Prison Chaplaincy Built from Tragedy into Triumph
8/27/04

Right: Chaplain Carol Johnson

Chaplain Carol Johnson’s ministry as a jail and prison chaplain comes from an unbearable pain – that of a parent who has lost a child. As Carol tells her story, one can see how the love of our Lord Jesus Christ has made possible “beauty from ashes.” Beauty From Ashes is Carol’s story of the tragic death of her 32-year-old daughter, Tami, and how God took this unendurable tragedy and made from these ashes, a beautiful ministry.

Tami was murdered by her boyfriend and he was eventually convicted and sent to prison. During the ordeal of a trial and through the heartbreak of losing her daughter, God spoke to Carol, calling her into the ministry as a jail and prison chaplain. She resisted, even while knowing that God was calling her. Her anger and pain were still too great, but God broke through that pain. In her own words, Carol answered the Lord, saying, “All right God, I will go, but you will have to do the work through me because I don’t have anything to give.”

Since that encounter with God, Chaplain Johnson has carried out an awesome ministry behind jail and prison bars … reaching out to those who have been locked away by society for every crime imaginable. Carol knows that Christ gave his life for all and that no one who accepts Him will be turned away. In one of the most dramatic and emotionally draining encounters one could experience, Carol came face-to-face with the murderer of her daughter. This incredible meeting came after seemingly endless discussions and legal proceedings. To complete her own healing, Carol knew she had to face this man and tell him that she had forgiven him, that Jesus loved him, and that she was praying for him. She did this very thing and since that day, God has blessed her ministry even more.

Countless lives have been turned around for Christ through her ministry. Carol brings the message of hope and salvation to men who every day remind her of the heartbreak she must live with. Nevertheless, she knows that God’s grace is always sufficient and that He never places more on her than she can endure. There is no doubt of the love she brings inside these places of bars and armed guards. Inmates respond to the hope and love of Christ that show through her ministry. Like her fellow chaplains in jails and prisons across this nation, Carol lives out the Scripture that calls us to “proclaim liberty to the captives” as they are set free through Jesus Christ.

Carol’s home church is the New Life Fellowship Church of God in Longview, Washington. Reverend Charles Fischer is the pastor. They will be hosting the 5-day intensive Basic Chaplaincy Training Seminar presented by the Church of God Chaplains Commission. The seminar dates are October 11-15.

Law Enforcement Chaplaincy Continues to Expand
8/18/04

Right: Knox County (TN) Law Enforcement Chaplains.

One of the fastest growing areas of volunteer chaplaincy service is that of Law Enforcement chaplaincy. Already one of our strongest areas of chaplaincy, more and more Church of God pastors are taking their ministry directly to the men and women who serve daily to protect our lives and property – law enforcement personnel.

Chaplain Jerry Cox of Knoxville, Tennessee, a former police officer himself, outlines the need for ministry in this area quite clearly. “Law enforcement officers work in one of the most stressful and dangerous occupations imaginable,” states Chaplain Cox. “They work under the constant eye of public scrutiny, they are expected to make errorless, split-second life and death decisions, and they are mission-driven to make things right. They need a chaplain to help keep their lives on an even keel.”

Chaplain Cox and Chaplain Gerald McGinnis work with the Knox County Sheriff’s Department in one of the most progressive law enforcement chaplaincy programs in our country. They conduct a comprehensive training program that equips ministers to effectively serve in this critically needed area. Cox and McGinnis are also certified in traumatology and bring this needed expertise into their training. In Knoxville and in surrounding counties, more than 150 trained and qualified ministers serve the various city and county law enforcement agencies. Over 40 of these chaplains are Church of God ministers. Much larger metropolitan areas do not have anything near these kinds of numbers.

Our chaplains find out very quickly that one does not immediately gain the trust and respect of those who wear the blue uniform of a law enforcement officer – a chaplain must earn it. But when chaplains earn their way across that “blue line” of the law enforcement world, they are accepted as part of a very elite team and well able to minister in one of the most challenging and personally rewarding ministries one could possibly imagine. The opportunities to serve are unlimited and Church of God chaplains are truly at the forefront this much needed and most special kind of ministry.

Hospital Chaplain, W. W. Broadus, Passes Away

Hospital Chaplain W. W. Broadus of Talladega, Alabama, passed away on January 6, 2004, following a lengthy illness. Funeral services were held on January 7 at the Cherry Street Church of God in Talladega with Pastor Charley M. Bolt officiating. Special speakers included Reverend Joseph Mirkovich, Church of God Administrative Bishop for Alabama, and Reverend Wayne Roberson, Church of God Chaplains Commission. Place of interment is Mobile Memorial Gardens.

Chaplain Broadus was founder and pastor of Speedway Ministries in Talladega. He served as chaplain with the Citizens Baptist Medical Center in Talladega and the Baptist Health Care System in Birmingham. Chaplain Broadus also served as a minister with the Jimmy Hale Mission in Birmingham. In 2000, he was honored as the Baptist Hospital’s Man of the Year and received the hospital’s Mission Award. He was certified as an endorsed chaplain with the Church of God Chaplains Commission. Chaplain Broadus will be remembered for his dedicated ministry, his deep passion for those hospitalized and for his countless acts of kindness that touched hundreds of lives for Christ.

Chaplain Broadus was preceded in death by his parents, Stephen F. and Althea Tippins Broadus. He is survived by his wife, LaWanda, one daughter, Susie Lee of Mobile, AL; four sons, Billy Broadus and Will Broadus of Mobile, Rick Broadus of Atlanta, and, Steve Broadus of Gulfport, MS; two stepsons, Kris Tribble of Birmingham and Wes Tribble of Anchorage, AK; two sisters, Dolly McCrary and Judy Sande of Mobile; one brother, Gene Broadus of Fairhope, AL; and, 13 grandchildren.

Law Enforcement Chaplain Credited with Assistance in Capture of Kidnapper
19 December 2003

"I knew after watching the actions of this family for a couple of minutes, that something was wrong," said Law Enforcement Chaplain Ron Countryman, from Big Timber, Montana. Chaplain Countryman was shopping in a large store in Bozeman when he observed a woman with three children. She was having difficulty with who appeared to be the husband and father. "I sensed that there were some big problems with this family, so I watched from a nearby isle while pretending to be shopping," he stated. "The woman was obviously intimidated by the man and as I looked closer, I could see that she had two black eyes, scratches on her face and that she limped. She was quite fearful of the man."

Chaplain Countryman then followed the family as they left the store and went out into the parking lot. After they got into their vehicle, he observed what appeared to be another altercation between the man and the woman. Ron wrote down the license plate number and called the Gallatin County Sheriff's Department. As it turned out, the vehicle was reported as stolen and the man was wanted in Colorado for the kidnapping of his estranged wife and her three children. An Amber Alert was initiated and law enforcement officials went into action. It was not long afterwards that the man was taken into custody by officers from the Sheriff's Department.

The Gallatin County Sheriff gave high praise and credit to Chaplain Countryman for his alert actions that led to the apprehension of the abductor. Such actions, as in this particular case, are reflective of the commitment and dedication of the many Church of God law enforcement chaplains now serving across the country. Dr. Robert Crick, Director of the Chaplains Commission, comments, "Our law enforcement chaplains, such as Ron Countryman, are as dedicated and highly qualified as any group of professional chaplains - we are grateful for their ministry to those who serve and protect the citizens of our nation."

Ron Padgett Goes to Be With the Lord
28 November 2003

The longest-serving Church of God prison chaplain, Ronald M. Padgett, went to be with the Lord on November 28 following a lengthy struggle with cancer. Chaplain Padgett was buried in his hometown of Leesburg, Florida. Funeral services were held at the Leesburg-South Church of God with Dr. Robert Crick, Director of the Chaplains Commission, and Reverend Alton Coleman, Senior Pastor of the Leesburg church, officiating. A special memorial service was also held at the Parchman State Penitentiary in Mississippi.

Chaplain Padgett began his ministry work in Cleveland while attending Lee College and it was in correctional chaplaincy service that his calling was fulfilled. His first official appointment into prison chaplaincy service was in 1973 in Florida. In 1977, he went to Parchman in Mississippi. At that time, he was the only full-time Church of God prison chaplain. In 1984, he was appointed as Director of Chaplaincy Services at Parchman, one of the largest prison systems in the country. He directed the religious and spiritual needs of some 6,000 inmates along with prison staff and families. In 1994, he was promoted to the position of Director of Religious Programs for the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Under his faithful and dedicated leadership, chaplains and hundreds of volunteer workers from many and diverse denominations and faith groups worked together to provide support to 7 state correctional institutions and 24 work centers.

Over the course of his chaplaincy ministry, Chaplain Padgett was the recipient of numerous awards and honors. He was twice recognized as the Mississippi Department of Corrections Employee of the Year and in 1982, received the Chaplains Commission Distinguished Chaplain's Award. In 1998, he was honored by the Bill Glass Ministries for his dedicated service in correctional chaplaincy. Ron served on the Chaplains Commission Board of Directors and was a member of several professional ministry and chaplaincy associations, to include the Corrections Chaplains Association and the American Protestant Chaplains Association.

Ron remained at Parchman until he retired in 1998. One of his most treasured contributions while at Parchman was his work in overseeing the construction of the $1 million Spiritual Life Center. He was in fact, the general contractor for this major project and he led the effort to secure grants from numerous foundations and spoke at churches and organizations throughout Mississippi in order to raise the funds to build this outstanding chaplaincy facility. The Spiritual Life Center is but one part of the legacy of this dedicated man of God -- a legacy of countless lives changed through his faithful ministry and service to our Lord.

Chaplain Padgett's wife and partner in ministry, Laverne, preceded him in death. Ron is survived by his two daughters, Cynthia Brock and Kathy Cunningham, their families, children and grandchildren.