By Chaplain Nick Meyer
Executive Director, GraceInside
Our team of chaplains gathered at the Richmond Hill Retreat Center from October 29–31 for our annual retreat. I think it’s safe to say that we all experienced the retreat as a vital time of renewal, professional development, and rich fellowship. My hope was that the chaplains would come away with either a greater sense of cohesion, encouragement, or hopefully, both!
Renewal and remembance
We mostly followed a familiar pattern, grounding our time in daily worship, small-group discussions, a workshop, and hearing testimonies. Henri Nouwen’s book “In the Name of Jesus” served as an important resource for one of the small-group discussions.
One highlight, which is always deeply moving, is our annual tradition of “Reading of the Names.” We read aloud the names of those who passed away while incarcerated since our last retreat. This year, we were sobered to include two of our own among those who are no longer with us: Chaplain Lynn Robinson and Religious Advisor Bernie Morris. We miss them. They embodied excellence and genuine passion for their work, and they left a massive hole in our team.
Another powerful highlight was our Commissioning Service. We formally commissioned 7 of our recently appointed chaplains, and held a time of anointing and recommissioning for many others.
We remember Jesus’ words: “I was in prison, and you came to me.” We were reminded of this supreme privilege (and responsibility!) to remember and serve the 23,000 men and women in our care. We do this on behalf of the wider church, seeking to be faithful stewards of this sacred duty.
Our First "Homecoming"
This year, we launched what I hope will become an annual tradition: our first “Homecoming” event! We were thrilled to have about 60 current and former chaplains, staff, and past and present board members join us for an evening of program and fellowship.
We were all humbled to hear about God’s faithfulness throughout GraceInside’s 105-year history. Our theme for the evening was drawn from Luke 10:2: “Pray to the Lord of the Harvest.” The celebration included honoring JT Clark with our first “Volunteer of the Year” recognition, and hearing a history of GraceInside from Chaplain Emeritus Bill Twine. We concluded the evening with coffee and dessert.
A Critical time of Connection
I am so proud of our team of chaplains. They are everyday heroes, quietly serving a population which is so often forgotten. They bring tremendous commitment and passion to our mission to nurture faith and hope in Virginia prisons.
This retreat served as a reminder that we are not alone in this work. Few understand the loneliness, vulnerability, and difficulty of this job; also, few witness the tremendous beauty and transformation of lives being changed within the prison setting. Our retreat is the one time each year we are surrounded by people who “get us” completely. For that reason, it continues to be one of the most important events in our year. I think we’re already looking forward to the next one!
