The Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM) works to facilitate the intent of Orthodox Christians to “do good works” within the penitentiary system. The cumbersome and inconsistent rules surrounding who and what can enter a prison makes direct action nearly impossible. For this reason, we have OCPM trained clergy and lay volunteers ready and willing to […]
To all the Clergy and the Laity of the Holy Orthodox Churches in the United States; Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ: CHRIST IS RISEN! The Hierarchs of The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America have approved this year, Sunday, May 20th, 2018 to be Prison Ministry Awareness Sunday in […]
What follows is a letter from an inmate that Joy Corey ministered to under the auspices of OCPM while she was in the County Jail. Joy has been a member of the Chaplaincy Corps at that jail for 12 years and currently serves on the OCPM Board of Directors. To Whom It May Concern: My […]
A parish priest had a dilemma when he learned that a sex offender, who was interested in Orthodoxy, was being released to the neighboring state which he bordered. No church in either state wanted him. The godly priest, took a chance. He presented a document to his parish which required that this sex offender sign. […]
Imagine you are ten years old; your mother is a drunk who never knows of your whereabouts, nor does she care; your father isn’t in the picture and you find yourself roaming the streets of one of America’s mid-sized cities. Your friends are pimps and prostitutes and you’ve learned to make money so you can […]
Sheila was raised in an atheistic home. If she spoke the word “God,” she would be smacked so hard and beaten by her father. I’ll never forget the first time I met Sheila while conducting my OCPM Bible Studies in the County Jail. She was awaiting sentencing for her drug addiction which led to grand […]
Serving many, many years in a prison that was said to hold the “worst of the worst” men in the world taught me to never underestimate what God can do in someone’s life. Can you fathom someone who has literally done “every evil imaginable under the sun” asking me how they could stop cussing? Well, […]
“Time waits for no man!” This quote is attributed to Jeffery Chaucer back in the 1300’s and has been popular throughout the centuries ever since. It almost seems “other-worldly” to be writing about the year 2018. Where have the years gone? They have slipped away like sand through our fingers…we could not stop the onward […]
“I received a request to meet an Orthodox Christian inmate” As I entered my office and I read my mail for the morning, I received a request to meet an Orthodox Christian inmate who had just arrived into our State Correction facility. I made a short walk to the unit he was assigned to and […]
Celebrating Freedom…but are we really free? “I am freer here in prison than I was ever on the outside!” Over many years of being a prison chaplain, I have heard that statement countless times. How could that possibly be? How could someone experience more freedom inside a prison than on the outside? On the 4th of July […]