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When Jesus walked this earth, He showed His love to those around Him in revolutionary ways. He touched the unclean, He forgave the condemned and He loved the unlovable. Today, ordinary people like you and me are reaching out with the same kind of revolutionary love to the helpless, the hopeless and the lost. The Philadelphians are a great example of “Love Revolutionaries”.

The Philadelphians are based out of Knoxville, Tennessee and they have been in prison ministry for almost thirty years. Their website at http://jesusinprison.publishpath.com/about says, “The Philadelphians Prison Ministries is about prospecting and changing hearts of criminals through the power and love of Jesus. The goal is to change the way a criminal thinks by introducing him to new ways of dealing and thinking!” SGM Radio recently caught up with Cathy Root who has been with the ministry since its inception.

“We were a home Bible study group,” explains Cathy. “Two of us began going into Knox County Jail, going cell by cell.   Chapel services soon opened up.   No piano, so we began with the music through guitar.  There were no songbooks.   Since, to our shock, most of the men were illiterate, we began to search scriptures and put them to music. In this way they could learn scripture and participate.”

Cathy continues, “We began this in 1980 and since there were so many needs of the prisoners, we contacted the IRS for help to become a non-profit, tax-deductible ministry.  Step by step we got all papers together and in 1981 became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our only resource is private donations and some small grants.”

Prison ministry is one of those activities that a lot of Christians avoid, often because of fear. “There is nothing to fear from the inmates,” says Cathy, “When you are there, there are those who would never allow anything to happen to you.” She continues, “There is a need for spirit-filled, called persons to volunteer.   It begins with the chaplain, or contact with ministries such as ours.   We are in dire need of volunteers but we want them to feel called.”

The greatest challenge of this type of ministry, says Cathy, is “letting them know we love them and so does God; and gaining their trust.” The prison ministry is a program with three parts: first, there are weekly Bible studies and worship services that allow inmates to grow in their knowledge of God. Secondly, there is a ‘Help’ program in small-group format, teaching inmates Christian values while they deal with everyday problems. The third part of the outreach is the ‘Help House’ Supportive Transitional Housing. This assists ex-offenders into a new way of living with strong Christian guidance. It is a holistic approach addressing outward behavior and appearance as well as social skills and personal needs.

 “We try to keep God's Word exciting, so exciting that they really desire to get in and find out for themselves everything that God says,” says Cathy. “As long as they keep an interest in the Lord and stay in the Bible, they will grow spiritually and that is our goal.

It is absolutely necessary that they be spiritually prepared before being released.”

“We hope to change their way of thinking while they are still in prison and that begins with Jesus. It is difficult for all offenders to have an easy adjustment once they are released from prison.  Those who have children are responsible for child support, which has accrued during incarceration as well as new assessment. The majority do not have a car and are therefore limited to jobs.   Without a strong support system which is Christian-based, they will be unsuccessful in their newly acquired freedom.”

We asked Cathy to share some stories about the people she has worked with. “‘Pat’ had something most ex-felons do not have: self discipline. He wanted to improve himself in every way after the first month at Help House. We tested him, counseled him and discovered that he could go to college. He was limited, since he received a GED in prison and had not been exposed to subjects such as history, algebra, etc.  We put him in the junior college atmosphere to become an engineer. We realized he was having difficulties with the curriculum, so we discovered his interest in computers, and switched majors. He then graduated from the junior college and enrolled at the University of Tennessee.”

“He now works for the university and is their trouble shooter. His expertise will blow you away. He helps us with our sound equipment when we go into one prison, and he is always available to help us with our computers, whether personal or ministry-owned. He trouble shoots always and is still very grateful. His wife has her Masters in music and they now have a three-month-old son. It all began at Help House.”

“Another story is about Ross who hired two people to murder his wife,” says Cathy. “He is very well educated and has a Masters degree in business.  After coming to prison and being filled with anger, hatred and bitterness, he became very anti-social and remained hardened in his heart.”

Cathy continues, “Today, he is extremely warm and loving. He is always praising God and talking with many inmates about Jesus and what He did for him.  He knows he will never get out of prison so his life is dedicated to the Lord while he is in prison. The inmates love him and he loves them all. He knows he is where God has placed him and his living faith demonstrates the power of God to change lives. He is a living word.”

A major part of the prison ministry is the transitional supportive housing. Cathy explains this ministry and its effect on the lives that are transformed. “We began Help House because so many inmates would be paroled and then later return to prison,” says Cathy.  “Help House is small; it only has a capacity for seven men.”

Cathy continues, “It is a home-like environment. We would like the opportunity to turn Help House into a larger place with a full-time staff, social worker, educator and job-placement service. Help House is God's house and the fact that we all have an interest in each guy who lives here and they feel special, makes a difference.”

In the midst of all of this practical, hands-on serving of those the Lord has called them to reach, the Philadelphians also find time to make music. “The music which we sing is primarily contemporary and our main thrust is worship. We still write scripture music;  when we find a scripture we feel God wants them to learn, we put it to music. We believe in a holy God and try to emphasize upon the men the real meaning of God's holiness and the need to worship and praise Him. They love it.”

Cathy continues, “It is our music which has made us unique. The response is fantastic! Some gang members at one prison attend our services and participate with us in the music. Our group consists of a drummer, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboard player, who all bring vocals to assist the song leader.  The Holy Spirit really moves during the music. The music demonstrates His love as He embraces the men.” The website mentioned earlier offers two CD’s by “CJ and the Philadelphians”. For those who love worship music that is not only well sung and performed but lifts the soul right to the throne, this is music you must hear.

The Philadelphians are ordinary people with families to support and bills to pay. Cathy says, “We are a tax-deductible ministry and trust God to provide. There have been times when we barely had enough money to pay the gas and visit prisons, but God sustained us.  For years, we never missed a weekend and we spent holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas in the prisons.  We would celebrate our holidays another day. This demonstrated to them our love and commitment. We won’t be able to do this any more, unless we can find some volunteers to help us.”

If you are interested in helping the Philadelphians or another prison ministry, consider contacting the prison directly and they may put you in touch with ministries already serving their facility. Your local church or Christian mission in the same city as you live is also a good resource.

After 20 years in ministry, the goal of the Philadelphians remains the same: to reach out to those that society would rather forget. Their challenge is something many ministries and social services face, surviving through weak economic times. Cathy says, “Our biggest challenge this year is finding the funds that we need to continue. Funds to provide a better functioning ministry, newer bus, enlargement of our programs, increase in the number of prisons visited and expansion of Help House.”

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me.'

The Philadelphians combine their love for music, the Word of God and the people they serve, with faith in a God that can transform lives. They are truly Love Revolutionaries and they do it for the King.