Let me describe one letter that illustrates the power—and the limitations—of correspondence from behind bars. During my imprisonment, I wrote a deeply personal letter to my estranged children, pleading with them to consider my case. “What would you do if assaulted by a mob of violent criminals throwing rocks, bottles, and sticks at your pickup truck, yelling ‘kill the son of a bitch’ out loud?” I asked them. I begged them to examine the evidence, to see the forensic proof of my innocence, to consider my case not as the media presented it but as an act of self-defense by a man who feared for his life. The letter was simultaneously an evangelistic appeal, a legal argument, and a father’s desperate plea to be heard by children who had turned away from him and from God Himself by breaking the command to honor their father.

I do not know whether that letter changed any hearts. I may never know this side of eternity. But I know that writing it was an act of faith—a belief that words on paper, carried by the mail system, read in homes thousands of miles away, could accomplish what my physical presence could not. The Apostle Paul believed the same thing when he wrote to the Philippians from a Roman cell. The letter is not a lesser form of ministry. It is, in many cases, the only form available—and God has a long history of using letters to accomplish what sermons, in person, could not.

Long-Distance Discipleship

Correspondence discipleship—maintaining a spiritual mentoring relationship by mail—is slow, limited, and frustrating. It is also one of the most enduring and effective forms of prison ministry, because it transcends the institutional barriers that limit in-person contact. The main problem with traditional letter-writing is that most inmates are academically challenged and cannot write or spell well, especially when writing in their second language. That problem will likely be ameliorated in the case of a believer in prison, but even then, one must see how willing the prisoner is to write letters. For those who can and are willing, the structure I recommend is simple, particularly if you use time-saving artificial intelligence to craft the narrative and thought-provoking questions that you have in mind:

Assign a passage of Scripture for the inmate to study between letters. Ask him to read it multiple times, write down his observations and questions, and respond in his next letter with what he has learned.

Respond to his questions thoroughly and biblically. Do not rush your answers. A well-crafted two-page response to a genuine theological question communicates that you take his spiritual growth seriously.

Track his progress. Keep copies of your correspondence. Review them periodically to identify growth patterns, recurring struggles, and areas that need additional attention.

Be patient. The mail system is slow—especially internationally. Letters may be delayed, censored, or lost. The inmate may not respond for weeks due to transfers, lockdowns, or personal crises. Do not interpret silence as indifference. Continue writing. At the very least, adapt your communications to electronic formats.

Digital Ministry Options

Where available, technology provides additional ministry channels that did not exist a generation ago. Email systems for inmates (such as JPay or GTL in the United States) allow faster communication than physical mail, though at a per-message cost that adds up quickly. In most places, including Chile, cell phones provide free access to email and social media. The bigger problem will be gaining a reliable internet connection in the cell or collective.

Video calls, when convenient, provide face-to-face contact without the logistical burdens of physical visitation. During my imprisonment, the Thursday and Sunday evening Zoom meetings with the Historic Baptists were a critical lifeline—connecting me to the broader body of Christ and allowing me to exercise my teaching gifts even from behind bars.

Tablet-based Bible study programs are becoming available in some facilities, providing inmates with access to Scripture, study materials, and educational content. These technologies are valuable supplements to, not replacements for, personal correspondence and in-person visitation. The handwritten letter remains the gold standard of prison correspondence ministry—it is personal, tangible, and it communicates a level of investment that no digital message can replicate.

During my imprisonment, I used a cell phone throughout—first a Nokia, then a Huawei P10, and then many others to replace prior phones that were stolen or confiscated—and without it, I could not have communicated with my wife, my friends, my lawyers, my supporting churches, or the Historic Baptists’ Zoom worship services. Just bear in mind that cell phones are stolen, confiscated, and used as leverage by guards and inmates alike. My Huawei was stolen from a hidden compartment inside a television set, and the mystery of who took it—a guard, a cellmate, a communist enemy—consumed days of investigation. People outside probably do not think about the many inconveniences and little hassles that inmates daily have to deal with regarding their phones: unplugging chargers, removing SIM chips and adapter drawers daily and storing them, hiding devices in preparation of surprise raids, replacing stolen or confiscated basic units at costs of one hundred fifty thousand to three hundred fifty thousand pesos (basically 200 to 400 USD) from blessedly corrupt guards. The minister who communicates with an inmate by phone should understand that every call carries risk, though much less late at night, and that the technology that connects them to the outside world is also a constant source of anxiety.

Action Steps

Start writing today. Contact a prison ministry organization that facilitates correspondence with inmates, or write to a specific individual you know who is incarcerated. Your first letter does not need to be perfect. It needs to exist.

Commit to a schedule. Decide how often you will write—weekly, biweekly, or monthly—and keep that commitment for at least one year. Consistency is the key to effective correspondence ministry.

Include Scripture in every letter. Write out complete passages when writing electronically. Do not assume the recipient has access to a Bible; if he has a cell phone, help him find the Bible and study tools online.

Research the book policies of the facility where your correspondent is held. Send one or two books at a time and follow up to confirm receipt.

If you have technological skills, explore how you can support digital ministry options for inmates. Help churches set up video call schedules, fund email accounts, or develop tablet-based Bible study curricula if it is available.

Discussion Questions

Why does the Apostle Paul’s example as a prison letter-writer provide a model for modern correspondence ministry? What principles from his epistles can guide our own letters to incarcerated persons? Besides doctrine, what practical things did the apostles Paul, Peter, and John write about?

What makes a letter meaningful to an incarcerated person? How does this differ from what makes a letter meaningful to someone in the outside world?

How can churches organize correspondence ministry programs that are sustainable and effective? What structures and training are needed?

What are the advantages and limitations of digital communication tools in prison ministry? How should these tools be integrated with traditional correspondence?