October 7, 2002

Huntsville church breaks barriers
___By John Hall
___Texas Baptist Communications
___HUNTSVILLE--According to an old saying, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. In Huntsville, a good meal helped a church but also developed a ministry in the heart of the state's criminal justice system.
___In June, First Baptist Church of Huntsville members and officials from the "Walls" prison unit feasted on a prize steer purchased by the church in early April for $15,000. The meal served as a starting point for a relationship that has satisfied both parties.
___The church began the "First Contact" ministry recently to aid more than 30,000 inmates released each year from the Huntsville prison. All male inmates in the Texas prison system are released through the Walls Unit, regardless of where they have been incarcerated.
___Although the chances of an inmate returning to prison are significantly lower if they are connected with a church, less than 2.5 percent of released inmates find a congregation to help them, noted David Valentine, pastor of First Baptist Church. Church volunteers began by meeting with the families of released prisoners to help them readjust.
___But helping the families was not enough for the church, Valentine said. Once the prison officials saw the church was serious about a continuous ministry at the institution, congregation members were allowed to meet with inmates on a voluntary basis the night before their release. During this meeting the volunteers give information about churches around the state and support groups available.
___"We want to affirm them," Valentine said. "We want them to know there are people out there who want to help them, who want them to succeed."
___The Huntsville church also has continued serving Texas Department of Criminal Justice employees, giving them sodas, bottled water and animal crackers on a weekly basis. The church and prison workers have built trust between the two groups, and prison officials call the church to minister to individuals in special circumstances.
___The penitentiary workers also have inspired the church, Valentine said. With positive response from the Huntsville Unit, the church began to serve the Gib Lewis and Goree Units as well. The officers they have interacted with there have added energy to the church, he said.
___"We're watching officers getting pumped up," Valentine said. "It's given our church a sense of mission."

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