The Prison Work

Rev. Chimesya - Prison Chaplain

Rev Chimesya and Rev Hoekstra visiting Mkande Prison in Thyolo

Rev. Chimesya has been the full time Prison Chaplain of CCAP Blantyre Synod for the last three years.

Prior to his time as prison chaplain he was minister at the CCAP in Chiradzulu.
Rev Chimesya has a real heart and concern for the physical as well as spiritual needs of the prisoners.

Rev Taylor funeral - funds raised for bibles in prison

Rev H. G. Taylor preaching in the 70's

Former Blantyre Synod minister Rev Howard Taylor had a heart for Malawian prisoners. At his funeral in Glasgow in March 2013 funds were raised for the purchase of bibles for Malawian prisoners. Blantyre Synod Prison Chaplain Rev Chimesya and Mr Douglas Taylor (son) will organise the distribution. Please watch this space for more information.

Friends of the Prison Ministry

CCAP Prison choir at Blantyre Mission to record a CD

The Friends of the Prison Ministry is a group of lay people from various churches who support the work of the prison ministry both practically and financially.

Most ministers have congregations who help and assist the minister and his family in their work. The prison chaplain's 'congregation' are of course unable to visit the minister and his family.

Instead the Friends of the Prison do this work. However, they also raise money for bibles, hymn books and the material needs of the prisoners. They also help with funds for fuel to allow the prison chaplain to visit many far flung prisons within the Southern Region of Malawi.

INTRODUCTION TO THE PRISON MINISTRY:- Rev. Stanley R. Chimesya Phiri, Synod Prison Chaplain

Rev. Chimesya

For many years, the Blantyre Synod of the C.C.A.P. recognised the importance of creating this special ministry of the people who are in the crises like the inmates/ prisoners in order to fulfil the call of Jesus in Matthew 25 where he said I was sick, a stranger, naked, hungry, thirsty, prisoner, so the prisons are full of these people therefore the ministry is there in the prisons to serve these people who are in crises by comforting, encouraging, supporting them spiritually, morally, psychologically, materially etc.

However, there was no full time Chaplain for the prisons and ministers were involved only on a part-time basis. In 2008, the Synod instituted a full time Chaplain to the prisons in order to take care of them in their spiritual and physical needs, following this ministry many inmates in various prisons have really given their lives to Jesus, life in prisons have changed with less escapees, fights, thefts, indiscipline and misconducts because of the approach we undertake to them as we do not condemn them as sinners no but most loved by God. Many spiritual activities are being done in the prisons like Choirs, dramas, overwhelming testimonies etc.

I am the second full time Chaplain to prisons. On behalf of the Synod, I would like to thank the prison officials for their continued support whenever I need them, most especially in accepting the choir groups from the prison cells to gather and worship with members of the public in various churches am so grateful to them that they continue working hard in hard with faith based groups in the spiritual transformation of the prisoners in the country prisons.

SCRIPTURE RECITAL PROJECT:

This year the Bible Society of Malawi has introduced a National Scripture Recital Extravaganza Project for all its member churches. The focus is on encouraging members to study and memorise the Bible verses for their spiritual enrichment. Members have been asked to memorise 300 Bible words. The project has also been extended to prison inmates to be championed by Blantyre Synod Prison Ministries. Following a very fruitful meeting I held with the Prison officials at the H/Q in Zomba in the month of April 2011, the Department of the Prisons welcomed the Project and promised to introduce it to all prisons. They asked Blantyre Synod to be part of the team who will be visiting the prisons to encourage the inmates to participate fully to allow them to win all prizes set for the project. Already the activities has taken its course especially at Chichiri Prison where three inmates have memorised 600 to 1,500 words from the Bible both in Chichewa and English. Very shortly upon availability of funds I intend to visit 13 prisons where I want to encourage more inmates to join the bandwagon.

News - Bibles and Hymn Books Distributed Around the Prisons

Makande Farm Prison in Thyolo District

A joint effort between Blantyre Synod, the CCAP Friends of the Prison Ministry, the Prison Chaplain, an individual well-wisher and St Columba CCAP has resulted in 180 bibles and 150 hymn books being distributed around six prisons. Although this recent distribution was completed on 28th June 2012, the fundraising and distribution is a continuous process. St Columba congregation donated 184,000 Mk and an individual supporter donated 170 bibles. Altogether six prisons benefitted from this work. Depending on the numbers of inmates in cells, between five and twenty bibles were donated to each cell. A single leader within each cell, who has been trained in bible study and related activities, is responsible for the use of the bibles. The prisons visited were Bvumbwe, Makande and Thyolo prisons (all in Thyolo district), Luwani prison in Neno district and Mwanza and Mulanje prisons. The 'Friends of the Prison Ministry' provided a car and funds for fuel, Blantyre Synod provided funds for the fuel to get to Mulanje prison.

In addition to the spiritual needs of the prisoners the Prison Ministry is deeply involved in providing for the physical needs of prisoners.

CCAP - THE PRISON CHAPLAINCY DEPARTMENT
Rev. Stanley R. Chimesya Phiri, Prison Chaplain

The prison chaplaincy department under Blantyre Synod is carrying a lot of activities in the 19 prisons and two juvenile centres namely Mpemba Boys and Chilwa Approved, some of the work I carry in these places are:-

Moral and spiritual counselling to both male and female inmates, the old and the youth.
Assisting inmates to pursue their legal matters by directing them to Para Legal Offices.
Cheering the sick inmates in the hospital where they have been admitted and in the prison cells.
Organising church groups to visit the prisons of their choice in order to offer materials and give words of encouragement and love of God to them.
Conducting and leading regular church activities on Sunday, bringing the inmates closer to the Lord Jesus.
Conducting weekly Bible studies sessions for their spiritual growth while in the prisons.
Conducting Holy Communion sessions and Baptisms to the repentant inmates.
Donating second hand clothes, medicines, beddings, Bibles and other things through well wishers and members of Friends of Prisons.
And others.

BIBLE STUDY ACTIVITIES IN THE PRISONS:
Since last year the Blantyre Synod Prison Ministry involved itself with a group known as FRIENDS OF PRISONS BLANTYRE SYNOD. A programme of Bible Study Sessions in the prisons was launched, especially in the Southern and Eastern Regions of Malawi where there are 19 prisons. The project has successfully been completed in all prisons with funds both from Synod and members of the Friends of Prisons. Friends of the Prisons are always supporting the ministry by making monthly contributions. Thanks should be given to them and the GIDEONS INTERNATIONAL for their donations of the New Testament Bible Version to each inmate and Officers in all visited Prisons. The Bible studies and Bibles are helping them to deepen their spiritual life, growth and relationship with God, hence making them to leave a positive life to their own and their fellow friends, they are so encouraged when sharing the massage from the Holy Book as they see God as a Caring, Forgiving and Loving GOD.

The Prison Chaplaincy work covers all of the prisons in Malawi's Southern Region including:

Chichiri Maximum Security Prison, Blantyre
Zomba Prison
Chikwawa Prison
Mwanza Prison
Nsanje Prison
Makande Open (and Farm) Prison

Visit to Farm Prison (open prison)

We visited Dr Kim (pictured second from the right) who is working at a prison which is also a farm. Dr Kim is from South Korea and there is a very interesting agriculture and prison joint venture between the Malawi Prison Service and a Korean charitable organisation called 'Crops of Love'. We arrived at the prison (not an office as I had expected) with a nice view of a river flowing past and beyond some new school buildings. "Those were built with money raised from the sale of crops" is something like what I thought Rev Chimesya said.

(Pictured: Rev Chimesya - second from the left, Dr Kim of Crops of Love - second from the right and Douglas Taylor - on the right - who helps with the prison work and as a communication officer for the Synod.)

PROJECT PROPOSAL RESPONSE:

Following a huge prison work of reaching the inmates in various prisons a Project Proposal asking for an assistance of funds to procure a second hand twin cab vehicle was written and sent to some well wishers in Canada (International Ministries Of Presbyterian Church Of Canada). They were touched by the work which Blantyre Synod are carrying out in the prisons and sent us 8.3 thousand USD to purchase a vehicle. We bought a NISSAN DOUBLE CABIN. I thank the International Ministries of Presbyterian Church of Canada through Ron Wallace for supporting the ministry of Prisons in the country. The vehicle has already started easing the communication and travel problems I have been facing for more than two years. The only challenge will be probably funds for gasoline (Petrol) and maintenance.
(In the picture Rev. Chimesya and Rev Ed Hoekstra that served with Blantyre Synod until 2011 and has been a great supporter of the prison work.)

PRISON CHOIR GROUP SONGS RECORDING:

The Chichiri prison choir, wholly composed of serving inmates has recorded stimulating and touching spiritual songs. The group has so far sung in the two large congregations of St. Columba C.C.A.P. and St. Michael and All Angels in the city of Blantyre. Requests to have the choir go out for the recording are underway to prison authorities. Well wishers are invited to support this move and project through the purchase of the cds. Revenue raised will be use to restructure the shelter used for worship and other spiritual activities, to buy bibles, hymn books, chairs and support programmes for inmates who are financially handicapped when they leave prison. (Pictured: The Chichiri prison choir with Rev. Chimesya - in green top - and Rev. Ed Hoekstra from Canada.)

Matthew Ch 25 v 31 - 46

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”