ArticleBlog | Preaching in Prison by Tim Dixon | Issue 06
Preaching in Prison by Tim Dixon | Issue 06
Author: Tanya SteadPost Date: 09.04.25
FIRST-TIMER
As I open the locked doors of the prison chapel, my mind fills with trepidation and anxiety. There sit the empty chairs, ready to be filled with prisoners for our morning service. Instead of the usual friendly pre-service bustle of my sending church, there is a deathly silence, punctuated only by the static of a comms radio and the jingle of my security keys. I can hear the faraway slamming of gates and bars, the occasional bark of a guard dog on patrol. Who knows who might turn up? Who knows what state they’ll be in, or if they’ll listen to a word I have to say?
As I set up, the officers arrive to receive the prisoners, and gradually in they walk, uniformed in their striped shirt and jeans. The warm welcome at the door is replaced by a pat-down search from the officers. I see eyes, staring, questioning why this 24-year-old lad is standing at the front – or so I think. This is a far cry from my weekly Bible study group under the wise direction of the Anglican chaplain. I pause, pray inwardly for grace, and begin to speak.
So began my first foray into preaching in prisons. It went OK – at least, no-one started a fight or fell asleep. I suspect God had a hand in that! As a twenty-something, I had taken part in my church’s internship year and had a weekly placement at a high-security prison
