Greetings from your new brothers at Hays State Prison in Northwest Georgia… “The Seven” who were baptized on June 1st of this year want to thank everyone for their well wishes and expressions of love. I pray that you all can meet them someday.
Please pray for Big Mo and Batman: they have both been there a long time and will be coming up for parole sometime in the near future. Both have dreams to serve in the ministry in some form or fashion. I know God has great dreams for all seven and they are already beginning to multiply.
It was in the Faith and Character Program at this maximum security prison where I first got to know these men a couple of years ago. Last year after I spoke at the “HOPE Think Tank” in Philadelphia, these men and I began to talk about a Peace Movement at Hays State Prison. We called it “40 Days of Peace” and it was based on the principles of Matthew 5, and the teachings of Dr. King. We began the “40 Day Peace Pledge” on Jan 18th and a movement had 
begun. The warden noted that after the Peace Movement began, there were no stabbings at Hays for an entire month— something that he had never seen and could not remember ever happening at this prison (this is a very dangerous camp where gangs control many of the dorms and violence and gang-related retaliations are the norm; one in three men are doing life sentences).
The warden allowed me to start a Peace Council and we invited “Men of Influence” from every dorm on the compound. We began to meet every Friday in the small chapel and talk about what it would take to bring peace to this violent place. We brought together gang members, opinion leaders and the most powerful Muslim men in the prison (some of the Muslims are becoming very interested in Jesus). I brought one of the brothers from AMCC Gary Burke along with me and we began to mentor the group. The deputy warden decided that we should lead it, in case anything went wrong, so that they would be free from responsibility— which was what we wanted all along! That group has begun to change things at Hays.
We went to the warden and asked permission to go into the dorms to teach. This had never been done before, because of security concerns. Finally he agreed, and two week
s ago Gary and I went on a “Peace Tour” throughout Hays State Prison. We went into EVERY dorm, one after another and delivered 15 straight messages on peace. I have never preached so many messages to so many different audiences in my life— three straight hours and we were exhausted. We received some resistance, a little heckling, a few veiled threats and we experienced some hatred. However, more than that we felt strong support and love from many of the men who desire to live in peace, rather than do “hard time.” By the end of EVERY message, we had all the inmate’s attention and respect. At the end of the day, we had well over 300 men sign up for our Peace Movement! What we preached to them was true: the ones who desire violence and evil are outnumbered by the men who want peace; the silent majority just needs to step forward and take a STAND.
Recently, I trademarked and copyrighted this program and it is being taken to over 300 prisons across the country! It’s amazing what God can do when a few men put their complete trust in God— especially in a place where faith is very dangerous… Please continue to pray for your brothers at this new little church planting “behind the razor wire.” After two years of going there every week, I have found it to be a very fertile ground for the gospel. Many of these Men in White had to lose everything and hit rock bottom before they could see their need for God. Isn’t that the same for many of us? And they are some of the strongest, most courageous warriors I have ever had the privilege to meet. God bless them, and to Him be ALL the glory.
Kit Cummings
Author & Teacher
www.KitCummings.com
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