The Philadelphians Prison Ministry began as a home Bible study in Knoxville, 1979. It was incorporated in the State of Tennessee during the year 1979 and began visiting the Knox County Jail. Later it applied for and was granted 50I(C)(3) status in 1981, EIN#62-1 092215. Our goal was to witness the power of God to change lives and provide the opportunity to become a "new" person to all men attending. We were shocked to discover so much illiteracy and at that point began sharing scripture through music rather than the hymn book. Jail Chaplain Dr. David Chamberlain always had visiting pastors to speak to the men.
Our mission to communicate the gospel to prisoners was successful and we were invited to visit in prisons through the prison chaplains. The many needs of prisoners were soon observed and new programs were developed. Our goal was to change the "jail house " mentality to one rooted in Jesus Christ.
The ministry no longer visits the County Jail. Prisons we have visited: Turney Center, DeBerry in Nashville, The "Walls" in Nashville, (6 years), Northeastern, BCCX, and Morgan County. Today, due to lack of funding, we travel to Northeastern and BCCX prisons. Our services consist of praise and worship with strong Bible teaching. In order to understand who God is, this ministry recognizes the importance of teaching God's Word to the men.
We were very consistent in our attendance, and it was evident that the return rate by some of the inmates was rather high. HELP House, our transitional housing program for ex-offenders, was begun. It is a small house. HELP House encourages men to learn how a"family" actually operates and the importance of God in their lives. A special bonding occurs between them.
HELP House provides a strong support system, which is necessary for growth and maturity. Most men in prison come from extremely dysfunctional family situations. HELP House provides the opportunity to establish new habits of thoughts and actions - and learning!
Our concern for the ex-offender is his lack of education and job skills. We have many who have no high school diploma. Their job "skills" are limited to labor and fast food restaurant experience.
Job skills which are needed would encourage self-confidence and give an opportunity to "succeed ". They need special training in vocational areas such as electrical, plumbing and many other technical fields. Many need their G.E.D. and have significant difficulties with this.
Copyright © 2023 The Philadelphians Prison Ministry - All Rights Reserved. This project is funded under a Grant Contract with the State of Tennessee , Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
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