"When most people see a prison, they see one of three things,” Gary Farley said. “They see danger, because of the people there. They may see a dollar sign, a place for political leaders to make money for the community. We see a cross.”
Farley serves as the director of missions for Pickens Baptist Association. He also serves as pastor of The Camp Community Church, a new church at a federal work camp for women. Farley, along with 200 volunteers from different churches and denominations, planted The Camp Community Church in December 2012. The church has about 90 people attending regularly.
Farley also serves as pastor of another church plant at the new Aliceville Federal Prison.
The church at the new prison, which will have around 900 inmates by December 2013, was started by Pickens Association and has about 80 people attend.
“The warden and chaplain have been very supportive. We’ve been given an opportunity here,” Farley said.
The volunteers and workers at the church have helped start Bible studies, worship teams and drama teams. There are two worship services on Sunday afternoon and evening, and the leaders are currently looking into providing education for the women through Beeson Divinity School.
Working in prison ministry has its challenges. Farley and his team usually only have an hour or so with the women at each camp. The guards count inmates every hour, and there isn’t much time for pastoral care, Farley said.
However it has its upsides as well.
“We don’t have any old man that says, ‘We’ve never done it that way before,’” Farley said. “There isn’t a competition on who has the nicest dress, either. There’s more of a focus on worship.”
Realizing that most of these women will be out of prison at some point, the churches have embraced a long-term vision that reaches beyond the prison walls.
“Our goal in worship and Bible study is to prepare the ladies to be missionaries when they leave,” Farley said.
The churches certainly have had an impact on the women. Several women have already come to faith and been baptized while others have grown in their faith and desire to follow Christ.
“They come ready for worship,” Farley said of the women. “You start a verse of Scripture and they finish it for you. I think most of these ladies are Christian and have made mistakes and are using this time to pray and grow.”
Farley also has seen his own faith grow through the prison ministries.
“The first Sunday I went in, expecting to do church for them and ended up doing church with them,” he said. “God’s been teaching me to let Him lead and to stand back and see miracles happen.”
Farley wants fellow Christians to pray that the ministries go well and that they will be able to follow up with the women when they leave.
“We want a network set up so we can connect them to a supportive church,” Farley said.
Farley and volunteer Bonnie Windle were honored as co-volunteers of the year by the federal prison.
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