Written by Pr Kelvin Lim
Since 2002, the Lord Jesus has given me a burden for those in prison. The verse from the Scriptures that convinced me is Luke 22:32: “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren”. The last phrase convicted me to do so: to bring fellow believers, especially those in prison, to where I am because I was converted during incarceration by the teaching and preaching of the precious words of God. Thus, I am persuaded that ministering to prisoners is necessary.
I ministered to inmates in Drug Rehabilitation Centres (DRC) for a period of time while working in The Helping Hand, a Christian Drug Rehabilitation organisation. At that time, I was taking night classes in the Far Eastern Bible College but was encouraged to pursue full-time study by Pastor Koshy in order to serve the LORD more effectively. “The trend is toward the trained” (Rev. Timothy Tow) also embedded in my heart the urgency of theological education for the necessity in such a ministry. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Thanks be unto the LORD; I received the prison access pass in 2012, four years after being established in the doctrines of Scripture. Initially, I only ministered to inmates incarcerated in Drug Rehabilitation Centres (DRC), but the LORD has paved the way for me to minister even to convicts imprisoned in Changi Prison Complex (CPC) in recent years. Though the way of ministering is the same: teaching and preaching the Bible, there is a difference in the mindset of those who abused drugs and those who did not! Hence, ministering today requires much wisdom, especially to a mixed group.
Currently, I go into prison to minister the Word to different groups of incarcerated people for two hours each, at least twice and up to five times a week. Occasionally, I have two sessions in a day, in the morning and in the afternoon. These sessions are known as Incare Programmes. They are divided into Chapel Service (CS) and Bible Study (BS). Whether CS or BS, there will be time to praise the LORD, preach the Word, and pray for one another. Through these sessions, I hope participants will be evangelised by the Gospel of Jesus Christ or established in the faith by the power of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God! I also get the opportunity to meet people, especially those whom I did not know in the past.
I would like to mention some of those I have recently ministered to, without naming them. Firstly, there is a brother who will be released in October. He has been invited to join us for worship. He has been sentenced to six years of imprisonment and came to know God through the prison ministry. I have confirmed his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, though I did not lead him to Christ. He had read through the entire Bible once and is reading it again to know more about God. This shows me his hunger for the Word of God. I have also encouraged him to attend night classes upon release so that he would grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Secondly, a Malaysian brother who is concerned about his elderly father in Johor Bahru. As a volunteer, the rule disallows me from having direct contact with family members of those I am involved with. However, other volunteers who are not directly involved with this brother are able to help me. As such, I am in contact with one who is in touch with a Presbyterian Church in Johor Bahru. God willing, we will visit the church in due time, and we will persuade them to visit the elderly father and reach out to him. Furthermore, we pray that when this Malaysian brother is released in a few years’ time, he might attend church and have his spiritual needs taken care of.
Next, I also correspond with inmates via electronic mail, aka e-letter. Every week, I send them devotions from 365 Daily Exhortations from God’s Word, written by Pastor, in both English and Chinese. Recently, I started sending portions of Theology for Every Christian again to a brother who is interested in knowing more about God and the Bible. Please pray for this brother who is very thankful to the LORD for His mercies. He has escaped the gallows and needs to serve another sixteen years. God willing, he wants to serve the LORD upon his release!
Now, regarding those who have been released from prison. I met brother Joshua, aka Siva, on 29th August at Gethsemane Media Centre. He is from Elder Lim Ah Sang’s class while incarcerated. He is currently working, and his job requires him to work in shifts. This made it difficult for us to set a fixed time for Bible study. But thanks be to God that He brought us together for a Bible study session using “Fundamentals of the Christian Faith” by Dr Jeffrey Khoo as the textbook. He wants fellowship with fellow believers, and I have introduced him to and invited him to Gethsemane Men’s Fellowship and Gethsemane Adults’ Fellowship whenever he is off work.
Lastly, I also visit those who have been released. Some of those are released under the Community-Based Programme. These people are usually allocated to different halfway houses, but some reside in their own homes. One of those visits to a halfway house led to a proposal for a Bible study class. Out of this class, an invited person came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour. He not only believed in his heart in the Lord Jesus Christ but also publicly confessed his faith through water baptism. Today, he is an active member of a Presbyterian Church. Indirectly, a sister in Christ has also been brought to our church from this class. She has been with us for a few years already!
The LORD is good! He has helped me to minister His gracious words to many, especially those in prison. May more souls be added to the kingdom of God, and more saints be established in the faith, for the glory of the LORD our God! “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them” (Hebrews 13:3a).
