By Jimmy Potts,
Record Managing Editor
Missouri Department of Corrections Director George A. Lombardi recently honored College United Methodist Church in Warrenton with the Friendship Award following a six-year effort to minister to the incarcerated.The church’s prison ministry was the idea of Elaine Auch, the wife of Warrenton City Alderman Gary Auch, who began the church’s prison ministry program after seeing an article on prison penpal programs in a Methodist newspaper.“I started to throw it away, but I opened it up and saw an article about needing penpals in the prison industry. I thought, somebody from church might be interested.”Auch began exchanging letters with prisoners and soon things spiraled into College United Methodist Church creating a prisoner ministering program.“We have 13 people who we write to and 11 people writing letters. That’s great,” Auch said.“During all of the major holidays, we lay cards on the table and everyone signs them. Many of those guys tell me that is the only card they ever got,” she said.“A lot of them became Christian when they were in prison so they don’t know what it’s like to be in a church and have a church family. It means so much to them because a lot of them do not have families.”Auch said word of the church’s penpal efforts eventually spread to Missouri Department of Probation and Parole, that asked if the church would provide re-entry kits for released prisoners, which provided them with basic toiletries in order to gain employment.“I said ‘we’re Methodists and we’re great at making kits,’ ” Auch said. “We have all kinds of items: deodorant, shampoo, socks, a Bible, all of those things go into a re-entry kit ... We did 72 last spring and we have done it every year for the last four years. We do it at Easter because that is the time that we talk about forgiveness.”Lombardi said the church providing re-entry kits is not only a great goodwill gesture, but also prevents crime in the future.“You go way beyond what I’ve ever heard in regards to helping out ex offenders . . . If every church, synagogue or mosque would take on one family or one ex offender, then we would make tremendous inroads in recidivism.”College United Pastor Eric Schmidt said prison ministry is not for the faint of heart, which is why very few churches do it, but he is proud of his congregation for their courageous efforts.“God loves everyone who is behind bars and we know God calls us to reach out to them,” he said. “This is a risk-taking ministry. It’s not easy. That is why only 5 percent of churches do it (prison ministry). We open our doors and welcome all people. We welcome people who have been in prison to come here and turn their lives around.”College United Methodist Pastor Eric Schmidt, left, accepts the Friendship Award from Missouri Department of Corrections Director George Lombardi. Jana Todd photo.
