ANGOLA, La., (BP)–Joy, hope and anticipation marked the faces of the 66 graduates participating in New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s May 17 commencement services behind the bars of the Louisiana State Penitentiary.
The drab surroundings of the prison dining hall could not suppress the smiles of the graduates -– inmates at the state’s massive maximum security prison -– as they received their degrees. The standing-room-only crowd included spouses and children of the inmates, some from as far away as Oregon. Also on hand were other prisoners in the seminary program, faculty and staff members from the seminary and many state and local Baptist leaders who assist with the program.
Many of the 66 men who graduated received both the associate in Christian ministry and the bachelor of arts in Christian ministry degrees, a total of 117 degrees from the seminary’s Leavell College.
“The hardest thing to describe about an Angola graduation is the sense of joy and love present in the room,” seminary President Chuck Kelley said after the event. “It’s not only in the excitement of those students who are graduating, but more than anything it is the excitement from the families.”
Kelley said he talked with parents who had once given up on their son only to find hope again as they participated in the service. The families have seen what a difference faith in Christ can make in the lives of their loved ones. The faces of the family members, he said, express an indescribable joy.
“That’s what reconciliation is about. That’s what redemption is about,” Kelley said. “It’s about seeing God take a life that was terribly broken and doing such a work that family members are glad to have them as part of the family again.”
The day was filled with touching story lines.
Clifshaque Jones, a current Leavell College student at the seminary’s New Orleans campus, traveled to Angola with the seminary faculty and staff — to surprise her father, Cliff Jones, who was among the graduates. Her father has been incarcerated since she was 6 and visits have been few and far between. Before the service began, father and daughter -– fellow Leavell College students -– enjoyed a happy reunion. And following the graduation, Clifshaque and her father were able to visit for several hours.
Young children cheered as their fathers walked up to receive their degrees. One inmate carried his 6-year-old daughter with him as he received his bachelor’s diploma from Kelley.
One recently paroled inmate came back to the prison to participate in the commencement service. His fellow graduates marveled that this “free man” would return to share the day with them.
During the ceremony the inmates gave a standing ovation to John Robson, director of the NOBTS program at Angola who works tirelessly to provide the learning opportunity.
Many of the 150 inmates who have graduated since the program began serve as ministers inside the prison walls. A few of the graduates have been sent to other prisons in the state and other camps on Angola’s 18,000-acre farm to serve as inmate-missionaries. Through the ministry of these inmate-ministers, an average 80-plus of their fellow inmates are coming to faith in Christ each year.
“Christians don’t have to be a majority to have a great influence,” Kelley said. “This small number of men, by living and working among the other prisoners, are affecting the entire population of the prison.”
Jimmy Dukes, dean of the extension center system at NOBTS, said the Christian prisoners should serve as a model for churches.
“Those 150 graduates have had a tremendous impact on the culture in which they live,” Dukes said. “This Angola experience is the clearest example of the church affecting its culture that I have seen.”
When Burl Cain, a Southern Baptist layman, became warden at Angola, education at the prison had become a problem. Angola had lost its Pell Grants, and Cain could not see a solution.
T.W. Terrell, who was director of missions at Louisiana’s Judson Baptist Association at the time, suggested that Cain approach the seminary about offering training opportunities for the Christian inmates. Though Cain doubted NOBTS would be interested in coming to Angola, he asked anyway. To his surprise, the seminary was eager to get involved.
NOBTS began by offering a nationally accredited associate degree in ministry in 1995. The program was expanded to include an accredited bachelor’s degree in 1997. Since then 150 men have graduated from the program.
“I want to thank New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Dr. Kelley,” Cain said. “Dr. Kelley had the vision to realize that the best way to have a prison ministry was to change the culture and teach inmates to minister themselves.”
The program represents a true Kingdom effort for Southern Baptists. The seminary, the Louisiana Baptist Convention, the Woman’s Missionary Union of Louisiana, Judson Baptist Association and countless churches help make the ministry happen. Broadman & Holman Publishers of LifeWay Christian Resources has helped obtain textbooks at reasonable prices. Most of the financial support is given by individual churches.
Education was not the only problem at Angola when Cain arrived. At the time the prison had the reputation as one of the most violent in the country. Since the theological training program began, violence has dramatically decreased, and Cain sees the training program as part of the turnaround.
“We’re going to see fewer people coming back to prison in this state. We are going to see fewer victims of crime,” Cain said. “The only thing that can really change our culture is … moral rehabilitation. That’s what we’ve seen here at Angola.”
Due to the success of the program, several wardens in other states are asking the seminary to bring the program to their prisons as well, with NOBTS having launched a similar program at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, Miss.
Cain believes other prisons can see the same results. “This is a movement that is going to catch on across this country,” he said. “God works in people’s lives. God changes lives.”
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