Blog

Dr. Claudette Rodney, our Central Region Supervising Chaplain (and Chaplain at Beaumont Correctional Center) and Chaplain Lisa Brown (Haynesville Correctional Center & Haynesville Corr. Unit) recently went on another of their famous road trips – this time to Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Rodney was the recipient of the “Unparalleled Commitment” Award from the Women’s Health & Wellness Ministry. This ceremony was done by her denomination, The House of the Lord Church.  What an honor!  Congratulations to this committed woman of God!

Dillwyn Correctional Center The way I became a part of the GraceInside Family was:When I was in high school, most of the kids I hung out with knew I would end up in prison. God knew I would, too, but as a Chaplain.  Glory to God! My deepest thanks to Rev. Cecil McFarland, who saw something in me, something that I didn’t know I had.  He saw that I had the capacity to love and not judge. My “most positive

From July 19-21, 2023, Chaplain Jerusha Moses (Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women) was invited to speak at the Missions Connection Celebration (MC2). This Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia (WMUV) / Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) summer conference is held annually at Eagle Eyrie Conference Center (Lynchburg, VA).  It includes hands-on missions projects for all ages, worship, fellowship, and dialogue with missionaries.  As one of the Camp Missionaries, Chaplain Moses led 8 workshops for children, youth, and adults, teaching them about God’s unconditional love and grace, extended to

Baptist Chaplaincy Relations (BCR) is a partnership between Texas Baptists and Virginia Baptists.  BCR exists to endorse various types of Chaplains and to offer ongoing training and support.  They have blessed GraceInside greatly in recent years (especially during the pandemic, with two internet-based, streaming training conferences).   Each year this group offers on training conference in Texas and one here at the BGAV Building (where GraceInside’s Central Office is located) in Henrico, VA.  GraceInside is always invited to participate.  Last

Huguenot Road Baptist Church (Richmond, VA) recently conducted a 7-week series of lectures/talks on structural racism in the metropolitan Richmond area.  The sessions covered a number of important social justice issues that Christians need to be concerned about and to take action on.  Former GraceInside Board Member Elwanda Cornelius gave a talk on January 4, 2023 about corrections, race, forgiveness, freedom, hope and redemption.  Elwanda and her husband David served for many years as Baptist missionaries.  Later she worked as

Coffeewood Correctional Center “I’ve been a Chaplain at Coffeewood Correctional Center (near Culpeper, VA) through GraceInside, Virginia’s Prison Chaplain Service, for five years. For me, the most sacred part of being a Chaplain is serving Communion. ‘Every time we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He returns.’ That cultivates HOPE. Not everybody in prison shares that hope, but there is a palpable joy for those who do. You almost forget you’re in prison—because

Greensville Correctional Center, S-2 “My first full-time appointment as a Methodist pastor was in a small rural town.  I served the church there for four years.  Unfortunately, when my time for re-appointment came, only a part-time pastor position was available.  That meant I was back to being a bi-vocational pastor (serving a church part-time and possibly working a secular job also).  As I prepared to move to my next church appointment, my District Superintendent, knowing I needed a part-time job as well as

Rev. Dr. Valerie Carter Smith, Director of the Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia (WMUV) invited Rev. Lois Carter (GraceInside’s Outreach & Community Relations Manager) to speak with her at Shalom Baptist Church in Mechanicsville, VA on November 28, 2022.  Rev. Valerie spoke about human trafficking and how important it is to her to serve the women on Jefferson Davis Highway that are trapped in this modern-day version of slavery. Rev. Valerie’s mission is to be out on the battlefield, assisting