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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

What a homecoming for GraceInside’s Chaplains and Staff!!! Due to the pandemic, it had been almost three years since the last Annual Chaplains Training Retreat. This 3-day retreat was at the Roslyn Retreat Center off of River Road in Richmond, VA on Wednesday-Friday, November 2-4, 2023. As usual, we had a wonderful mix of practical skills training, spiritual growth/worship and fellowship time. We had Melissa Welch (our DOC Contract Administrator) and Bernie Morris (Religious Advisor to GraceInside and to the

It is always exciting and more “real” when an actual Chaplain – a person that serves “in the trenches” can speak at a church or event about GraceInside and about what our Chaplains do.  One such individual that stays very busy speaking at churches and events around the Commonwealth is Chaplain Nick Meyer (Coffeewood Correctional Center).  On October 30, 2022, Chaplain Nick spoke at the Charlottesville Mennonite Church.  After that, Nick served as guest speaker for the Roanoke Valley Baptist

During the weekend of October 22, 2022, Chaplain Darrell Hunley and and the Kairos Team at Pocahontas State Correctional Center offered the traditional “open mic” segment of the Kairos Closing to the inmate program participants/graduates.  The Holy Spirit moved in a powerful way, helping 16 inmates to express how God had moved in their lives during this weekend experience. Chaplain Hunley said, “I’m still amazed at how the Holy Spirit moves, and I pray that this amazement never ends!” Following