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
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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.
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| 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.”
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| 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.”
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| 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.”
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| 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
