel movement in the Kansas State Correctional Facilities, like his father had experienced in the Indiana State prison system.
A chaplain gave Jeremy a tour, and when they got to the chow line, she called a man over. “Come receive your blessing,” she said to him. Then she looked at Jeremy. This prisoner was a massive man. Jeremy paused to listen to Jesus, then got up on his tiptoes and whispered in the man’s ear, “This is not your home. Your home is in heaven…” And then Jeremy sensed God’s still, small voice say, “He holds the keys.” Jeremy took that man by his shoulders and said, “He holds the keys.” And the man crumbled. He shook. Jeremy later learned that this man was the “shot caller,” the prisoner who calls the shots in the whole prison—and that’s the person who “holds the keys.”
Well that man had a major life change. He stopped forcing people to do things for him, he got a job, went to Bible study, and became a follower of Jesus! Then he got the idea to offer protection to new prisoners off the prison bus. When new prisoners arrive, they’re invited into gangs for protection, but they’ll have to do illegal things to get in. The Christians would say, “Come with us, and we’ll protect you.” Nothing illegal involved. One-on-one discipleship and Bible studies were happening in the yard—the most violent place in the prison—because the biggest, toughest guy in the prison was protecting them.
That inmate started organizing “call outs,” religious meetings where the good news was shared—and they were filled to max capacity. He also organized a mentoring program, with five inmate “mentors.” When the prison warden saw the level of influence the mentors were having (and that one of their call-outs was a drug recovery program, by prisoners for prisoners), he hired them to work for him full-time in drug prevention in the hardest wing of the prison, where all the drug addicts go. The mentors are walking freely through that wing of the prison, discipling people; at the same time some of them are working on ministry degrees from TUMI (The Urban Ministry Institute), so they can become pastors on the inside. They’ve also organized a ministry of 24/7 prayer and one-on-one encouragement for the most vulnerable prisoners in the isolation wing.
But the most amazing thing of all is that on Easter morning, 30 prisoners were baptized in the prison. And not just any prisoners. Sworn enemies who would have been after each other’s throats baptized each other. The level of reconciliation and transformation was so overwhelming to witness that three weeks later, many correctional officers also got baptized, right there in the prison! Such a thing has never been heard of, ever! The transformative work God is doing in this prison and in people’s lives is absolutely remarkable!
