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The Tower: Lost Sheep: Interview with Trevor Wells about Prison Fellowship
October 1st, 2007. By admin
Q: What is Prison Fellowship?
A: Prison Fellowship is a global, charitable, volunteer-based movement that aims to be a reconciling community of restoration for all those involved in and affected by crime thereby, proclaiming and demonstrating the redemptive power and transforming love of Jesus Christ for all people. Its mission is to exhort and serve the Body of Christ in prisons and in the community through its ministry to prisoners, ex-prisoners, victims and their families, and in its advancement of Biblical standards of justice in the criminal justice system. Prison Fellowship services include developing national Prison Fellowship organisations, training national Prison Fellowship leaders, reaching out to prisoners, providing post-prison support, assisting children and families of prisoners, reconciling victims and offenders, restoring justice and promoting faith-based prisons. The movement is comprised of 112 national Prison Fellowship organisations with over 100,000 volunteers worldwide. Charles W. Colson founded prison Fellowship in America in 1979 after his release from prison. A former aide to President Nixon, Charles served time in prison for his part in the ‘Watergate’ scandal and he became a Christian whilst in prison. Prison Fellowship Northern Ireland (PFNI) was founded in 1981 and serves prisoners in both Magilligan and Maghaberry prison as well as in Hydebank Wood which houses women prisoners and young offenders. Prison Fellowship believes that the real solution to crime is ultimately not to be found through therapeutic interventions, through institutional regimes, or through legislative reform, but through spiritual renewal. God, unlike the world, has always chosen to identify closely with those who are isolated and broken. Hence their logo is the bruised reed of Isaiah 42 v 3: ‘A bruised reed He will not break, a smouldering wick He will not snuff out.’
Q: What motivated you to become involved?
A: I first heard about Prison Fellowship five years ago at a Men Only meeting where the guest speaker was Norman McCorkill from Prison Fellowship. After hearing Norman speak I felt I wanted to get involved in some small way. I started delivering Christmas hampers to families of prisoners throughout Northern Ireland and after the first year as I prayed more about Prison Fellowship, I felt a calling from God to get more involved. I applied to become a volunteer and once I got my security clearance, I started going in to Maghaberry Prison every Wednesday. I found it very daunting at first because it was easy to get lost and you didn’t know whom you were speaking to. I never asked the prisoners what they had done, although usually once I got to know them they shared what they had done in their lives. They shared their problems and their worries about their families struggling at home. It was lovely just to be able to listen to them and be able to share the love of God. It was a great blessing when people then declared their love for God and committed their life to the Lord. It was wonderful, a total blessing, to see the change it made in their lives. I felt that probably came out more encouraged than the encouragement I endeavoured to give them.
Q: What is your role within Prison Fellowship?
A: I am involved in a number of different areas, especially round Christmas time when I am in the office a lot helping with the Christmas appeal. I haven’t been in the prisons for a while as I am looking after ex-prisoners and encouraging them in their walk with God. I get them involved with a church and talk to the minister to make him or her aware of what these ex prisoners have done, which is one of the rules of prison ministry. When they come out of prison, sometimes the prisoners find it a lot harder than when they were in prison. When they were in prison they were locked away able to study their Bible all day but when they come out into the world again they have no job and no money. Sometimes they get depressed and sometimes, if they are ex-paramilitaries, they may experience pressure to go back into their old ways again. I try to encourage them in their walk with God and get them involved with a church. I also visit the families of prisoners to see what their needs are and what problems they have. Sometimes the family has difficulty visiting the prisons and we help with transport. Other needs are financial and we try to help in that way. In addition, I have been involved with the reconciliation of young offenders and their victims. We have seen many young men break down in tears and experience the forgiveness of their victims. This is a huge mission field crying out for more volunteers.
Q: In your work with Prison Fellowship, what has been the most rewarding aspect?
A: The most rewarding aspect is seeing souls saved for Christ and seeing the way the Lord has changed their lives. It is tremendous and a real blessing to see men who had maybe murdered or shot people become saved. There has been a really good response in both Maghaberry and Magilligan furthermore there are great things happening in these prisons. About 20 prisoners attend the Bible studies in Maghaberry Prison every Friday morning.
Q: Are there any areas of this work you find difficult?
A: Sometimes when I go in to the prison I take a lot of verbal abuse from some prisoners. It is also difficult when I visit families and see the way they are struggling with life trying to make ends meet, especially when there are three or four children. We support them whatever way we can and pray that they will put their trust in the Lord. The Christmas appeal is a real blessing because when we deliver the hampers we see the smile on their faces and it gives us an opening to share God’s love with them. We have had many families come to the Lord through that work.
Q: What are the needs of Prison Fellowship?
A: The main need is prayer because without prayer we can do nothing. We have a lot of prayer groups throughout Northern Ireland. I lead a prayer group the first Tuesday of every month in our centre in University Street. Five of us meet together and we are hoping it will grow. I would urge people to pray in their own homes and in their churches. We have a prayer focus which comes out every month with prayer requests for each day. This can be mailed out to individuals or churches and can be ordered from Prison Fellowship. I would ask people to pray for our directors Robin Scott and Norman McCorkill, for our family workers Ruth, Pat and June, and for Christine our administrator.
Q: Has your work with Prison Fellowship affected your own personal faith?
A: It has helped me to grow in faith. Going into the prisons and visiting ex prisoners, seeing the way the Lord has changed them has strengthened my faith and made me stronger. It has helped me to trust the Lord more because there are times I am under pressure and times Satan tries to attack me but I have learned a lot over the past few years and I have grown in faith and strength. Now I can say that I trust the Lord with everything that I have. I used to keep worrying about things and now I find I don’t, I know the Lord will always see me through. I feel encouraged tremendously when I see how the Lord changes lives, he changed my own!
Prison Fellowship also needs financial help as we are a charity but we thank the Lord that He has provided all that we need.
Prison Fellowship is always looking for volunteers. When you become a volunteer you just do not have to go into prisons, you can help in other ways. You can help through praying, working in the office, visiting families, visiting ex-prisoners or helping with the Christmas appeal.
If you are interested in receiving information on Prison Fellowship or wish to make a donation please contact:
Prison Fellowship 39 University Street Belfast BT7 1FY
T: 028 9024 3691
Prison Fellowship website: http://www.pfi.org
A: Prison Fellowship is a global, charitable, volunteer-based movement that aims to be a reconciling community of restoration for all those involved in and affected by crime thereby, proclaiming and demonstrating the redemptive power and transforming love of Jesus Christ for all people. Its mission is to exhort and serve the Body of Christ in prisons and in the community through its ministry to prisoners, ex-prisoners, victims and their families, and in its advancement of Biblical standards of justice in the criminal justice system. Prison Fellowship services include developing national Prison Fellowship organisations, training national Prison Fellowship leaders, reaching out to prisoners, providing post-prison support, assisting children and families of prisoners, reconciling victims and offenders, restoring justice and promoting faith-based prisons. The movement is comprised of 112 national Prison Fellowship organisations with over 100,000 volunteers worldwide. Charles W. Colson founded prison Fellowship in America in 1979 after his release from prison. A former aide to President Nixon, Charles served time in prison for his part in the ‘Watergate’ scandal and he became a Christian whilst in prison. Prison Fellowship Northern Ireland (PFNI) was founded in 1981 and serves prisoners in both Magilligan and Maghaberry prison as well as in Hydebank Wood which houses women prisoners and young offenders. Prison Fellowship believes that the real solution to crime is ultimately not to be found through therapeutic interventions, through institutional regimes, or through legislative reform, but through spiritual renewal. God, unlike the world, has always chosen to identify closely with those who are isolated and broken. Hence their logo is the bruised reed of Isaiah 42 v 3: ‘A bruised reed He will not break, a smouldering wick He will not snuff out.’
Q: What motivated you to become involved?
A: I first heard about Prison Fellowship five years ago at a Men Only meeting where the guest speaker was Norman McCorkill from Prison Fellowship. After hearing Norman speak I felt I wanted to get involved in some small way. I started delivering Christmas hampers to families of prisoners throughout Northern Ireland and after the first year as I prayed more about Prison Fellowship, I felt a calling from God to get more involved. I applied to become a volunteer and once I got my security clearance, I started going in to Maghaberry Prison every Wednesday. I found it very daunting at first because it was easy to get lost and you didn’t know whom you were speaking to. I never asked the prisoners what they had done, although usually once I got to know them they shared what they had done in their lives. They shared their problems and their worries about their families struggling at home. It was lovely just to be able to listen to them and be able to share the love of God. It was a great blessing when people then declared their love for God and committed their life to the Lord. It was wonderful, a total blessing, to see the change it made in their lives. I felt that probably came out more encouraged than the encouragement I endeavoured to give them.
Q: What is your role within Prison Fellowship?
A: I am involved in a number of different areas, especially round Christmas time when I am in the office a lot helping with the Christmas appeal. I haven’t been in the prisons for a while as I am looking after ex-prisoners and encouraging them in their walk with God. I get them involved with a church and talk to the minister to make him or her aware of what these ex prisoners have done, which is one of the rules of prison ministry. When they come out of prison, sometimes the prisoners find it a lot harder than when they were in prison. When they were in prison they were locked away able to study their Bible all day but when they come out into the world again they have no job and no money. Sometimes they get depressed and sometimes, if they are ex-paramilitaries, they may experience pressure to go back into their old ways again. I try to encourage them in their walk with God and get them involved with a church. I also visit the families of prisoners to see what their needs are and what problems they have. Sometimes the family has difficulty visiting the prisons and we help with transport. Other needs are financial and we try to help in that way. In addition, I have been involved with the reconciliation of young offenders and their victims. We have seen many young men break down in tears and experience the forgiveness of their victims. This is a huge mission field crying out for more volunteers.
Q: In your work with Prison Fellowship, what has been the most rewarding aspect?
A: The most rewarding aspect is seeing souls saved for Christ and seeing the way the Lord has changed their lives. It is tremendous and a real blessing to see men who had maybe murdered or shot people become saved. There has been a really good response in both Maghaberry and Magilligan furthermore there are great things happening in these prisons. About 20 prisoners attend the Bible studies in Maghaberry Prison every Friday morning.
Q: Are there any areas of this work you find difficult?
A: Sometimes when I go in to the prison I take a lot of verbal abuse from some prisoners. It is also difficult when I visit families and see the way they are struggling with life trying to make ends meet, especially when there are three or four children. We support them whatever way we can and pray that they will put their trust in the Lord. The Christmas appeal is a real blessing because when we deliver the hampers we see the smile on their faces and it gives us an opening to share God’s love with them. We have had many families come to the Lord through that work.
Q: What are the needs of Prison Fellowship?
A: The main need is prayer because without prayer we can do nothing. We have a lot of prayer groups throughout Northern Ireland. I lead a prayer group the first Tuesday of every month in our centre in University Street. Five of us meet together and we are hoping it will grow. I would urge people to pray in their own homes and in their churches. We have a prayer focus which comes out every month with prayer requests for each day. This can be mailed out to individuals or churches and can be ordered from Prison Fellowship. I would ask people to pray for our directors Robin Scott and Norman McCorkill, for our family workers Ruth, Pat and June, and for Christine our administrator.
Q: Has your work with Prison Fellowship affected your own personal faith?
A: It has helped me to grow in faith. Going into the prisons and visiting ex prisoners, seeing the way the Lord has changed them has strengthened my faith and made me stronger. It has helped me to trust the Lord more because there are times I am under pressure and times Satan tries to attack me but I have learned a lot over the past few years and I have grown in faith and strength. Now I can say that I trust the Lord with everything that I have. I used to keep worrying about things and now I find I don’t, I know the Lord will always see me through. I feel encouraged tremendously when I see how the Lord changes lives, he changed my own!
Prison Fellowship also needs financial help as we are a charity but we thank the Lord that He has provided all that we need.
Prison Fellowship is always looking for volunteers. When you become a volunteer you just do not have to go into prisons, you can help in other ways. You can help through praying, working in the office, visiting families, visiting ex-prisoners or helping with the Christmas appeal.
If you are interested in receiving information on Prison Fellowship or wish to make a donation please contact:
Prison Fellowship 39 University Street Belfast BT7 1FY
T: 028 9024 3691
Prison Fellowship website: http://www.pfi.org