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KPM volunteers Charles Thomas, left, and Mark Nicholas. |
By Stewart Doreen, Editor
• Midland Reporter-Telegram
MIDLAND, TEXAS - Midland's Mark Nicholas remembers the first time he visited a prison and hearing the door lock behind him.
Even a prison ministry volunteer can get nervous.
“You give up your freedom if just for a short time once inside,” Nicholas wrote.
But the founder of Nicholas Consulting Group found a cause he believes in. That why, seven years after his first experience, he makes the trip to Lynaugh Unit in Fort Stockton twice a week as a representative of Kairos Prison Ministry.
“There is nothing in the Bible that says some need a little Jesus and others need more Jesus,” Nicholas wrote before adding, “It is also important to note that some of the incarcerated men will never be released from prison. They are just as worthy and maybe more needy for the Good News.”
The following is a question and answer with Nicholas, who was born in Midland, attended Lee High School and earned Engineering degrees from the University of Texas.
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Reporter-Telegram: How long have you been involved with prison ministry?
Nicholas: My first experience with prison ministry was attending a Kairos closing ceremony seven years ago.
Reporter-Telegram: What was the attraction?
Nicholas: I don’t think anyone is attracted to prison ministry unless they have been affected by incarceration. Several friends were involved with Kairos, and they spoke highly about their experiences. Those people included Dr. Gene Spires, Dave Pearcy, Robert Winkler, Harold Howard, Roy Nelson and Sue Hannaman. I was already involved with multiple non-profit boards and put them off claiming I didn’t have time. Looking back, it is clear God had a plan. First Baptist Church in Midland had a bus taking people to a Kairos closing ceremony at the Lynaugh Unit in Fort Stockton. I decided to join the group. Roy Nelson was on that bus and talked about his experiences inside the prison. You realize it is a two-hour trip from Midland to the prison. Roy talked about his experiences and the impact Kairos made on the inside. This got me thinking more about what Christ calls us to do. It was a call to get out of the pew and go to work.
Reporter-Telegram: What was your first trip into a prison like?
Nicholas: I was a little nervous on the first visit. It was a completely new experience going through security, being searched, and having the doors locked behind you. You give up your freedom if just for a short time once inside. My “knowledge” was based on what we see in movies and drama documentaries. In so many ways we tend to think of the world around us in terms of us and them. It is easy to classify people inside prison where all the inmates wear white and free world volunteers don’t.
Reporter-Telegram: How has your experience changed over the years?
Nicholas: I am comfortable going into the prison now. Some of that is becoming familiar with how things work and being aware of good and bad things that go on inside. Much like going to a foreign country you must be aware of your surroundings. The Men in White are very appreciative of the volunteers. Most of their days are spent with other inmates and correctional officers. Those aren’t what we experience as normal relationships. Volunteers become a connection to the real world. We help fill an important void. It is fun to share an inmate’s excitement for a son that scored a winning touchdown in a high school football game. There is also pain. I sat with a man when he talked to his dad for the last time before his dad died. I have prayed with men that lost other loved ones and could not attend the funeral. This is the same pain I felt when each of my parents died. The isolation of incarceration causes pain for the inmates and their families. A volunteer becomes part of the needed support group.
Now I can go just about anywhere in the prison. Many of the programs are offered in the gym. One of the classes I teach is in a housing unit with 80 men. When time allows, I’ll go visit and pray with men in segregated isolation. That means praying with fingertips touching through the window of a locked door.
I think it is because of this experience of loss and isolation the men on the inside are receptive to the Good News. My personal understanding of God’s grace through Jesus has grown. None of us are perfect and we all fall short. All of us are saved by what Jesus did on the cross. There is nothing in the Bible that says some need a little Jesus and others need more Jesus. This has been a powerful faith experience for me. One that has expanded my understanding of who God loves and who He calls his children. Believe it or not many of these men don’t know about Jesus and how much they are loved, something they never experienced at home.
Working in a prison is a stressful occupation. Prison ministry includes ministry to the correctional officers and staff as well. We help with the annual officer appreciation luncheons. The most recent one was this week. We routinely provide prayer support and resources to the staff.
Reporter-Telegram: Is there any evidence that prison ministry helps reduce the recidivism rate?
Nicholas: There aren’t any consistent metrics for measuring recidivism. Groups involved in prison ministry all show a positive impact. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice encourages volunteers to get involved. We fit in with their mission by offering programs that promote positive change in offender behavior and reintegrate offenders into society. The impact we see locally are the men who are released, get jobs, stay out of trouble and join us with the Kairos Prison Ministry. A significant number of the Kairos volunteers are former inmates living productive and faithful lives in the free world. When a former inmate speaks at a meeting the inmates move forward in their seats and pay attention. They all want to know how to make it back in the free world and stay out of prison.
It is also important to note that some of the incarcerated men will never be released from prison. They are just as worthy and maybe more needy for the Good News.
Reporter-Telegram: How often do you go to Fort Stockton or other units across the state?
Nicholas: I usually go to Fort Stockton twice a week. On Tuesday I lead life skills classes in the morning and afternoon in the gym. The morning class is for medium custody inmates. The afternoon is for general population. Those classes are aimed at men nearing release. On Friday I lead an anger management class in the faith-based dorm and later that afternoon we have a Kairos meeting.
Reporter-Telegram: In your op-ed, you write that “A few years ago, I became a certified volunteer chaplain assistant with the TDCJ. A lot has been learned about life in the process.” What did you learn about yourself?
Nicholas: I have learned how fortunate I was, like most of my friends, to be raised in a home with two loving parents. I took that for granted. Dad was a geologist for Humble Oil and Mom stayed home. My parents set the example of how to live and serve others. Many of the men on the inside come from single-parent homes. Now their families are being raised by a single parent. Incarceration carries on from generation to generation. It does not appear that incarceration is a deterrent to all crimes. Many of the men have brothers and sisters in prison. For some it is a rite of passage. It is through various prison ministries that this cycle can come to an end. The men need new direction for their lives.
Before being involved with prison ministry my Christian experience could best be described as comfortable. Prison ministry has opened my eyes to the significance of Jesus. Jesus loved and served the outcasts and forgotten. He healed bodies, minds and hearts. He shared a message of God’s love for everyone regardless of their status. Jesus didn’t call us to be comfortable. Jesus said in John 13:35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Reporter-Telegram: What else would you like to add about serving in prison ministry?
Nicholas: I don’t have any special religious training and many folks know their Bible better than me. I don’t think the biggest impact comes from what we say. The biggest impact is just showing up. It is a ministry of presence. The men know and appreciate that we drive two hours one way to meet with them.
Most volunteers will say they got involved in prison ministry because they wanted to help somebody. They continue to be involved because they experience God in powerful and unexpected ways inside the prison. God is at work in this community of volunteers and inmates. We are growing together. One of the volunteers said they wanted to be where God was at work. So, do I ...
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