May 12, 2003

Hospitality home now planned for victims' families
___By John Hall
___Texas Baptist Communications
___AUSTIN--The Baptist General Convention of Texas, in partnership with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice victim services unit, plans to launch the nation's first victim hospitality house and memorial facility in a year.
___Convention staff are refining the details of the operation but are looking to purchase and remodel a private home or build a new facility in Huntsville.
___Jim Young, director of the BGCT Center for Community Ministries, envisions the facility as a protected environment for victims who come to witness the executions of those convicted of crimes against their loved ones or for victims of other crimes to engage in mediation.
___He announced the plans at the recent Texas Crime Victim Clearinghouse conference in Austin.
___Victims and family members of crime victims would be able to stay at the home free of charge and would be protected from the media, Young hopes. Trained counselors would be available to minister to the visitors.
___Young believes the house also will serve as a training center for counselors who wish to better minister to victims of violent crimes like assault and rape. He would like to see multiple denominations become involved in the effort.
___Plans include the only memorial for crime victims in the state. The form of that memorial has not yet been determined, but it may be a prayer garden, Young said.
___The house will be the only facility of its kind in the United States. It would serve 70,000 victims registered at the Texas Crime Victim Clearinghouse alone, according to Raven Kazen, director of victim services with TDJC. She believes that number could easily be quadrupled to cover the unregistered victims.
___Texas Baptists pioneered the creation of hospitality houses for families of inmates 17 years ago. Today, 15 hospitality houses operate around the state.
___The victims' hospitality house would be similar to that effort, Young said, but would serve people on the other side of the equation.
___While the initial plan calls for one facility, he anticipates multiple outreaches inside and outside the state.
___Kazen, who once was a victim of assault and rape, called the plan "an answer to a prayer." She described asking herself why she was attacked and not finding a satisfactory answer. Although she was a Christian, she became dissatisfied with her faith quickly in the aftermath of the incident, she said.
___The emotional pain continued to build until she let Jesus work in her life, Kazen said. Now wholly satisfied with her faith, she believes the tribulation prepared her to help other victims in her job. She believes the proposed ministry will be a great help to the hurting.
___"There's only one cure for that kind of hurt, and that's the healing presence of Jesus Christ," she said. "Victim and offender ministry is addressing the same need. And that need is Christ."
___The home will bring the hope of Christ to many victims' lives, Young predicted, explaining it represents another way Texas Baptists are working to "be the presence of the Christ in the world."
___"We don't know all that's going to happen," he concluded. "But we know we're on the right track."

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