It is often difficult for ex-offenders to reintegrate back into society after being released from prison, so a group is exploring a potential “discipleship house” in Columbia based on a successful pattern from elsewhere.
Columbia native Robert Johnson, who is now senior pastor at St. Mark United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kan., helped bring the discussion back to his hometown last week in a county-wide forum. It brought religious leaders together with prison officials and the city’s leadership to discuss the issue at the Columbia-Marion County Public Library on Jan. 26.
Johnson joined his mother, Ella Ruth Johnson of Safe Haven Outreach Ministries, Spencer Lindsey of Working Men of Christ Ministries, Cora and Antonio Johnson of Reign in Life Ministries and others. Warden Derek Mingo of the Marion-Walthall Correctional Facility also hosted a presentation at the facility later that day.
Johnson said in his area 60 percent of the people released from prison go back to the neighborhood.
“When they come back, they deserve the same love and the same hope that I try to give everybody in my community,” he said. “I felt I was not equipped to do it. I think it is the church’s responsibility to be able to do that.”
Johnson met Lindsay, who told him about what they do with discipleship homes.
“They disciple these men and get them back on their feet and help them get employed. These men come out of prison with job skills. What they do is send them into volunteer at places and have them do handiwork,” Johnson said. “At our church’s second campus, some of their men are doing work. They are given a standard of accountability and work ethic and then Bible study and fellowship. It changes the heart. If you don’t change the heart, they’re going to go right back into prison. The recidivism rate of these men is amazing. They’ve only had one person to return to prison and one person dropped out. It is a 1.5 percent return, and that is why these programs are so important.”
Robert Johnson said his goal was to connect with Safe Haven Ministries and other local groups to begin talks about doing the same thing in Marion County.
Ella Ruth Johnson said the ideas could spawn not just a single home for ex-offenders, but multiple homes.
“We hope churches get involved,” she said. “One person by themselves cannot make noise, but we as a group can make some noise. We can make a difference if we do it together.”
Mayor Justin McKenzie, who spent nearly two decades in law enforcement, told the group he can relate to where the ministry is going.
“There are a lot of good people that go to jail,” he said. “That being said, when they make bad decisions, they’ve got to pay for it and that’s when they go to jail. When they get out of jail, they can’t be forgotten.”
Pictured Above: Columbia native Robert Johnson talks about the importance of church ministries toward people released from prison during a forum Jan. 26 at the Columbia-Marion County Public Library. Johnson is senior pastor at St. Mark United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kan., which has an active prison ministry. | Photo by Mark Rogers
