Among the first programs that the Seventh-day Adventist Church initiated after the December Revolution in 1989 was prison ministry. The initiative created much interest since many Adventists had been jailed for their faith, particularly at the beginning of the Communist era.
Both the officials in charge of the jails and the prisoners who participated in the various programs greatly appreciated them. Some of the inmates became members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church during their detention. The Association for Humanitarian Penitentiary Services was formally established in October 1993.
Romania has 46 detention facilities. In 2019, the Adventist denomination had 1,137 registered volunteers making weekly visits to the many prisons and working with more than 4,000 inmates each month. Based on the records of the local congregations to which the volunteers belonged, 91 Adventist churches offer various prison ministry programs. The Adventist congregations also provide assistance to prisoners abandoned by their families, such as food, clothes, glasses, medicines, envelopes, etc. More than 50 Adventist doctors participate in medical programs held in prisons. The churches also conduct health and cooking courses for both prison staff and prisoners.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church annually trains and qualifies dozens of inmates in various vocational areas, giving them the opportunity to become carpenters, tinkers, stokers, gardeners, tailors, and barbers. Upon the in-mates release from prison, volunteers offer them a complete kit of new tools to facilitate the start of a new profession of their own. The church is also involved in aiding the inmates’ families. Every year, it supports more than 100 families socially, financially, morally, and spiritually. Volunteers help children to continue their studies, while supporting parents through counselling programs designed to prevent separation or divorce during detention time. In some cases, Adventist congregations have helped build houses for those family members not in jail.
Moreover, the Seventh-day Adventist Church runs a Centre of Social Reintegration for ex-prisoners, offering accommodation, food, counselling, and assistance in re-entering the labor market. Everything is free of charge for a period of six months for those who are released and have no place to stay.1 The program that presents the Bible and the hope through Jesus Christ is by far the most cherished. More than 1,000 prisoners attend such meeting each Sabbath, and an average of 20 to 30 individuals get baptized annually. The volunteers’ motto is a quote from Jesus’ words: “I was in prison and you came to Me” (Matthew 25:36).
Notes
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One program implemented by the Adventist Church is called “Prevention Cancels Detention.” Its goal is to reduce the youth delinquency rate through an awareness of the importance of choices in life. It involves special programs that introduce young people to prisoners who relate their experiences. Trained specialists in the field of psychology conduct the program, and it is a big success in high schools across Romania.↩