First Baptist Church Wentzville (FBCW) started a prison ministry at a small jail in Lincoln County in early January 2017. The purpose of this ministry is to share God’s love for inmates at their greatest point of need. The Bible illustrates God’s heart toward prisoners, “I was in prison and you came to visit me…I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:36, 40
If Jesus walked the earth today, you would find Him in the jails and prisons, talking and dining with the most reviled criminals and outcasts in society. He would be there “to seek and to save the lost.” The men of FBCW’s Prison Ministry gather each Friday at the Lincoln County Jail to share God’s word, show God’s love for man and encourage inmates to follow Jesus. The Prison Ministry recognizes the dignity of God’s creation in that no matter how far an inmate has fallen, no one is beyond Christ’s love and power to redeem.
God does not despise the broken; nor do the men of FBCW Prison Ministry. Jesus identifies strongly with the weak, the helpless, and the outcasts of society. He considers the way we treat them to be the way we treat Him. He wants us to identify with inmates as well, putting ourselves in their shoes and caring for them regardless of their crime. God seeks to set prisoners free, not always from their physical location but from the imprisonment of sin, ignorance, and poor choices. Jesus identified Himself as the source of this freedom and the Prison Ministry provides the nourishment of His Word each week, introducing God’s mercy and love.
Every Friday evening, inmates sing and praise the word of God in a small recreational room, often cold and with inadequate lighting. As the weeks progress for the Prison Ministry, refinement and transformation in God’s word fulfills an inmate’s soul, all within their place of punishment. Jesus pursues each inmate in love and does not give up on anyone, even if they are in jail. The law is at work, thanks be to God. Each member of the Prison Ministry works tirelessly to transform lives of inmates to become better people and walk with God. We have witnessed former inmates learning from their mistakes, renouncing their sin and becoming a leader for God. For those who may not know, God is winning!
Transformed lives point everyone’s attention to God! This is the greatest motivation to get involved in the FBCW Prison Ministry. If God leads you to serve Him through this ministry, contact Jim McAllister (636-265-0626). Take part in the miraculous turnaround in a criminal’s life and remember, no one is beyond God’s reach.