Most ministers at some time wonder if what they do matters. Most projects and programs begun fade. Some of those brought to Christ fall away. The success of ministry is hard to measure. A couple of years ago, I was sharing some of these thoughts with an elder in a congregation where I served 20+ years ago. When my family was there, he was not very active in the church. Today he is an elder. His response: What you did mattered to me.
Since I believe ministers are called to replace themselves, I take great joy in seeing those who grew up under my preaching devote their lives to ministry. Faithful ministry passed on–surely that matters.
But these thoughts are not really about the work of ministers–they are about a church that has continued faithfully in a prison ministry for over 15 years. In 1992, while I was ministering at the Fort Gibson Church of Christ, an opportunity arose for us to begin a prison ministry at the Eddie Warrior Correctional Center in Taft. The work was at first slow and tedious, and sometimes few were involved. We had lots of trouble getting permission to baptize inmates. But….
Earlier this year (1/19/2008 edition), the “Muskogee Phoenix” published an editorial entitled “Faith Works.” The editorial was about the Fort Gibson church’s faithful service to the inmates and the community. The editorial said in part: “The church deserves commendations from the community. They were involved in the outreach many years before churches and other religious-based groups began receiving government funding for their work. …And of course, the attention and concern the church members show the women at Eddie Warrior, will have an effect. Many of the women’s problems originate in low self-esteem and troubled relationships.”
I still get the Fort Gibson weekly bulletin. Their prison ministry saw 77 baptized last year. Average weekly attendance is over 100. Faithful ministry. Keeping on keeping on. Does a preacher proud! What we do matters–forever!