The Remnant Fellowship Prison Ministry started in 2005 by holding classes for inmates interested in a faith-based approach to laying down addictions and improving their lives. Classes were based on the Exodus from Strongholds materials developed by Gwen Shamblin, the founder of Weigh Down Ministries, and donated to the prisons. These class materials have been successfully used for over 20 years to help participants to lay down addictions and were a natural choice to help inmates. Along with the strong and encouraging teaching, a group of dedicated volunteers from Remnant Fellowship spent much of their free weekends and time by driving down to Georgia to prisons, where Joseph & Sonya Smith, were incarcerated and these classes were starting. These selfless volunteers were able to visit and encourage the Smiths along with host and coordinate with the prison chaplin the Strongholds classes. These classes were highly successful with helping inmates lay down drugs, anger, anti authority and many testified to a permanent life change. The guards of these prisons also testified to the changes in the inmates in these classes. This ministry has now quickly grown into a multi-state, multi-national prison outreach ministry which continues to grow and help inmates permanently change so that they are truly rehabilitated and do not return to prison or jail. We are working now to get Weigh Down established in to half way houses to help continue this much needed love and support.
Here are just a few of the comments of those who have been changed by this ministry:
– It’s not even 24 hours yet, and I already miss you! All of you… God’s representatives are so dear to us here.
– The Weigh Down lessons “took” They simply made sense. Immediately I was able to see that what worked for weight loss would work for any number of hang ups.
– I like what you share about God’s reputation and encouraging me to make Him look good in all I do.
– Thank you all for being obedient to God to bring this message to me and for helping me to find the path I need to follow. You all will never know how much of a relief I feel right now.
– Many speak much but do little – or nothing. But with your group I saw action with your words and real love being shown.
– You all just don’t know how much it means to us that you come for such a short time, yet I wait at my door hours just waiting to hear the officers call “Exodus!”.
– My walk with God has gotten closer because of hearing the teachings of the word of God in a new way.
– God has given me victory over the gambling habit I’ve struggled with for many years.
– I look forward to Week One again, but mostly I’ve got a friend who is asking when it starts over, and he wants to attend. So praise God!
– I know you come a long way to see us, and I thank you with all my heart.
– I have never been this happy in my life nor have I ever seen God in bad situations as I do now. I thank God every day that my eyes have been opened to see things through His eyes.