Rev. William Bumphus, Former Inmate Turned Pastor, Visits Wilkinson Prison

He tells men how to get out of prison -- and stay out

By Roscoe Barnes III, PhD
Chaplain, Wilkinson County Correctional Facility
Copyright (c) 2021 

#MTCChangesLives

Pastor William Bumphus
Author, "You Can Be Set Free"

WOODVILLE, Miss. -- On a recent visit to Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF), the Rev. William Bumphus shared a sobering and moving testimony, and a message of hope for the men incarcerated at the Woodville prison. He told them how to get out of prison and stay out by turning their lives over to Christ.

A former inmate himself, Bumphus said he has been drug-free and alcohol-free for 42 years. He said God can change anybody. “Jesus can change your life, regardless of your background,” he said. “If he did it for me, he will do it for anyone.”

Bumphus is the pastor of Faith Center Church International and the founder of Jesus Inside Prison Ministry (www.jipm.org), both of Indianapolis, IN. He has ministered in nearly 600 prisons. In addition to ministering to offenders in jails and prisons, he and his wife, Juanita, operate an aftercare facility which they call the Jesus House. They also feed the hungry. Bumphus has appeared on numerous radio and television programs, including The 700 Club, TBN Network, and on the cover of Charisma magazine.

This is one of two groups that came out for the services at WCCF.

Bumphus visited WCCF on January 15 for two Christian services. He and his team ministered to an audience of 200 people. Their ministry included music, testimonies, preaching, prayer, and the distribution of Bumphus’ memoir, “You Can Be Set Free.” Bumphus delivered a messaged titled, “How to Get Out of Prison and Stay Out.”

“I enjoyed the service,” said offender Emanuel Young. “It made me reflect back over my life and the many mistakes I’ve made, some of which caused me to come to prison.”

Young said that after listening to Bumphus and hearing the testimonies in the service, he now knows what he needs to do to stay out of prison when he is released. “I will do my best to serve the Lord on a daily basis and look to Him for guidance,” he said.

Deputy Warden of Programs George Castro said the services were timely and just what WCCF needed. “Pastor Bumphus has a powerful ministry,” he said. “He and his team were inspiring.”

Pastor William Bumphus signing copies of his book.

Bumphus’ team consisted of several men who testified to being “ex-cons.” All of them participated in the services. Darius Gover, a.k.a. Divine Wordz, provided Christian rap music. Two of the men, Johnny Hill and Keven King, shared testimonies about their time behind bars and how their lives were changed by Christ. Hill, for example, served 38 years in prison. He got out at the age of 63 and landed his first job. Today he is a proud homeowner and is actively engaged in prison ministry.

King spoke of growing up in poverty. He described how he went hungry and eventually began robbing and stealing in order to survive. After serving time in prison, King found a good job where he worked his way to the top. He also shared how he became an entrepreneur by growing his own vending machine business, which is called FrontLine Vending.

According to Chaplain Roscoe Barnes III, Bumphus and his team connected with their audience. “The men found the stories about their past to be gripping and yet entertaining,” he said. “The stories were provocative and compelling, all leading to the point where they found Christ as their Savior and the solution to their problems.”

Bumphus was arrested 23 times and served four prison terms. He shared stories about his time on the streets, when he used drugs and worked as a pimp, among other things. He said he became a born-again Christian while incarcerated on his last charge of burglary and theft, and “has been serving Jesus ever since.”

Pastor William Bumphus, left, Programs Director Tracey Arbuthnot, and Warden Scott Middlebrooks

Willie Riley said he was very pleased with Bumphus’ message. “As a Muslim offender, I can say that Pastor Bumphus did a wonderful job informing the audience as to what it will take for us to get out of prison and stay out,” he said.

During Bumphus’ presentation, he spoke of the challenges that inmates face when they leave prison. Many return after only a short time on the streets, he said. “The biggest problem they face when they get out is having no safe place to live,” he said. “When they get out, they need to get hooked up with a local church and stay in the word (Bible) twenty-four seven.”

Not only that, he added, but they need to consider another point: “The same way they stayed in the word (Bible) in the joint to keep from getting in trouble, they need to double up in the word when they get outside.”

Chaplain Roscoe Barnes III, left, Pastor William Bumphus

Reflecting on the services, offender Timothy Gaines said he appreciated the testimonies. “It was good to have ex-cons because they’ve been where we’re at,” he said. “They were able to reach out and touch the offenders on a deeper level. First-hand experience is the best experience.”

Offender Willie Wilson said he really enjoyed seeing what God has done in Pastor Bumphus’ life. “We could actually see this miracle before us, speaking to us,” he said. “A lot of times we read about miracles or somebody tells us about them. But with Pastor Bumphus and his team, we see them right in front of us.”

Programs Director Tracey Arbuthnot said the services exceeded her expectations. “I was really pleased to see how the offenders responded,” she said. “They paid attention and seemed captivated by every word. You could see that Pastor Bumphus really connected with them.”

WCCF, which houses more than 900 male offenders, is operated by Management and Training Corporation or MTC of Utah.

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#PrivatePrisons #Corrections #MTCChangesLives

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ROSCOE BARNES III, Ph.D., is a writer, chaplain, historian, and former newspaper reporter. He is the author of more than a dozen books and Gospel tracts. For more information about his work and history, see his Personal Profile here or visit his website: http://www.roscoebarnes.net. Connect with him on Twitter (@roscoebarnes3) or by email: roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com