Cathy recently interviewed our colleague Jarret Keith, a formerly incarcerated TUMI graduate, who has started a wonderful ministry called Testimony Ministries, which provides Christ-centered reentry services to those who have been incarcerated in California.
Cathy: We know that prisoners are leading others to Christ who come from Muslim and other backgrounds. Can you share a story about someone who came to the Lord through the brothers on the inside?
Jarret: Being incarcerated, you live in a community with all kinds of different people. It's a very diverse community not only with ethnicity but with religion, age, and different cultural upbringings. Because the prison community is so small, the Christian brothers interact with all different people in the workplace, on the recreation yard, in different education or self-help groups.
One particular individual was raised in Buddhist tradition. He was blessed to be befriended by the Christian brothers. Over years of being in this facility, different brothers shared books with him, shared their testimonies, and invited him to different events that the church was holding. Over a course of that time through seeing Christian men leading positive programs, reaching out to him to be a friend to him, and to support him, he came to know Jesus Christ as his savior. This individual is now home and he is continuing to fellowship with the saints; he's continuing to pursue his faith in the community now that he is free, and he loves the Lord and he shares his testimony unashamedly.
Cathy: We're always saying that TUMI grads are amazing cross-cultural evangelists when they're released and offer great potential for the Kingdom. Can you give me an example of someone that illustrates that (besides yourself, of course).
Jarret: I think the amazing thing about TUMI graduates is that they're equipped to have deep conversations with individuals about faith, about spirituality, about history connected to those theological traditions and practices. But ultimately, their lived experience of being incarcerated equips them to interact with diverse communities and populations that most people would not have the opportunity to interact with on such a widespread scale.
TUMI students not only have the theological equipping, they also have the spiritual character that people are attracted to, i.e. Christ showing through their life. And then they have this lived experience to be able to engage with people from all different walks of life in a very powerful and whimsical way.
Cathy: That's great, thanks so much for helping us today.
Jarret: Thanks Cathy, I appreciate you welcoming me to be a part of this conversation and the work you're doing at Completion Global.
Contact Jarret at https://testimonyministries.org/ or jarret@testimonyministries.org
Comments