Another trip is coming up fast. Next week (Oct. 12-15), I'll be traveling to Louisiana to visit "The Farm." I was invited to join a group from Calvin Seminary led by Prof. Ron Nydam and Prof. John Rottman. The Farm is one of these notorious prisons in America. A lot of interesting things happen at the Farm, including an annual rodeo in which community members are invited to attend. They also host a giant craft sale, in which arts & crafts produced by the inmates are on sale to the general public. The Farm is HUGE - it is 17 miles around the entire perimeter and one side borders on the Mighty Mississippi River (I had to look up that spelling!). The prison has this official name: The Angola State Penitentiary. However, it's also called the Farm because they grow all their own produce and raise all their own meat for the prison population on the premises. Obviously, everyone has a job to do if they can manage to stay out of trouble & solitary confinement. Part of the reason for the trip south is the fact that the New Orleans Baptist Seminary hosts a seminary on the prison grounds. Inmates graduating from this program may become missionaries to other prisons or work at the hospice on site. Prof. Nydam will teach a seminar on pastoral care and Prof. Rottman will teach a short course on the 4 page method of Biblical preaching. In addition, we'll sit in on the existing classes at the prison seminary and tour the grounds of the prison. Also on the schedule is a lunch with Warden Burl Cain. He's a larger than life figure with deep spiritual convictions. Rose & I met him when he gave a talk at the Calvin College January Series in Grand Rapids, Michigan. See the link below:
Wouldn't it be great if Calvin Theological Seminary became more involved at Celebration Fellowship prison congregation in the Ionia (Michigan) correctional facility? We'll see what doors God opens in the future.
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