Why would anybody ever want to become a prison chaplain? And what do those folks involved in prison ministry do? Jeff Henig, who recently was hired as a prison chaplain in Arkansas, discusses his background, the journey he took to become a prison minister, and the various challenges he faces in this line of work. This is part of our ongoing series to talk with practitioners, people who work in the spiritual trenches day-t0-day and often have insights into human behavior that scholars often overlook.
We begin with Jeff’s background. Interestingly, he uses the third person to talk about his life growing up the son of ’60s hippies and ending up in group homes and foster care. He also talks openly about his time in the US Marine Corps and how he was a rebel against authority, which is probably not the best thing for somebody in the military. Nonetheless, this background helped shaped who he is and helps him relate to many of the individuals he ministers to in prison. The story also moves through his conversion to Christianity in 1989 and how that changed his life. We follow him then through a series of jobs and, more importantly, into the world of a cappella singing. While seemingly unrelated to prison ministry, it was singing with a Christian a cappella group that brought him into his current career.
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