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Serving a Pastor in Jail

April 20, 2026

These personal story posts intend to put flesh on the theory of Four Pillar living. This one is unique in many ways.

I was deeply grieved when I heard that my long time friend had been arrested and would most likely be sent to prison for a number of years. I will call him Jim. We all know this is not an uncommon situation and no doubt the news of such as this brings deep sadness. I had known my friend Jim since we were young men. Actually another friend of mine was instrumental in bringing Jim to Christ. I remember celebrating with them as the news spread of his new faith. We continued to celebrate as Jim participated in various ministries through those early years. And finally we celebrated as Jim stepped into the ministry of pastoring a church.

Naturally after the arrest I felt a burden to stay in touch with Jim and we would talk on the phone spanning the distance. His life had changed so radically overnight and I knew from a lifetime in ministry that he would be lonely, grieving, and afraid. I had no doubt as to what Jesus would do, reaching out, praying for Jim, and offering care for restoration, support, and healing. Regardless of the sad and tragic choices that Jim had made, our brotherhood was not over, his life was not over, and his ministry calling was not over. So with faith in God’s never ending mercy and hope in his will for each life, a handful of believer friends began the walk with Jim into prison.

Jim shared a story from the early days of his ministry before becoming a pastor. He was the youngest man on a local church board. He recalled a meeting where they gathered to discuss what to do about a minister that had fallen. Being the youngest he listened. The direction of the discussion was toward cutting off relations with this minister and distancing the church from him and his issue as much as possible. That seemed to be the conclusion the board would land on. Still near the end the most mature and well known board member spoke nearly in tears sharing that it seemed the Christ like action would be to connect with the minister and let him know he was not alone, the mercies of the Lord never run out. It was too little, too late as the board felt they had protected the church from disdain. Now that meeting came back to Jim clearly.

The old phrase still finds places to land, “We shoot our wounded, don’t we?”

With distance and travel time as obstacles my loving service to Jim over the many months has been to write words of encouragement once or twice a month and to pray for Jim every day. I pray God’s protection, God’s gracious interventions, and most of all God’s will be done. I know God’s will in calling Jim has not been rescinded in-spite of this terrible turn of events. As I join all those supporting Jim in prayer it is our faith that God has ministry impact for Jim among some of the most needy lives on earth. By the work of the Holy Spirit Jim is being placed and empowered for service to the Kingdom.

Someone has said, “God does not waste anything.” Jim’s calling has not ended, his service to Christ is not over, and his devotion to Jesus is possibly more intense than ever before. 

We have all heard this list:

God used a murderer in David, and an adulterer.

Moses was one too and stuttered, and tried to avoid God’s call.

Jacob was a liar.

Noah got drunk.

Rahab was a prostitute.

Jonah ran from God’s call, hating his mission.

Peter denied Jesus three times.

Paul persecuted the Christians.

My application to this story is that in each case God brought someone along to rehabilitate or guide along these who had stumbled. Christ followers who embrace Four Pillar living will be far more willing to be a Barnabas, “Son of Encouragement,’ to go walk beside Saul of Tarsus, now named Paul.

In the last ten years God has brought me along to serve, love, and care for the homeless, the addicted, ones with criminal pasts, some have present legal issues, and the disenfranchised, none of whom would become established in local churches without a friend. Someone in the New Testament labeled Jesus as the friend of sinners. Perhaps our first hurdle in modeling our lives after Jesus would be to fully embrace the description of him that God inspired in John 3:17, “For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world…”

Christianity has often been tempted to become the judge of society, when Jesus gave the example of being the solace and salvation for the world. Love not law is the way of Christ. An older generation in my faith journey would repeat often, “It is the Spirit that will convict of sin.” As the church reaches and serves in love and grace the Holy Spirit will have a mirror that is neither broken nor marred to reveal Christ and his Truth.