Several inmates at Phillips State Prison will graduate soon with degrees in Christian Studies from Truett McConnell University, according to a news release from the university.
The students, many of whom have been incarcerated for 10 to 25 years, have shown “a remarkable commitment to their studies and faith,” the release said.
The university has been teaching courses at the prison in Buford for four years, and the graduates’ testimonials reflect their deep spiritual journeys and newfound purpose.
Samuel Crowe noted that “incarceration placed me in an environment where I had nothing to depend on but God. His Word and His Will have given me everything I need and a reason to look forward to each day.” Dean Sorrells, shared that “in a prison cell in 2004, two years after God saved me, He made me understand I was to be a Missionary/Evangelist.”
The inmates, many of whom are serving life sentences, applied and were transferred to Phillips State Prison to participate in the program. On Aug. 16, they will graduate and serve as chaplains and missionaries within the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC).
Program started by NOBTS
The chaplaincy program was established in 2006 as part of the North Georgia Hub of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS), according to GDC. The facility at Philips opened its first class in March 2008.
Program graduates have been assigned to 12 prisons throughout the GDC system to assist in ministry.
In August 2020, Truett McConnell assumed responsibility for the program.
