Bibb County inmates can take classes in Christian leadership

Bibb County inmates can take classes in Christian leadership

Seminary study has made its way to the prison system and Alabama inmates are among the first to experience it.
   
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s Extension Center System established the second in the nation prison study at Bibb County Correctional Facility in Brent. The first program was established at Angola Prison in Louisiana.
   
The new program began this summer with 21 inmates studying “The Growth of the Early Church: A Study in the Book of Acts.”
   
Prison Chaplain Eddie Smith said he had looked forward to this new ministry for many months. “We had an interest meeting about two years ago,” Smith said. “It’s taken that long to launch this new extension center, but I believe the benefits are well worth the wait.”
Bob Hall, director of the New Orleans Seminary’s Birmingham Extension Center at Lakeside Baptist Church, explained the advantage of the new program.
   
“We offer a certificate program in Christian leadership,” Hall said. “Eight classes are required for the basic certificate. If an inmate upon release applies to our school and is accepted, he’ll receive one hour of college credit for each course in either our associate or bachelor’s degree program. If he’s completed two certificates, he can use this work as his minor for the bachelor’s degree.” Hall explained other schools might offer credit, too.
   
“It all depends on the school and the registrar,” he said. “There is potential for these men receiving some college credit at other institutions if they’ve completed high school or have their GED high school equivalent.”
   
Jimmy Dukes, dean of the New Orleans Extension Center System, asked Hall to include the Bibb program in the Birmingham center due to its proximity.
   
In Birmingham, Hall supervises about 50 students in the college program and about 100 in the graduate program, which includes the master of divinity and master of arts in Christian education degrees.
   
“The genius of our program in Birmingham is that our classes are convenient for men and women who can’t afford to take off for several years and be full-time students,” Hall said. “We’re meeting a real need in the area, and it’s been great to see the progress of our students.”
   
Hall noted the Bibb County program is quite a bit different from the one at Angola prison. “Angola is a large prison filled with many ‘lifers‚’” he said. “There are actually 156 or so churches inside the prison. We help train inmates to be Christian leaders inside the prison.”
   
The Bibb facility is a state prison, too, but it doesn’t have churches, but a chapel ministry,” Hall continued. “We hope to train men to minister to their fellow inmates and through their churches when they’re released,” he said.
   
The seminary program is one of more than 35 ministries in the Bibb facility, according to Smith.
   
The ministries are staffed primarily by volunteers who come from as far away as Mobile and Huntsville.
   
Due to an increase in the prison population, the Bibb administration has asked for the present chapel for additional office space. 
   
Smith and his volunteers have been busy raising funds and plan to break ground for a new chapel and classrooms next spring.
   
“We want to offer many more classes in the future,” Smith said. “Many inmates have no financial resources. What we can do is be dependent  on God moving the hearts of His people to support this worthwhile work.”
   
The Tuscaloosa Baptist Association has agreed to be custodian of all funds used for the seminary program in Brent.