Inmates are accepting Jesus and getting baptized after a pastor brings his church to a local jail.
John Hill, pastor of the First Church of Wheatfield Indiana has been bringing an entire church service to Jasper County Jail for just over three months now. And within this short time, the staff have noticed a shift in the atmosphere.
Sheriff, Patrick Williamson said– “We have a quieter atmosphere… In times past, you would hear banging, kicking, yelling, screaming, but now it’s very quiet. They get along well, they treat staff better, so we have [fewer] incidents. It just complements the other things going on in our jail.”
Sheriff Williamson and John Hill have collaborated in the past on creating an addiction recovery house, long before they ever started a worship service in the actual jail. But Pastor Hill was not done dreaming and planning with the Lord in reaching this community, and decided to go into the jail and reach the inmates where they were.
Pastor John said – “Our church was really excited just to build bridges with these families, help them connect with our community, help them with employment, and just show them that we care.”
The worship service is usually held every Thursday and is an optional service to the inmates. Thursday serves as a highlight of the week to over half the men and women in Jasper County Jail.
Last month, a video was shared on Facebook showing how the inmates worship the Lord while singing heartfelt praise.