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By Randy Alcorn
Eternal Perspectives Ministries [6]
Ministry based in Sandy, Oregon
Here at EPM, we love the ministry of Prison Fellowship [7]. I loved their founder, Chuck Colson, one of the most brilliant and Christ-loving men I’ve ever known. If you’re older you’re familiar with who he was, Richard Nixon’s “Hatchet Man,” a scholar, Marine, attorney, and assistant to the President of the United States. He was one of the small group of powerful men at the center of the Watergate Scandal, and while in prison he came to faith in Christ.
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If you’re a believer in Jesus and don’t know who Chuck Colson was, the good news is that you will meet him in God’s presence. But before you meet him there, I recommend you become familiar with this remarkable man. Here he is [9] giving a presentation to the Veritas Forum where he tells his fascinating story of his radical conversion to Christ. If you want to know that story from other sources, read his bestselling Born Again, or Jonathan Aitken’s Colson biography [10].
In the 1990’s, I would often connect with Chuck at an annual booksellers’ convention, where he would see me and come over, and hug me, overflowing with genuine warmth, grace and love. He would always express his gratitude for EPM’s support of Prison Fellowship. After many of our contributions, he would send me a personal handwritten note. Chuck’s heart for Jesus and for prisoners touched me deeply. (Here’s what I wrote [11] almost 10 years ago, when he died.)
I only spent two days in jail [12] besides some afternoons in holding tanks after I was arrested most days I was involved with peaceful, nonviolent civil disobedience at abortion clinics. (While other famous Christian leaders said what we were doing was wrong, Chuck Colson was adamant in supporting us.) But it was enough to give me a flavor for what it was like to be imprisoned and treated with utter disrespect. Guards and nurses wouldn’t believe anything I said—they’d been lied to routinely so I sympathize with their skepticism—including that I was having an insulin reaction and needed something to bring up my blood sugar. It was just a small introduction to a world I’d never known, but which sticks with me until this day. Those who spend months and years and decades locked up need our prayers—as do all those faithful chaplains who work with them. What a privilege to support them.
Prison Fellowship recently shared this great video from one of their outreach events, where they partnered with Riding High Ministries to present the hope of Christ through the experience of breaking a wild horse:
Learn more [13] about Prison Fellowship Hope Events.
By the way, if you’d like to partner with EPM in reaching prisoners for Christ, we’d be honored if you’d prayerfully consider supporting Eternal Perspective Ministries [14] with a year-end gift. Financial gifts to our General Fund support our operating expenses and staff, and allow us to continue giving away the royalties from my books. (On our donation page, you can also give to our Books for Prisoners Project to directly support that part of our ministry.)
Randy Alcorn (@randyalcorn [15]) is the author of fifty-some books [16] and the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries [17].