The Birth of A Church Inside the Walls

According to Chuck Colson, former special counsel to President Richard Nixon and Watergate scandal co-conspirator, “The real legacy of my life was my biggest failure — that I was an ex-convict. My greatest humiliation — being sent to prison — was the beginning of God’s greatest use of my life; He chose the one thing in which I could not glory for His glory.”

Ron Dooley, director of Cru®’s Jail and Prison Ministry, knows the truth of this statement. Over and over, he has seen God change lives and give new purpose to inmates in Georgia’s Coweta County Prison. He’s led a weekly Wednesday night Bible study there for over 30 years.

Prison is a challenging environment. Despair hangs over most compounds like a noxious cloud. In addition to gang violence, there’s abuse from other inmates and hostile corrections officers, subpar food, and unpleasant living conditions. Christians are constantly being watched by other inmates to see if their walk matches their talk. Those who are strong and consistent in their faith are like lights in the darkness to others around them.

In December 2019, at Coweta County Prison’s annual Christmas play, Ron met Charles, an inmate in his 30s, and invited him to the Wednesday Bible study. Two weeks later, Charles showed up and gradually invited other inmates, eight of whom began attending regularly.

Then, in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and correctional facilities nationwide were closed to chapel volunteers — in Ron’s case, for two years. Thankfully, although Ron was hindered, God wasn’t. The Wednesday night Bible study inmates wanted to keep things going, and asked God for help and wisdom to use their gifts and strengths for him. Like Paul’s example from I Corinthians 3:6, Ron and Charles planted seeds, and now God was going to cause the growth.

As Ron continued to encourage Charles from the outside through e-mail, Charles and other inmates decided to start their own church inside the prison. God raised up fellow inmates to serve as deacons and worship leaders. They directed offerings from each week’s service into a prison canteen fund for inmates with no money so they could buy basic necessities the prison didn’t provide. Both inmates and correctional officers began responding to the gospel, and the church grew with 30-70 inmates attending regularly.

When the prison reopened in May 2022, the church was thriving and it continues today. Over time, inmates Dave, 73, and John, 31, joined Charles in leading the church. During the past six years, 125 inmates have been baptized, with another baptism service scheduled during summer 2026.

“I want to keep the inmate church going,” Charles says, “because it has been a productive ministry. It helped a lot of inmates here. It has also presented opportunities for emerging leaders within the prison population to practice their ministry gifts.”

Charles was released three years ago and is now married and has a child. Dave and John have also gone home, leaving other qualified men to lead the church inside the prison.  Those men and others also continue meeting with Ron at his Monday night Bible study.

In the parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25:36,39-40, Jesus says, “‘I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, ... When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’” (NIV).

Pray for this church inside the prison walls, for the inmates, for Ron, and for all who do prison ministry across the country and around the world.