Calvary Chapel Greeneville in the News ~

Jail Ministry Serves Local Jail Inmates
The Greeneville Sun, August 3, 2009

Photo Special to the Sun
The Rev. Clarence Gammill, head of the jail ministry in Greeneville and pastor of Bridges Chapel Church of God, has baptized 59 inmates at the Greene County Detention Center and workhouse/jail in recent months. He is shown baptizing an inmate in the sally port attached to the Greene County Detention Center. Helping with the baptism is Kevin McAmis, at right, associate pastor at Bridges Chapel. Looking on, at left, is Rev. Manuel Vargas, who is in charge of the Spanish ministry at Lighthouse Assembly of God. Gammill said today that 140 inmates received Communion Tuesday -- like the baptisms, a first for the jails.

On a recent summer evening, Pastor Gary Hall of Calvary Chapel Greeneville stood in a hallway on the second floor of the Greene County Detention Center and talked frankly to four inmates about his life and about theirs.

He spoke of his life before he became a born-again Christian. "I had no family or friends, [and was] destined to spend most of my life" in trouble with the law, Hall said.

The four men Hall was talking to in the detention center, who were there to listen because they chose to be, stood inches away from the pastor. Only steel bars separated them.

Hall is one of several dozen volunteer pastors and laypersons who conduct Bible studies and church services at the two jails in town, for men and for women.

"I didn't believe in God, and didn't want anything to do with Him," Hall continued. In 1991, he related, he accepted Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. He later entered the ministry himself.

Hall's home church in Hemet, Calif., sent him to Greeneville in 1997 to start a new Calvary Chapel, which is now located on Snapps Ferry Road.

Five years ago, Hall and two other men, including this reporter, started a U-Turn For Christ men's "ranch" in Greeneville. The discipleship ministry is designed primarily for drug addicts and alcoholics. A similar ranch for women was started here two years ago.

'God's Called Me...'

"God's called me to bring hope and encouragement to people," Hall told the detention center inmates. "God takes our lives, seemingly messed up, for something good."

For the next 45 minutes, the four inmates stood silently and read along in their Bibles while Hall shared passages of Scripture from his own Bible.

Eventually, the men sat down on the concrete floor - the pastor in the hall, the inmates behind bars on their side.

It was a sweltering July night inside the detention center.

On the floor below the four imprisoned men, in another part of their "pod," other inmates, some of them shirtless, played cards, socialized, or placed calls on telephones along one wall.

A broadcast of a professional wrestling program could be heard on a TV set in the background.

'It Hurts Sometimes'

Said one inmate to Hall, "I know God has me here for a purpose, but it hurts sometimes." Hall read a passage from the New Testament's 1 Peter, Chapter 1, which states:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who ... has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead... ."

He continued, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith ... though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love...." Hall related that first-century Christians, including Peter, were heavily persecuted for their beliefs.

"As soon as you stand up for God," Hall said, "you face opposition. The world is in opposition to the kingdom of God."

'Hang In There'

He continued, "What Peter is talking about is, 'Hang in there, don't give up.'" Referring to his own days prior to committing his life to Jesus Christ, Hall told the prisoners, "I knew I deserved more trouble than what I got. The way I was living - I had a hard heart."

"Then He (Christ) put a new heart, a soft heart, in me," Hall said. He added, "He's given me new life."

The pastor asked one of the inmates to read verses 7-14 of the New Testament's Book of Ephesians, Chapter 1.

" 'Grace' means undeserved favor," Hall said. "Grace would be someone going in front of the judge when you're sentenced and saying, 'I'll do the time for you.'"

Said the pastor, "God has to punish disobedience. But who paid the penalty for our disobedience? That's right - Jesus Christ."

Different Prison Sentences

In response to Hall's questions, one man said he had received a five-year prison sentence. Another said he had received 10 years. Yet a third one said he had violated his probation. All said they didn't know where they would do their "time."

"God has a future and a hope for you, no matter what. ... He can use you in this place," the pastor replied.

Said Hall, "I know it's difficult in here because there's nothing to do."

He recommended they form their own Bible studies in jail.

"Get to know God," Hall told the inmates. "Spend time in His Word," he added. "I know there's a lot in (the Bible) that's hard to understand ... but the Holy Spirit will give you understanding."

Prayer Requests From Inmates

The pastor then asked for prayer requests from the inmates.

When asked to do so by one of the inmates, Hall prayed for all the men's families, that God would provide for them.

Later, with a second group of inmates who came up from another pod in the detention center, Hall conducted another, different Bible study, with other Scriptures.

Said Hall to the inmates, "We need God's help. We're not going to make it without Him."

Services For Inmates

Scenes like those described here are common on Monday evenings at the county detention center, and at the other jail in town, called the county's jail/workhouse, located on West Summer Street.

Inmates that choose to attend the Bible studies or church services do so strictly on a voluntary basis.

Greene County Sheriff Steve Burns said Monday it was legal to hold Bible studies and services at the jails. "We don't force it on anybody (the inmates)," Burns said of the studies and services.

On the same night Hall conducted two Bible studies, evangelist Charlie McCamey led Bible studies at two other pods at the downtown jail.

Gammill Is Jail Chaplain

The Rev. Clarence Gammill, pastor of Bridges Chapel Church of God, located on Highway 93, has been the chaplain at both jails for 25 years.

Gammill said in an interview that, at any given time, there are more than 165 ministers on a jail ministry list who either visit prisoners or conduct services at either of the county's two detention facilities.

In addition, Gammill said he personally holds about 10 services during the day on Tuesday: six at the detention center, and four at the workhouse/jail.

He explained that he meets with inmates in the social areas of their pod where dining tables and TV sets are located.

In response to a reporter's question, he dismissed any concerns about his safety.

"There's always a possibility of a threat, but that's also true at the mall, where someone could shoot you. Inmates have been very respectful over the years."

Gammill said his services usually last 15 to 45 minutes, depending on inmates' responses, and questions and answers.

The pastor said that, if an inmate is "in lockdown" (strictly confined to his or her cell) or if an entire cell is locked down, he will see inmates in their cells.

"Everyone meets around, and they have service," said Gammill.

Gammill added that "We're blessed that the administration (of Sheriff Burns) allows us to put these programs in place."

The sheriff, in turn, said he was very pleased with the jail ministry under Rev. Gammill's leadership.

"He's done a great job," said Burns of Gammill's efforts.

Services At Workhouse

Across town, off West Summer Street, similar chapel services are conducted on other days of the week at the four main pods in operation at the workhouse/jail.

Gammill explained that the waiting-list time for an individual minister to preach Tuesday evenings at the detention center is seven months in advance.

He added, however, that there is not a formal waiting list but that he just books pastors for the services on a first-come, first-serve basis.

He stated last week that he currently has about 30 active ministers on a rotating basis for the once-a-week Tuesday-night services.

The ministers and laypersons who regularly conduct Bibles studies and supportive prayer on Monday evenings at both the detention center and the workhouse/jail include Hall, McCamey (a former pastor), business owner Richard McKinney, Gordon Williams, Paul Miller, Steve Nordgren (the director of U-Turn For Christ), and Rev. Manuel Vargas (who is in charge of the Spanish ministry at Lighthouse Assembly of God).

Vargas said he participates in jail ministry "to see an increase in the number of people who come to the Lord, and to see changed lives ... so they won't have to come back (to jail)."

Miller, a layman, said of the Bible studies he leads, "Those are seeds being planted.... You definitely see some guys (inmates) who absorb it like a sponge."

He added that, unfortunately, other inmates "definitely have a hard heart, with no expression on their faces."

Women's Services

The women who presently conduct church services on Monday evenings in the two jails are: Fran Ellis, Cheryl Seals, Evelyn Dickert, Loretta Ricker, and Betty Morgan, who are all part of the Gideons Ladies Auxiliary.

In addition, the late Geneva Patton had an extensive ministry for several years that included conducting Bible studies, and distributing Bibles to, and praying with, female inmates.

"We try to follow (the female inmates) after they leave, including those sent to other prisons, if they want us to be a part of their future," Ellis said in an interview.

She said of the church services in the jails, "It's time well spent. The guards say the services encourage the ladies, lift their spirits, and promote harmony in their pods."

Gammill said he has a list of about 130 ministers who wish to get into the detention center or workhouse/jail to visit an arrested member of their congregation or a family member.

He said that list of ministers includes local ministers, some from surrounding counties, and even some ministers living outside Tennessee.

59 Inmates Baptized

The jail chaplain said today a total of 140 inmates from the two jail facilities received Communion on Tuesday. Gammill said he believed it was the first time Communion services (10 on Tuesday) were offered to inmates in either facility.

The jail chaplain also said he was especially pleased that 59 inmates were baptized in the detention center and workhouse about 10 weeks ago - a first for Greeneville, he said he believes.

Gammill explained that a portable baptistry was taken to the two jails. A total of three baptismal services were held, he said.

Hiring Released Inmates

McKinney said he has continued in the jail ministry as "an opportunity to (share my faith with) people, and help inmates with their needs."

He said he has hired many just-released inmates at his truss business.

"Over the years, probably a third of my employees have been in jail," McKinney said. Before the recent Bible study reported above, Pastor Hall had said optimistically to a reporter, "Maybe a couple of people will get saved."

In fact, of the six men in the second group with whom he had a Bible study that night, Hall led one man in the "sinner's prayer" of salvation.

Former Inmates Comment

Chuck Wilson, who is 51, said Tuesday he attended Bible studies and services while recently locked up in jail for 20 days on a violation of probation offense. He was released from jail three weeks ago.

"It was very helpful," said Wilson of the jail ministry. "It gave me some hope while I was in there." Added Wilson, "I give God all the glory."

He said he currently attends three services a week at First Baptist Church, and will be starting a full-time job next week.

Raymond Baskette, 36, said Tuesday he attempted suicide shortly before his arrest in 2000. He was released from jail two years later.

Soon after being locked up in the detention center, Baskette attended an Easter service held in the jail that he said changed his life for the better.

"I knew right then it was time to make a change," Baskette said. "I dedicated myself to studying the Word of God."

He said the men who conducted Bible studies and services in jail were "a great influence who helped me structure my Christianity."

Baskette said he has drunk alcohol heavily in the past, and is now in the DUI Treatment Court program.

He said one counselor in the program motivated him to begin attending college. Baskette said that, before, he thought he was too poor to attend college.

He said he has a 4.0 grade point average at the online school, Kaplan University.

Baskette said he hopes he can soon get authorization to share his positive "testimony" with inmates in the jails to encourage them.

He also said he attends three services a week at Appalachian Baptist Church, and owns a carpentry business.

'Hopefully, I Won't Be Back'

After the Bible studies that evening conducted by Hall, McCamey and others, another layperson who helps lead Bible studies in the jails, Gordon Williams, showed up with Chris Smith, a 38-year-old man who had just been released from the downtown jail about a week earlier.

Smith had served about 10 days in what he claimed had been a case of mistaken identity on the part of the arresting officers. Williams had hired Smith fresh out of jail to scrape peeling paint from his North Main Street home, which was built in 1870.

Smith, Williams, McKinney, Hall, and McCamey gathered together on Depot Street outside the jail and conversed.

Smith pointed out a cell with its narrow window on the jail's second floor about 30 feet away. He said he had recently been held in the cell on the other side of the window. He had attended a Bible study in the jail held by McCamey. Now the two were reunited on the "outside."

Smith said he attended the Bible study while in jail to "get straightened out."

"I used to be a lot of trouble around here," Smith admitted. He added, "Hopefully, I won't be back (to jail) any more."

Reprinted from the The Greeneville Sun