Ministry needs funding to continue prison work”Ask, and you shall receive” is a message that the Rev. Frank Lewis shares often with Fayette County inmates.
It was also the theme of the night at the Good News Jail & Prison Ministry Fellowship Banquet held Friday night at the Shadyside Restaurant in North Union Township. More than 100 supporters gathered to hear the Rev. Lewis, chaplain of the Fayette County Jail, speak along with the Rev. Harry Fletcher, vice president of the ministry.
“I’ve been there since April 1st of this year and things just keep getting better,” said Lewis.
Lewis is the first full-time chaplain to offer services to those housed in the facility. Previously, volunteers and residents offered the services but there seemed to be a greater need, according to Rev. Fletcher.
“It starts out small and continues to grow,” Rev. Fletcher said. “It was the same way when the Good News Jail & Prison Ministry first started.’
Rev.Fletcher noted that the ministry was founded in 1961 by Dr. William Simmer.
“He was attending Washington Bible College to prepare for ministry when a trip to the Fairfax County Courthouse started it all. He went to the courthouse to pay a ticket and asked who provided ministry services for the inmates and found out that no one did, so, he volunteered.”
The ministry, now 42 years in the running, offers free chaplain services to inmates.
“We pay for the chaplain for the first two years and hope that they’ll find support by their third year,” noted the Rev. Phyllis Cappalonga, development officer for the ministry.
One way to gain support, explained Rev. Cappalonga, is by holding banquets.
“That’s what these people are here for. They’re here to support his dedication to those in need.”
Fayette County Commissioner Vince Vicites agreed that the prisoners are in need of help.
“I give Rev. Lewis a lot of credit. He’s very dedicated to reaching out to the prison population and he feels he can help. I think if you’re able to turn just one person around from a life of crime then it’s worth it,” he said.
Vicites said that while no formal request for financial support has came from the ministry, he believes the county should help the program.
But officials from the ministry think differently. Rev. Cappalonga explained the main source of funding comes from churches, foundations and individuals.
“We do not ask for county, state or federal funds because we don’t want anyone to dictate to us what we have to do,” she said.
Rev. Cappalonga added that it costs the ministry nearly $60,000 to place a chaplain in a facility and added that if one person is changed from the words the chaplain preaches, then the investment is well worth it.
Gary Brownfield, Fayette County sheriff and chairman of the Fayette County Prison Board, said the program is working “really well” in the prison.
“They need guidance and this gentleman is doing a great job,” he said.
According to Brownfield, more than 10 percent of the prison population is attending the Sunday services.
“I’m very supportive of this,” he added.
The ministry, now international, has 238 chaplains in 23 states and in 10 foreign countries, according to Rev. Fletcher.
“We have others opening up in Russia and Kyrgyzstan, but tonight the focus is on the one that’s running in Fayette County,” Rev. Fletcher noted.
A typical day for Rev. Lewis in the Fayette County Prison starts at 8 a.m. and ends around 5 p.m.
“I work in the prison Monday through Friday and I have more than 20 volunteers helping me,” he said. “I make rounds for three to four hours a day and then it’s a lot of administrative work that I have to handle.’
Ironically, the Rev. Lewis doesn’t conduct services in the prison on Sunday.
He explained that he spends his Sundays in local churches seeking financial support for his work while other local members of the clergy conduct services.
“One of the many volunteers runs the service, and I’m out explaining what it is that we’re trying to accomplish,” he said.
He added the most common request he receives from the prisoners is that he help or check on their families in one way or another.
“You just know that these are genuine people when you can physically see the concern on their face,” he said.
Anyone wishing to donate to the ministry can call Rev. Lewis at 724-430-1222 ext. 3027.
Rev. Lewis said he needs $4,500 a month to keep the program active and added that he’s generating $1,200.