Prison Ministry: From Baseball Fields to Mission Fields
Stepping into a batter’s box for the first time in five years felt uncomfortable and that had nothing to do with facing a pitcher who was serving time for murdering one of the three men responsible for killing his son.
Baseball was my first love. I dreamed of playing in the majors but didn’t make it beyond the semipro level after an injury-plagued career in college. I turned to softball in my early 30s after I tore my right ACL playing football. I mashed baseballs and softballs. But I hadn’t taken a swing with an actual bat since a rec league game in 2020, and hadn’t played inside a prison complex since pre-Covid so I wasn’t sure if I still had it.
I didn’t want to embarrass myself.
But this story isn’t about me playing ball. It’s about prison ministry, a journey that changed my life.
The Call to Serve Behind Bars
I joined the Deacons – a team based in southern New Jersey – in 2014 following an invitation from my friend Billy. He knew the old Rob and saw the dramatic change in me after I surrendered my life to Christ. I was a fan of Jesus before I became a follower when I answered an altar call at Times Square Church in New York City in August 2010. I grew into a disciple when I began sharing my testimony with men behind bars.
It’s been an incredible experience. Prison ministry paved the way for the launch of Faith On The Field in 2017. I was so fired up after seeing thousands of inmates led to salvation during a five-day crusade to Ohio prison facilities in 2016 – we baptized guys with bottles of water at home plate – that I returned home wanting to do full-time ministry. But Pastor Kyle Horner from The Connect Church advised me to stay where I was and use my God-given skills to glorify the Lord.
“Take Jesus to your marketplace. They need you there,” Pastor Kyle told me. It was some of the best advice I’ve ever received.
From Idea to Reality: Faith On The Field
All of us can share the Good News wherever God has placed us. It doesn’t matter the size of our platform because we have a circle of influence; it starts right where we are.
That conversation planted the seed for Faith On The Field. I had already written two devotionals with professional athletes: Football Faith and Baseball Faith. But I was eager to do more. The idea of hosting a Christian sports radio show first came up in an early morning Bible study with my friend Doug Horton and Pastor Phil Moser at Fellowship Bible Church. It became reality just a few months later.
Faith On The Field debuted on ESPN Philadelphia in April 2017 and has aired in 17 markets over the years. We’ve recently expanded into a nonprofit ministry to help gain much-needed resources so we can reach more people on radio and host more outreach events. Connecting people to Christ is FOTF’s mission and it’s led to amazing opportunities. I’ve been privileged to speak on stages across the country, honored to headline conferences, give commencement speeches and host many events.
Joining the Deacons in 2014 opened the door for me to become a public speaker and now a speaker’s coach. I do it all for His glory. #MyStoryHisGlory
First Experiences in Prison Ministry
I’ll never forget my first time up. We were visiting a prison complex in West Virginia. Before I stood in front of inmates in a driving rainstorm on the field, I prayed for the Holy Spirit to give me the words to draw the men closer to Christ. Billy also prayed over me and the Spirit took over. I shared my story of redemption and gave a message of hope, peace and joy in Jesus. I saw grown men – tough, hardened criminals – break down in tears. I realized at that point that my purpose was to use my story for HIS glory. Sports are my passion. My love for sports provided me an opportunity to land an incredible profession that gave me a platform to fulfill that purpose.
Returning After 2,219 Days
I hadn’t played with the Deacons in 2,219 days before joining them for a one-day trip in July. After Covid shut us down, I moved to Florida in 2021 and scheduling never worked out. It was on my heart to join my brothers in Christ and I was grateful to finally reunite.
I was in Philadelphia for a Faith On The Field outing at a daycare center two days earlier. Recently retired Eagles star Brandon Graham joined me to read from his new children’s book and encourage and inspire a group of about 80 students. Sharing the Gospel with the TikTok generation can be more intimidating than talking to inmates but we had a great group of youngsters.
I was ready for this prison trip from a spiritual standpoint; not so much for the softball part. I’m not a morning person – most sports writers aren’t – so waking up at 5 a.m. was a struggle. But worship music got my adrenaline going. I drove separately from the team because I had a flight to catch afterward and needed to head directly to the airport. The repeat playlist for the 90-minute ride was “I Thank God” by Maverick City, “Too Good To Not Believe” by Brandon Lake and “My Jesus” by Anne Wilson.
Inside the Prison Walls
I pulled into the correctional center at 7:45, immediately noticing the barbed-wire lining all the fencing along the perimeter of the facility. This was a Level 5 prison, which means maximum security. It’s reserved for the most dangerous and high-risk inmates, including those sentenced to death.
They only recently started allowing ministries to visit again after inmates kidnapped and killed a security guard during an escape several years ago. I wasn’t aware of that incident before I made the commitment but I would’ve joined them anyway. One year, an inmate watching our game from beyond the outfield fence threatened – jokingly maybe – to “shank” me only to stick around and thank me for sharing my testimony.
Mostly, the inmates are very welcoming and appreciative. This group was thrilled to see us. We exchanged hugs and handshakes before walking out to a beautiful field on a hot, 94-degree morning. The outfield was an adventure. There was a concrete pathway that stretched from right field behind second base and across to left. We never know what to expect. Some prisons have top-notch athletic facilities; others have rough fields. We’ve played teams with full uniforms and top-of-the-line equipment; some who just wore orange jumpsuits and had no cleats or gloves. Sometimes the bats are tethered to the fence so an inmate can’t use it as a weapon.
Game Day Moments
This team wore white prison garb, had their own equipment and were loaded with talented players. Our leader, Ed Wright, read out the lineup. I was batting sixth and playing second base. Our player/manager, John Chisholm, led us in prayer and instructed us of a rule we had never encountered. Only the on-deck hitter was allowed to stand; everyone else had to sit on the bench or the umpire would call an out for every violation.
I didn’t have to wait long for my first at-bat. After our first two batters made outs, we got a hit, a homer and another hit. I turned to the catcher, Ike, and umpire while I was digging out the dirt and suggested the outfielders move up because I hadn’t played in five years. “It’s like riding a bike,” the ump responded.
I’m an impatient hitter so I took a mighty cut at the first pitch and hit a slow dribbler to third base. Hit it so softly that I easily beat it out, even with a pair of surgically repaired knees. “There’s no bunting in softball,” the first baseman cracked.
It reminded me of my first NCAA hit – an infield chopper – after starting my career 0-for-19. But a hit’s a hit.
I hit a soft liner for another single my next time up, ripped a hard liner to deep left-center for a sacrifice fly and grounded a single up the middle in my final AB of the first game. A 3-for-3 performance at the plate wasn’t bad but my defense was shaky. The rust was evident when I booted two of the first three grounders that came my way in a 23-17 loss in Game 1.
More Than a Game
I heard the trash talk after the second error. Nothing compares to prison banter. It’s quite entertaining and I’m an easy target. “You can’t hide. We’ll find you out there,” one of the guys yelled from the bench. I could only nod my head in agreement. I stunk.
But I wasn’t there for softball. I was there to share the Gospel.
We gathered in the gym after the game for lunch and our presentation. That’s when I approached the pitcher and learned his story, how he ended up in jail for avenging his son’s murder. He was reading details of a fellow inmate’s case to help prepare him for a trial when I came over to chat. He told me the two other guys responsible for killing his son were in the same prison, among a population of 2,500. “I gotta see them every day,” he said. “But not the third guy.” He smiled saying that and walked away to grab a cup of water.
John – we call him “Chiz” – was up first and he shared a powerful story of his dad’s testimony before turning it over to me. As John explained the miraculous details of how his dad had recovered from an illness and came to Christ late in his life, I teared up thinking about my dad who passed away three years ago. My dad grew up Catholic, even spent a few years in a monastery because my grandmother wanted him to become a priest. I gave him Lee Strobel’s book: The Case For Christ after he was diagnosed with cancer. My dad was an avid reader but I didn’t know if he read any of it until a day earlier when I visited my mom and saw the book sitting on his shelf. I opened it up and saw a bookmark on page 19 along with several words underlined and highlighted. I didn’t want to get emotional before I spoke so I prayed for strength in the moment.
Chiz’s message about his dad was stirring. It gave me chills but I kept it together. It was my turn to address the men. I began by telling them the young students a couple days earlier were a tougher crowd. I shared that one of the adults at the school told me afterward that he wished he’d heard my message when he was younger. “I wouldn’t have wasted all those years!”
Sharing the Gospel
The truth is it’s never too late to start fresh and you are never too far gone to seek forgiveness. I shared how chasing wealth, success and status for so many years left me broken and unfulfilled. I explained how turning to Christ gave me peace, hope and joy that the world could never provide.
I asked if there were any wrestling fans in the crowd and used Hulk Hogan’s life as example. Hogan admitted he selfishly sought worldly pleasures for many years before he surrendered his life to Christ and was baptized just 18 months before his death two days earlier.
I told them I spoke to a friend of Hogan’s after the news of his death broke. “He told me: ‘Rob, Terry was ready to meet Jesus. He knew this was his temporary home and he was excited to go home forever.'”
I looked around at the guys, making eye contact with a few of them as I walked back and forth. “Your cell is only temporary. It’s not your forever home. The world labels you inmates. God calls you son. Jesus says you were worth dying for. If you die tomorrow, do you know where you’re going? There are only two options: Heaven or hell. The Bible says there’s only one way to Heaven and that’s through Jesus. If you admit you’re a sinner and ask for forgiveness, and you believe in your heart that Jesus died on the cross to give you new life, and confess that he is your Lord and Savior, you will join him in your forever home in heaven one day.”
I finished by leading the men in a salvation prayer and let the Holy Spirit work on their hearts. Winning on the field isn’t the top priority. The ultimate victory is winning souls for the Kingdom. This is why I’m outspoken about my faith. It’s why I started Faith On The Field, why I go to prisons, why I take time away from my family and travel around to speak at various events, churches and conferences.
Jesus told his disciples: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” This world is filled with so much anger, hate, bitterness, resentment. People are searching, seeking and looking for answers in all the wrong places. Jesus is the way, the truth and the light. I know what he did for me. And I’m on a mission to help as many people as I possibly can in my time here on earth in my temporary home.
The Ultimate Mission
We all make mistakes. We’re all sinners. But everyone deserves a second chance, a third chance and more. Jesus said: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” That’s what prison ministry is all about. If I can impact just one man, it’s worth it.
We left the gym and returned to the field for Game 2. It was time to step up our game, especially mine.
We had a runner on base when I walked up for my first at-bat. Once again, I swung at the first pitch. No measly single this time. Blasted a shot to deep left-center. I saw the outfielders turn and chase and knew I could circle the bases for a home run. There’s no feeling like hitting a ball so far that all you see are the backs of outfielders. But I pulled my left calf muscle rounding first base and hobbled to third, settling for a triple. Ugh! Should’ve stretched between games.
I stayed in the game, hit lined two more singles and flied out to deep left twice, finishing the day 6-for-8 with the sac fly. Saw 10 pitches, swung at nine. This time, I played a clean game defensively, and caught a knuckling liner for the final out with the bases loaded to secure a 27-19 victory.
Didn’t embarrass myself but still disappointed with the two errors. Would prefer more extra-base hits but I’ll take it for my first game in five years.
Why It Matters
The most important part of the day were the words spoken in the gym, the camaraderie shared with the men. They’re shunned by society, ostracized from the world and deserve to pay the price for their crimes. But everyone should get a chance to hear about the Good News of Jesus and receive an opportunity to accept the gift of grace.
It’s never too late. Jesus loves you.
You must be logged in to post a comment.