Some churches do have prison ministries – intentional efforts to reach out to inmates at a local prison through jailhouse worship services, Bible studies, educational opportunities, or a whole host of other things.
I also know, at least from my own experience, that this isn’t true for a lot of Christian groups and even in the churches that do have prison ministries, only a handful of church members are actually involved.
But more than just being scary places, I think we ignore our call to prison ministry because unlike our caricature of the noble poor person, prisoners, we assume, are getting what they deserve.
Maybe so. I’m not implying whatsoever that pedophiles, murderers, rapists, and the like don’t deserve to be in prison. But for us church folks, for a people who celebrate and talk about grace so much, isn’t it more than a bit ironic that we refuse to extend grace to some because they don’t deserve it?
Seventy-eight percent (43,398) of the prison population of 55,600 are youth aged between 18 and 35, the Commissioner General of prisons, Dr Johnson Byabashaija revealed just recently.
According to the Commissioner, these statistics call for programs to skill the youth in Uganda so that they don’t engage in criminal acts that would land them in jail.
A 2013 report by the International Centre for Prison Studies revealed that Uganda is ninth among the top 10 countries with most overcrowded prisons in the world.
“Unless inventions that target the youth, especially those that are at risk of resorting to crime and illicit activities are instituted, our society will continue to descry the alarming level of unemployment and its consequences.” Dr Johnson Byabashaija said in his remarks at Prison Academy and Training School in Luzira – Kampala while officiating the breaking of the ground ceremony for the construction of a youth recreation centre for prison communities.
Dr Johnson Byabashaija emphasizes the need for opportunities for those not yet behind bars, but as the church I believe we should work out something for those behind bars.
In a recent interview with UG Christian News, ex-prisoner now gospel music artiste Wonder Jr said prison is one field Churches should not neglect as they set strategies to evangelize communities.
The singer was arrested after turning himself in because “there is something that I didn’t do right. I did not kill or rob, or do something so out of the ordinary. It was something small that I thought could last me a few days or a week at most but ended up lasting 4 months in detention facility.” He said.
“Being in that environment was probably one of the realest moments in my life. Being in a place where I could not cry out to anyone. Not to my mother, sister or other relatives. I could only cry out to God. That desperate sense of loneliness often lingered. I once heard a man say;You won’t know God is all you need until God is all you’ve got.” He added.
It was fellowship behind bars that helped the singer cope up with life and start a journey of realigning with Christ.
“I wake up in the morning looking forward to that service; we had one session in the morning and a night service everyday. I cherished those little moments. That is when we had a bunch of people gather around and we share about Christ.” He said.
Can we find the love in our hearts to accept folks in prison as people made in the image of God and not just faceless, worthless criminals?
editor@ugchristiannews.com
