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Chaplaincy

After four decades of chaplaincy I can truly state, "Chaplaincy is not for the faint of heart. The following are simply my insights over the four decades that may or may not help you. My prayer is that you will take this information and add to it, find support in it, and realize that it has been God, and Him alone, that has brought me through this ministry with His glory, power and might, not me. Chaplain Richard Moyer

Chaplaincy Manual Studies

The correction industry is filled with valuable programs that, if attended and taken seriously, will provide the released inmate with the tools they need to overcome any and all obstacles. The problem is that most inmates fail to recognize their value and simply choose not to participate. Because of this it must be reemphasized that the one aspect of religious programming is that it is unique and different from the other programs being offered to the inmate prior and post release, is the value-added aspect of aiming at and transforming the entire person for all eternity. The physical, the mental as well as the heart/soul are targeted for transformation. And the most influential and dynamic person to bring this type of programming to corrections is the chaplain with strong God anointed leadership.
The history of correctional chaplaincy proves that the added value of the chaplain’s presence historically, currently and in the future continues to be the essential element of corrections for total inmate transformation and reducing recidivism.

Cultural Diversity & Pluralism

Cultural Diversity - Do you see others with the eyes of Jesus?

I can remember being asked to see a young man who had molested some local children we knew. At first, I was angry and wanted to do physical harm. And most Officers were willing to let me. It was one of the greatest obstacles I needed to confront to fully surrender and fully serve God. If I was going to minister in prison and I honestly believed the depth and reach of the love of God, it had to be dealt with. The results of this encounter were God melting my heart to lead this ‘monster’ to Christ. I remember being conflicted about these results. Yet, it was a very short time after that God opened my eyes and heart to the fact that everyone, no matter their culture or sins, can be redeemed. In conclusion, it was the study of Paul’s Epistle to the Corinthians that ultimately altered my perception of other religions and cultures. As Paul states, 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, “Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!” (The Message)