By Rebekah Sherman
Do you feel overwhelmed by the negative headlines featured in the news? Do you feel helpless because life seems to be rocketing out of control, and there are more problems than solutions? Well, even if this may seem like nothing new, some people are finding their way and making the impact they want, and so can you! I discovered an incredible story where male prisoners inside Angola State Prison in Louisiana, the largest penitentiary in America, are serving time for their crimes while finding new purpose and fulfillment through spirituality, such as participating and leading in worship services, revivals, and involvement in the God Behind Bars organization. I thought that it was incredible that these men could find joy and contentment amid confinement through their spirituality, and it encouraged me.
One way these men have found power over their lives has resulted from the efforts of the Christian organization God Behind Bars and the revival that has been taking place since the fall of 2024. Jake Bodine is the CEO and co-founder of God Behind Bars and has partnered with Mike Barber Ministries for the revival. They host events so that children can see their incarcerated parent(s), host worship services to meet the spiritual needs of inmates, connect them with places of worship, and help prisoners develop their faith through their free Pando app resource. Their main focus is to serve the spiritual needs of inmates through their worldview.
God Behind Bars provided the statistic that “94% of these men are serving life sentences, surrounded by darkness with little chance of freedom,” but 355 men have accepted Christ, and 12 have become baptized during the months of February and March 2025. Earlier in October 2024, God Behind Bars invited male and female inmates from nine other prisons to participate in the revival event, and 300 prisoners accepted Christ, and 50 were baptized.
From a Christian religious perspective, the good news of Jesus refers to people of this faith accepting Jesus as lord and savior. It is considered “good news” in the Christian faith because it is taught that Jesus took the punishment of all people by dying on the cross for their sins, the bad things that people do, including criminal offenses. Baptism in Christianity is a demonstration of faith where a person is submerged under water and brought back up again, usually by a minister, which symbolizes rebirth and new life in Christ. What I think is incredible is that although these men (and women, too) had no hope, they were able to find new purpose and meaning through a Christian avenue.
Steve Savoie, President of Western New England University’s Upper Room Christian Fellowship, expressed his thoughts concerning the revival hosted by God Behind Bars.
Savoie said, “Seeing this happen in a State prison, especially in one of the ‘worst prisons in America,’ is terrific. A few things run through my mind, The first of which is that nobody is ‘too evil’ to be saved by Christ and to begin living a repentant lifestyle, as demonstrated by these prisoners. Jesus saves!”
Savoie continued, “Secondly, I think very highly of the folks who are preaching, loving, and administering the sacraments to the imprisoned, as Jesus says in Matthew 25:36, “I was in prison, and you came to me. He [Jesus] emphasized the importance of visiting those in prison as an act of service to him and a demonstration of faith. For example, consider Mother Teresa’s impact on Jim Wahlberg as she visited him in prison. Through the love of Christ, and using Mother Teresa as a conduit, Jim’s life was changed forever, and there’s no doubt in my mind that this can happen to any of these Angola State Prisoners.”
Similar to Savoie, I think that it is remarkable that not only are members of God Behind Bars positively impacting the prisoners through their service and Pando app, but the prisoners are taking control of their own lives by choosing a new way of life; they are no longer restrained by their felonies but are empowered by their newfound faith in God, reading the Bible and being part of something bigger than their past and current predicaments. By spending their time and energy praying for American government officials, the Church, and their families, the prisoners focus on others and find meaning in life. As a result of God Behind Bars’ social media platform, the prisoners have a greater impact on the world through their own examples of positive change.
I hope the story of the prisoners’ faith, motivation, and purpose for life inspires you, especially if you feel helpless. Joining a club or sport or attending on-campus events might help foster a sense of community and help you feel and see that you can make a positive difference in the Western New England University community, similar to how the prisoners in Angola State Prison are building community and taking control over their lives.
Also, if you would like to learn more about the Angola State Prison revival or the impact of God Behind Bars, feel free to log on to God Behind Bar’s website https://www.godbehindbars.com/ or Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/godbehindbars/reel/DHehUMzvr_W/.
