Prison Ministry a quiet good deed

Published:  Tuesday, January 20, 2009 (1 year ago)
Print

By STACY TAFF
The Delphos Herald

In a world full of war, crime and diving economies, one doesn’t hear much about the good things that are happening. Although the dominance of bad news is certainly a factor in why good news goes unnoticed, another reason is  truly good deeds aren’t done for publicity.
Such is the case with Bernie Schnipke of Delphos and Mike Pohlman of Venedocia, who have been bringing the Word of God to the Van Wert County Corrections Facility since it opened in September 1998.
“We heard that they were building a new facility and thought it would be the perfect time to get involved,” Pohlman said.
“We’ve been going there since the day it opened,” Schnipke said. “The deputy in charge of the jail, Charles Klaus, has played a big part in helping us make it work.”
The second and fourth Tuesdays of every month, Schnipke and Pohlman go to the facility to bring the inmates a non-denominational Christian message and to share their own experiences and struggles. They talk with the men and women separately, each for about 45 minutes. The number of people willing to speak with them varies.
“Sometimes, we’ll have one or two people who will sit down and talk to us. Other times, we’ll have anywhere from a dozen to 25. The numbers fluctuate based on the population of the facility at the time,” said Pohlman.
Though this venture is certainly fulfilling, it is neither easy nor for the faint of heart.
“You need to have the courage to be able to say those difficult things that have to be said. There are those who will try to scare you off or intimidate you and you have to expect that and know how to deal with it,” added Schnipke. “The majority of the people we talk to are young kids that have been taken over by drugs and alcohol.
“They’ve made some bad decisions but they aren’t so far over the edge that they can’t be pulled back. They just need some direction and it helps for them to be able to talk to someone who has been where they are. I’m a recovering alcoholic myself and so I know from experience that it is possible to better your life through Christ.”
Schnipke and Pohlman are aware that not everyone will take the message to heart but that doesn’t stop them from being optimistic.
“We know that not everyone is going to go and turn their lives around,” added Pohlman. “But if we can get a couple of people, or even just one, to want to make their lives better and become a productive citizen, then that’s all we can ask for. That’s why we do it.”