In a recent article for Think Christian, CBI president Dr. David Schuringa draws from his experience in prison ministry to argue for the enduring importance of fatherhood. Although society at large has written headship off as irrelevant, Dr. Schuringa proposes that prison statistics suggest otherwise:
The proof is in the prisons, which offer a picture of what happens in the absence of headship. We know that 80 percent of inmates grew up without the consistent presence of a father in the home. Many witnessed a series of male figures with mom and have siblings with different last names. Some don’t even know who their dad is.
The correlation between having an absentee father and landing behind bars is too obvious to disregard. Growing up fatherless digs a deep, dark and angry hole in a heart, a heart that becomes ripe for criminal conduct.
There is hope for fatherless families, however. CBI and other prison ministries are introducing incarcerated men and women to a heavenly Father who will never fail them. The effect on the family, Dr. Schuringa says, is transformative:
God’s intention for the family is taught in Scripture, which is taught by the church through prison ministries. Crossroad Bible Institute, where I serve as president, teaches extensively on God’s will for the family. Even before this, however, the church’s ministries teach prisoners that there is a heavenly Father who perfectly and completely can fill that void left by an absentee father.
The article is provoking lively debate about the importance of fathers and headship. Read the full article and join in the conversation at Think Christian.