The Ohio Presbytery has the great joy of working with prisoners at Richland County Correctional Institute. TE Matt Timmons of Ashland, OH has been charged with the duty of teaching college level theology classes to 10 inmates at the prison.
Joe Maggelet, a Navigators campus minister at Ashland University, developed a ministry to the inmates several years ago. The Bible studies developed explosively, to the point where 50-60 men attend on a weekly basis and over 200 men participate in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes activities associated with the program. Out of that group emerged a handful of men who wished to probe the doctrines of the faith in a deeper way, with a view even towards pursuing ministry upon their release.
Maggelet said that he had been looking for a educational resource that would take the men to a higher level for a number of years. He found such materials with The Urban Ministry Institute, a ministry associated with World Impact and Prison Fellowship. He then asked Timmons to lead the classes.
A commission of the Ohio Presbytery then voted to back the ministry in early December (2011) through the oversight of their Missions Committee.
Presently Pastor Timmons is meeting weekly with the men to teach, test, and go over assignments. The inmates are responsible for readings, quizzes, memorization of Bible passages and the Westminster Shorter Catechism. They also watch DVD lectures out of class as part of their lessons.
The whole program is designed to take approximately two years. At the end the men who pass will receive certificates from TUMI, which can be officially recognized as college credit once they are released.
Joe Maggelet, a Navigators campus minister at Ashland University, developed a ministry to the inmates several years ago. The Bible studies developed explosively, to the point where 50-60 men attend on a weekly basis and over 200 men participate in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes activities associated with the program. Out of that group emerged a handful of men who wished to probe the doctrines of the faith in a deeper way, with a view even towards pursuing ministry upon their release.
Maggelet said that he had been looking for a educational resource that would take the men to a higher level for a number of years. He found such materials with The Urban Ministry Institute, a ministry associated with World Impact and Prison Fellowship. He then asked Timmons to lead the classes.
A commission of the Ohio Presbytery then voted to back the ministry in early December (2011) through the oversight of their Missions Committee.
Presently Pastor Timmons is meeting weekly with the men to teach, test, and go over assignments. The inmates are responsible for readings, quizzes, memorization of Bible passages and the Westminster Shorter Catechism. They also watch DVD lectures out of class as part of their lessons.
The whole program is designed to take approximately two years. At the end the men who pass will receive certificates from TUMI, which can be officially recognized as college credit once they are released.
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