Cross View Blog

When I began my ministry as a chaplain in 1970, I had no seminary training in the field of corrections.  There was no prison chaplain's textbook to follow. My "boot camp" had been at Lincoln Boys School where I was a chaplain for teenagers adjudicated delinquent (1970-1977).

At Green Bay's Wisconsin State Reformatory (1977-1999), I was called to be a chaplain to inmates serving sentences from 10 to 30 years. In fact, some of the boys had "graduated" from the Boys School to the adult prison!

I had as much to learn as a chaplain as the inmates did about finding a new life. We actually learned together. After all, we had the same Teacher and the same Textbook.

I learned the following lessons while pastoring young men who had been convicted and sentenced for serious crimes:

• I learned how to disciple inmates who were responding positively to the Gospel. They not only needed to be informed by the Word of God, but also transformed in their hearts and minds. That takes time. Time is one thing inmates have.
• I learned that inmates grow in faith within the context of a Church.  More mature inmates modeled the Christian life for those younger in the faith. In doing so, they would look after one another as true brothers in the faith. 

• The first step for new inmates was to complete The Foundation in Christ Series, eight talks on the basics of the faith, similar to catechism class.  They were issued weekly chapel passes from their prison assignments to attend classes in the chapel.
• The second step was Christian Discipleship classes which gave them further Bible study with application to life in prison. Some remained on this level and did not advance. 
• Inmates who continued to grow in maturity become part of the prison church which was the Christian Fellowship Group. We met on Thursday evenings with volunteers from the community. I discovered the concept of "a prison church" from San Quentin Prison in the 1970's.

• I learned that the role of volunteers is crucial to the faith formation of inmates. It is in relationships with "outside" believers that inmates experience a sense of community inherent in the life of the Church. They were not converted to become "Lone Ranger Christians."

That was the general framework of my ministry. I experimented and refined the process over the years, learning from my mistakes and misjudgments.  Chaplains in other Wisconsin prisons used various methods in their chapel programs. Each chaplain followed a pattern of ministry that worked best in a particular institution. 

Context is primary in prison ministry. We learn to work within the rules and conditions that prevail. The Security Department usually has the last word.

Did it work? Not for every inmate. Some backslid and fell away. Others flourished like tender plants in a greenhouse. They amazed me with their zeal and childlike faith. Many continued active after they were transferred to other prisons. A few eventually became pastors in community churches. Chaplains do a lot of "seed planting" that others harvest.

A chaplain in a state prison is expected to do many other things such as helping inmates through personal crises like deaths in the family. They also coordinate the spiritual needs of Muslims and Native Americans and are responsible for weekly chapel services for the general population. 

As I reflect back on my life, I am grateful I was called to prison ministry. It was the opportunity of a lifetime to make a significant difference in the personal lives of many people who are considered "the least of these my brothers." Finally, it is to "the least" that the Kingdom of God is revealed.

Paul Emmel
Minneapolis
August 25, 2020

Paul Emmel is a retired pastor in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, having served as a parish pastor, a correctional chaplain for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, and a hospital chaplain and a community counselor. As a retired pastor, Paul continues to serve the Lord and His people, including establishing the Minnesota South District’s “Pastors to Prisoners” ministry.