Peter Lim, an electrician and married father of three, was head elder of the Chandler church when he first felt called to prison ministry. After training at Florence Prison, he began working cell-side with Pastor Lester Patterson, who is 88 years old and is still active in prison ministry after 30 years.
In some complexes, inmates can attend study groups, but in others, such as Eyman, they aren’t allowed out of their cells for meetings. "Only a limited number of people are allowed to go cell-to-cell to talk with inmates," said Patterson, "But Peter and I are able to do that and to enroll them in the Discover Bible course."
Each week Lim enrolls a dozen or more inmates in the Discover Bible study course. Recently, included in the 16 names turned in for study was a warden from the prison.
Three inmates were baptized recently at Florence East Prison in a portable baptistry borrowed from the Eternal Rock Spanish church. Lim decided that he could make a baptistry just like the one they borrowed, and he did so in time for two more baptisms on Dec. 18.
Lim and Patterson are also helping Pastor Eugene and Evie Taylor with meetings at the Florence Complex, East Unit. About 10 inmates meet on the first and third Sabbaths, and another group meets on Wednesday afternoons for study and music. Pastor Taylor brings his violin, Evie brings her keyboard, and they have a wonderful time of praise together with inmates.
"Statistics say about 76 percent of those who get out of prison end up going back. However, those who are studying Seventh-day Adventist beliefs have less than one percent history of returning," said Taylor. "Recently, one inmate asked about studying to become a minister through Griggs University. He only makes 25 cents an hour in prison, so he would need help with funding, but he is already witnessing to others in prison."
"Jesus said, ‘I was in prison and you visited me,’" quotes Taylor. "There are men and women behind bars who need to hear the good news about Jesus." Pen pals, prayer partners, and Discover Bible lesson workers are needed, as well as workers to go into the prisons and jails.
