November 25, 2002
Volunteers work this side of prison bars with coffee and doughnuts
___By George Henson
___Staff Writer
___GATESVILLE--When most people think of prison ministry, they think of ministry to inmates and their families.
___That didn't escape the notice of Texas prison employees, who wondered why no one seemed concerned about their needs as well.
___"Being a volunteer chaplain, you get to know some of the officers. Their big complaint was that all these churches have all these things for inmates and their families, but nothing for the officers," explained David Barron, a member of Trinity Baptist Church in Gatesville.
DAVID BARRON gets up early every Wednesday morning to offer free hot coffee and doughnuts from this small trailer to prison employees as they arrive for work or leave for home.
___Barron, who knew several of the guards through church and leading a men's Bible study for inmates, took that question to heart. Now he spends each Wednesday morning in the parking lot of one of Gatesville's dozen prisons. He arrives at 4:30 a.m., so he can be ready with hot coffee and doughnuts for employees reporting to work or heading for home a half hour later.
___"I'm not a morning person either," he confessed. "I dread getting up in the mornings and start dreading it the night before. But every time I get to the prison, I know I'm where I'm supposed to be."
___Truth be told, Barron isn't naturally drawn to be near the prisons at all. "It's just not a pleasant place to be, but when you follow where the Lord leads, he always blesses."
___Barron doesn't go alone, however. Joining him in those parking lots in the early morning hours in all sorts of weather are volunteers from Trinity Baptist, First Baptist, Live Oak Baptist and Pearl Baptist churches, all in Gatesville, and College Avenue Baptist Church in McGregor.
___"It's primarily a coffee-and-doughnut ministry right now. We do have Bibles and tracts that we give to some people, and we do pray with some of the officers from time to time, but I'd like to see it become more," he said. "There's an extremely high divorce rate for the officers, and we'd like to begin some counseling or marriage seminars. Our churches have a lot of officers and, unfortunately, even in our churches we have seen families break up due to difficulties in the prisons."
___The coffee and doughnuts already pay sweet benefits, however.
___"The officers always are very appreciative. They may say, 'I'm in a hurry, I have to go,' but they all say, 'Thank you' and are appreciative," Barron said.
___For some the cup of coffee given in Jesus' name is more important than others.
___"More than 50 percent of the officers don't live in Gatesville--one lives in Georgetown and that coffee helps him make it home. They all are appreciative of a cup of coffee for the road," he explained.
___
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