GOD'S POWER ON DISPLAY IN TEXAS PRISON

Brandon Warren, Jason's mentor (left), Jason's brother, Jackie (right).

Jason and I were recently at the ISCA conference where I was presenting a paper on Schaeffer's perspective on the historicity of Adam. Yet much to our surprise, our hearts were tweaked by a powerful and significant story that seemed far more important than what we were doing at the given moment.

Jason was interested in sitting in on a workshop on St. Anselm, where a paper was being presented entitled "EPISTEMIC VIRTUE AND THE REASONING PROCESS IN ST. ANSELM OF CANTERBURY" written by a man named Jason Karch. However, we were surprised that the paper was actually to be read by his brother, Jackie, as he was not able to attend because he was serving a life sentence in Texas’ Darrington Penitentiary. Jason Karch is a freshman student at the Darrington Penitentiary Seminary, (privately funded by The Heart of Texas Foundation) which is an extension campus of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Upon exchanging cards with Jason Karch's mentor Brandon Warren, he informed me, "We love Schaeffer in the program." At that moment, I could think of very few more relevant and practical places for world-view training than in a prison! The program has already proven to be transformational as inmates perhaps more than any others can see their need, they have seen the results of a failed world-view and are responding to a call to minister.

What is the end-goal? Well, when they graduate, many of these students who are serving some very long sentences (even life) will travel to other prisons as missionaries! I was moved to tears watching the above video. God loves to use the most unlikely of places to display His glory and transformational power in the lives of people. It could be in unlikely places like high on a Swiss mountain, or in the heart of a prison turning convicts into clergy!

~ Providence!
Dan Guinn