LCMS Prison Ministry Coordinators

Montana

Coordinators:
Pr Robert Mitchell

What the district is doing:
The Montana District is doing prison ministry at the Montana State Prison in Deer Creek. Pr Mitchell conducts service services twice a month and has a catechesis class going. Two lay members are teaching bible studies every week.

North Dakota

Coordinators:
Pres Arie Bertsch

What the district is doing:
The North Dakota District is working on putting out information about the prison ministry that is going on in the district.

South Dakota

Coordinators:
Pr Ryan Drevlow

What the district is doing:
The South Dakota District is . . . .

Nebraska

Coordinators:
Pr Jeff Bloom

What the district is doing:
The Nebraska District is . . . .

Wyoming

Coordinators:
Pres John Hill

What the district is doing:
The Wyoming District is working on putting out information about the prison ministry that is going on in the district.

California (Northern) - Nevada - Hawaii

Coordinators:
Pr Michael Lange

What the district is doing:
The California - Nevada - Hawaii District is . . . .

Pacific Southwest

Coordinators:
Arthur Stevens

What the district is doing:
The Pacific Southwest District engages and promotes Jail & Prison ministry through the Lutheran Servants Prison Ministry. Currently there is a lay person teaching Luther's Small Catechism and leading Bible Study at Donovan State Penitentiary near San Diego, and there is weekly Bible study at the Santa Barbara County Jail.

Rocky Mountain

Coordinators:
Vicar John Widmer

What the district is doing:
The Rocky Mountain District is continuing to grow their prison ministry. John has been installed as a vicar at Our Savior Pagosa Springs CO and Grace Moab UT. He is also working with the prison ministries of the district.

Kansas

Coordinators:
Pr Rocky Mease

What the district is doing:
The Kansas District is working on putting out information about the prison ministry that is going on in the district.

Oklahoma

Coordinators:
Pres Barrie Henke

What the district is doing:
The Oklahoma District is working on putting out information about the prison ministry that is going on in the district.

Texas

Coordinators:
Pr John Cain

District Website:
Freedom Beyond Bars

What the district is doing:
The Texas District shares the same location as the largest prison system in the U.S. An April 2013 survey conducted in the southeastern quadrant of Texas showed that roughly half of all LCMS congregations have conducted some form of prison mission work. At the statewide level, Texas District is closely following the successes of the in-prison bachelor's degree programs, for training inmates to work under the direction of full-time prison chaplains (in Texas and Louisiana). New broadcast radio interviews of inmate students are available about every six weeks. Previously recorded interviews are available in podcast form at www.ElmHouston.org .

Southern

Coordinators:
Pres Eric Johnson

Mid-South

Coordinators:
Pr David Graves

What the district is doing:
The Mid-South District has individual pastors within their own ministries visiting various institutions in Arkansas, Tennessee, and southern Kentucky.

Missouri

Coordinators:
Pres Lee Hagan

What the district is doing:
The Missouri District is working on putting out information about the prison ministry that is going on in the district.

Iowa West

Coordinators:
Pr Glen Bohmer

What the district is doing:
The Iowa West District is . . . .

Iowa East

Coordinators:
Pr Dean Rothchild

What the district is doing:
The Iowa East District is . . . .

Minnesota South

Coordinators:
Pr David Habelmas, Pr Paul Emmel

What the district is doing:
The Minnesota South District is . . . .

Minnesota North

Coordinators:
Director of Christian Outreach (DCO) Craig Cooper

What the district is doing:
In the Minnesota North District there are a number of church workers and laypersons involved in prison and jail ministry. It is not a coordinated effort at this time but DCO Cooper is a contact person who can share resources in the district. If you would like to learn more about how to get started in prison and jail ministry, Prison Fellowship's Mentoring or Angel Tree programs and or the Central Minnesota Re-Entry Project, please submit your email address.

Southern Illinois

Coordinators:
Pr Jeff Nehrt, Pr Dave Kollmeyer

District Website:
SID Prison Ministry

What the district is doing:
The Southern IL District has been involved with prison minstry for the last 115 years. The district has volunteers, both Lay and Ordained, serving in 20 facilities across the district. The facilities cover many different scenarios in security level, type of facility, and the controlling entity.

Central Illinois

Coordinators:
Rev. Rodney Blomquist

District Website:
CID Prison Ministry

What the district is doing:
The Central Illinois District is . . . .

Northern Illinois

Coordinators:
Pres. Allan Buss

What the district is doing:
The Northern Illinois District is working on putting out information about the prison ministry that is going on in the district.

South Wisconsin

Coordinators:
Office of Mission and Human Care

District Website:
South Wisconsin District

What the district is doing:
The South Wisconsin District . . . .

North Wisconsin

Coordinators:
Pr Curtis DeCoste

What the district is doing:
The North Wisconsin District is in the process of collecting information from pastors and congregations regarding their involvement in prison and jail ministries.
From the late 1940s until recently, prison ministry had been taking place at the Green Bay Correctional Institution: beginning with Rev. Walter Bauman, Pastor, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Green Bay; then Rev. Carl Erfurth, Pastor, Hope Lutheran Church, De Pere, who taught Lutheran Confirmation classes from the 1960s to the 1990s; and Rev. Paul Emmel served as Prison Chaplain from 1970 to 2010.
Currently, Rev. Curtis DeCoste, Pastor, Christ of the Bay Lutheran, serves on the Brown County Jail Ministry Board, visits inmates one-on-one, and works with volunteers from other Circuit 19 LCMS churches. Rev. Ted Andrada, Senior Pastor, St. James Lutheran Church, Shawano, serves as one of the Chaplains to employees of the Shawano County Sheriff's Department and to others when called upon in times of distress and/or tragedy.

Michigan

Coordinators:
Pr Randy Johnson

What the district is doing:
The Michigan District has several pastors who are chaplains for State Police, Sheriff's department, Police, and fire. They are attempting to find more pastors to be involved in prison ministry.

Indiana

Coordinators:
Pr Geoffrey Robinson, Pr Phillip Rittner, Pr David Mommens, Pr Jerry Weingarden

What the district is doing:
The Indiana District's Prison Ministry Task Force, comprised of lay and ordained members is to be a resource for District congregations to outreach to the incarcerated, to identify and disseminate best practices in such ministry within the Synod and to use them within the District, and to promote such ministry.
To that end, a preliminary goal of establishing a Word and Sacrament presence in each county correctional facility is being pursued. The district has completed in the Indiana District concerning where Christian services are occurring. One of the task force's pursuits will be to develop, encourage, and facilitate collaborative efforts among congregations to achieve such a goal.
Another focus of the Task Force is to promote effective ways for integrating a released individual who has been impacted by this ministry while incarcerated into a congregation as an active communicant, while assisting them back into civil life

Ohio

Coordinators:
Pr Kevin Jud

What the district is doing:
The Ohio District . . .

Eastern (Western NY, PA except York County, Garrett County MD)

Coordinators:
Michael Raha

What the district is doing:
The Eastern District . . .

Florida-Georgia

Coordinators:
Edward H Du Bosq

What the district is doing:
The Florida-Georgia District holds a weekly Lutheran Bible Study and conduct semi annual Xodus Retreats for inmates getting out within a year and a Kairos retreat for inmates remaining in prison for at least five years. We also conduct weekly prayer and share accountably meetings. The prison chapel is very full with meetings. The District also does promotion with the clergy and teachers of the district.

Southeastern

Coordinators:
Pr Jim Driskell

What the district is doing:
The Southeastern District . . . .

New Jersey

Coordinators:
Pres. Anthony Steinbronn

What the district is doing:
The New Jersey District is working on putting out information about the prison ministry that is going on in the district.

Atlantic

Coordinators:
Pr Adam Wiegand

What the district is doing:
In the Atlantic District, outreach to the incarcerated and correctional officers in prisons and jails is presently conducted at the congregational level: inspired by Jesus' words about visiting those in prison (Matthew 25), Pastors, as well as lay Deacons and members from several district parishes visit nearby correctional facilities to provide pastoral care, Christian fellowship, Bible study and devotions. As is the case with every mission field in the Atlantic District, prison ministry is a field very "ripe for the harvest" - and plans to focus on this ministry are in development.

New England

Coordinators:
Pr Jim Butler

What the district is doing:
The New England District . . . .

Pacific Northwest

Coordinators:
Don Sundene, Lutheran Ministry Services Northwest, Executive Director, Northwest Prison Minister Coordinator

What the district is doing:
The Northwest District is setting up a network of those involved so that we will know who is involved and at what prison and that we can communicate with each, also reaching out for possible volunteers that would be willing to serve throughout the NW. We presently have a LCMS Deaconess serving at the prison in Pendleton, Oregon, LCMS Pastors serving the King County jail in Seattle Wa. Jail in Kenai, AK (Pastor Corby Cross), the Correctional institution in Salem , Oregon (Don Miller, Layman). and Mental institution in Salem Oregon. In addition to all of the facilities listed, Pr Bob Banken, Tacoma , WA. is working with ICE

English District

Coordinators:
Pres. Jamison Hardy

What the district is doing:
The English District . . .

S.E.L.C.

Coordinators:
Pres Waldemar Vinovskis

What the district is doing:
The S.E.L.C. District . . .