By Morgan Mizell

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — A few years ago, a group of ladies got involved in Kairos, an international prison ministry. Today, this group has added a few more ladies, and visits the U.S. 15 female inmates in Concordia Parish.

Peggy McCall, a member of First Baptist Church in Vidalia said she and a few others got involved in Kairos a few years ago.

“We would go to St. Gabriel Prison in Gonzales, Louisiana,” McCall said. “One of the ladies who had been going with us began a jail ministry at Concordia Parish Jail, before U.S. 15 got the female dorms.”

The original group of ladies included Peggy McCall, Pam White, Allie Laborde and Brenda Brown.

According to Kairos’ website, their mission is changing hearts., transforming lives and impacting the world. The international ministry began in the late 70’s as part of a three day short-course in Christianity at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida. It was later redesigned and renamed “Kairos,” which is Greek for God’s special time. Today, the organization has more than 30,000 volunteers in 35 states and nine countries.

McCall and her ladies have a similar mission; however, it is on a smaller scale. This particular local ministry was the vision of Ridgecrest Baptist Church.
“We go into the facility as part of the Great Commission,” McCall said. “We are just sharing the unconditional love of Jesus. Our worship with the ladies, especially the music is so well done, under the leadership of Mitzi Roby. The ladies really seem to get involved in it, and we enjoy that.”

The group follows a routine of prayer, music, fellowship and special prayer.

“Our time is so short, and there are always new ladies coming into the facility,” McCall said. “We try to give each lady a Bible, pen and marker and get them interested in their own personal prayer life and a walk with the Lord.”

A few years ago, the request of a rosary brought the group into contact with Donna Martello, who has been supplying blessed rosaries for the group to hand out each week.
“We are not really interested in denominations as much as we are interested in sharing God’s love with them,” McCall said. “Even if some of the ladies are not Catholic and they have a rosary, and they don’t understand what it means, it could still minister to them or someone else in the future.”

McCall said the ladies anticipate their visits.

“They are excited to see us, and participate in the worship we have,” McCall said. “There are many times they will ask us to say a special prayer for their family or friends, and we try to do that.”

The leading verse behind the ministry is Matthew 25:34-40. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“I have always been interested in this kind of ministry,” McCall said. “It has humbled me to see what these young women go through, and the hold the drug culture has on us. It makes me appreciate my walk with the Lord.”

The number of women saved is not the mission.

“We are there to plant the seed,” McCall said. “If and when they get out, they are given the numbers of our churches here, and urged to continue going to church. We even suggest they attend a recovery program like Celebrate Recovery at Vidalia First Baptist. We just want to see them get better and not revert to the lifestyle that got them in trouble in the first place.”

McCall said the group is grateful for being allowed to do what they do, and ask for those who will, to pray for their ministry.

“We would like to thank the Concordia Parish Sheriff, Kenneth Hedrick, the guards at the prison and the prison Chaplin, Mark Richardson,” McCall said. “We could not do what we do if they did not allow us to. They are so good to us.”

The ladies give more than 50 Bibles a week away at the facility. Recently, Allie Laborde began a Bible study which meets on Tuesday nights.

Sometimes, the group has others who help with the ministry, like Larisa Shaw, from Tennessee, who is participating this summer.

“The Bibles we use are called, ‘Free on the Inside.’ They are easy-read Bibles, written on a fifth grade level,” McCall said. “Some of the ladies can not read well, or at all. So, this is what we have chosen to use in hopes that it will be more understandable for everyone.”

Anyone interested in becoming a part of this ministry, or donating to its continuation, can contact any of the three churches that participate: Vidalia First Baptist at 318-336-7111; Ridgecrest Baptist Church at 318-757-4076; or St. Mary Basilica at 601-445-5616.