“STAYING
CONNECTED”
APRIL 2013
Free Methodist Church - USA
Chaplain Newsletter Vol. 28, Issue 4
For Chaplains & all who pray for Chaplains
Connecting Christ-family--church---people
Chaplain Endorsing Agent
Rex Carpenter
Contents:
Devotions, Corrections Chaplains, and a
call for prayer, contributions, and PDC registrations
APRIL … Has there ever, in recent memory, been a
month quite like this April? Doesn’t it seem there has
been a lot of crazy happenings this month (floods,
explosions, bombings, and increasingly combative
debates over social/moral/legal issues)? Doesn’t it
make you long for the Aprils when only Easter and “tax
day” made the memories? Certainly the underlying
spiritual battle has intensified! We will do well to
keep so focused on loving and serving God that we will
not be diverted or discouraged by any of the
distractions or oppositions to the Kingdom of God. I
love Bible passages which tersely focus our attention
on Him who will keep us steadfast and active in our
Christ-centered ministries to needs-ridden people.
Here is one such passage: “Above all, love each other
deeply … Each one should use whatever gift he has
received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s
grace in its various forms … so that in all things God
may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the
glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.” (I Peter
4:8a, 10, 11)
There certainly are needs-ridden people in the world of
corrections ministries. Our very first Free Methodist
Corrections Chaplain passed to glory on April 1 and his
memorial service is today. On page 109 of Dean Cook’s
CHAPLAINCY: Being God’s Presence in Closed Communities
Elijah Owens is highlighted and correctional chaplains
are the main feature of our April “Staying Connected.”
”Correctional Chaplains have the toughest ministry in
the world, but because the need is so great, so is the
satisfaction and fruit. The Free Methodist Church has
been blessed to have great men and women answer the
call to correctional work. Because of his long tenure and
excellent work under the most difficult circumstances,
Elijah Owens has earned the title of “Dean” of our
correctional chaplains. I first met him while traveling as
the Church’s Endorsing Agent in the ‘90s. Elijah was
from the Southern California Conference, and was
serving as senior chaplain of the California Maximum
Security Prison at Corcoran. Here, the toughest and
worst criminals in the state are incarcerated. Chaplain
Owens began as a social worker who had connections
with prisons. He was invited by the prison to apply for a
chaplain position and was eventually hired as chaplain at
Susanville Prison. Later he was appointed to the
position at Corcoran which is one of the most notorious
prisons in the country and has the distinction of being
the first maximum security prison built specifically for
that purpose from the ground up.
This facility has been featured in a number of television
documentaries, including 60 Minutes. Corcoran was
designed to house 5,000 male inmates but has now
expanded to contain 10,000 or more. Among their
infamous guests are Juan Corona who murdered 25
people; Charles Manson who orchestrated the Sharon
Tate murders; Sirhan Sirhan who killed Senator Robert
Kennedy; and Mikhael Markhasev who killed Ennis
Cosby, son of Bill Cosby. The prison has a history of
gang violence within its walls which has resulted in a
number of deaths. Some charged that the staff staged
gladiator fights between prisoners and shot prisoners
needlessly. A major investigation was launched, but
only a few isolated incidents were found to have
occurred. This was the atmosphere in which Free
Methodist Chaplain Elijah Owens ministered as Senior
Chaplain.
In his role of providing pastoral care to inmates, Elijah
had to rely on the recruitment, training and supervising
of a large number of volunteers. His responsibilities
seemed overwhelming to me yet he seemed to accept
this stressful challenge as simply a part of his sacred
calling and proved himself as a valued member of the
prison staff. When I recently asked him what he would
say to a young man or woman who was considering
prison chaplaincy, he replied he would urge them to do
so because it was a satisfying place to do ministry and
preach the Gospel. He also spoke highly of the strong
support he received from the prison administration in the
performance of his religious duties. Prison chaplains
walk a delicate line every day between their role as a
staff member of the prison and their role as a caregiver
and advocate for the incarcerated. Because of his
position and closeness to the prisoners the chaplain is
not without risk every day he/she goes to work.”
In July of 1998 Endorsing Agent Bud Ansted presented
Ch Elijah L. Owens with the prestigious F M Chaplains
Medallion award. He was the third of only 12 recipients
to receive this award. Chaplain Owens is survived by
his wife, Elizabeth and daughters Laurel Owens Martin
and Elaine Owens-Sanchez. We sent a floral piece to the
service in your behalf: Beloved Chaplain “Christ in you
– the hope of glory” - Free Methodist Chaplains Assoc.
Please pray for our Corrections Chaplains:
Boyd Carney US Prisons Lewisburg PA Lead Chaplain
Tim Fry Federal Prison System, MO Sr. Chaplain
Tom Holman Taylor Cor. Ins. Perry FL, Sr. Chaplain
Richard Iske Pinellas Co. Cor. Clearwater FL Sr. Chap
William Lowery, Sr Warsaw County Jail, NY part time
Dave Metsinger Wyoming Co. Jail Warsaw NY (PT)
April 2013
Page 2
Cris Mogenson Broome Co. Jail, BinghamtonNY Sr Chp
Brenda Nagunst Cors. Center Lead Ch, Eagle River AK
Debra Reitz State Cors. Instn, Muncy PA Lead Chaplain
Tom Saunders part time Corrections Chap in Clio MI
Imo Smith Sr. Chap Mission Creek Cors Ctr, Belfair WA
Linda Vecchiarelli Total Life Recovery Ctr, Denver (PT)
We are behind on our contributions to meet our budget.
Thank you to those of you who are giving!
Others: If you are an endorsed chaplain, are you
remembering to contribute a tithe of your tithe?
Friends of chaplains: You can give also, if you so
choose.
All of us can have a part of participating in that which
Jesus commends – “whatever you did for one of the least
of these … you did for me!” Matthew 25:40
We hope you all (chaplains and others) will pray and
give. There are two ways to give financially.
1) Direct deposit monthly to Headquarters (call Jamie
Kodey at 1-800-342-5531 to set it up).
2) Give by check to FMC-USA, with “Chaplains
Account” on the memo line, and mail it to 770 N. High
School Road, Indianapolis IN 46214 Thank you!
Our 2013 Chaplain Professional Development Conf.
(PDC) at Lake Junaluska NC west of Ashville, Tues.
afternoon to Friday breakfast – June 25-28 will feature
Dennis Jeffery, worship leader Jennifer Nicholson, and
70+ of your chaplain colleagues & spouses. Register
with Dean Cook before May 24!