Thanks to an opportunity to serve as CBI Instructors, seminarians at Westminster Seminary California are gaining hands-on prison ministry experience.
For four years, students in Dr. Dennis Johnson’s Ministry of Discipleship course have spent a semester serving as CBI Instructors. Dr. Johnson facilitates the program and is a professor of practical theology at Westminster.
Each week, the seminarians correct lessons and return them to CBI students along with letters of encouragement. The seminarians also give copies of the materials to Dr. Johnson for class evaluation.
The experience has been one of growth for both Instructors and students. Dr. Johnson remarked, “As I review copies of the lessons and letters that my students are returning to their CBI students, I can see how they are growing in their ability to encourage and coach brothers and sisters toward a fuller, deeper knowledge of Christ.”
Dr. Johnson and CBI president Dr. David Schuringa hope that the experience will also instill a lifelong awareness of the importance of prison ministry. “Having taught at the seminary level for twelve years,” said Dr. Schuringa, “I am thrilled to see seminary students involved in prison ministry.”
As Westminster students become pastors, teachers and mentors, pray that they will bring a passion for the incarcerated to the churches they will someday lead.