Morgan Co. inmates thrive in ministry training program
The Morgan County Correctional Complex is the home of Carson-Newman University’s prison ministry that the school first implemented in 2023. – B&R file photo
WARTBURG — Roger Britton still remembers the prayer.
One of the inmates working at Whites Creek Baptist Church in Rockwood bowed his head before a surprise steak lunch the congregation had prepared. What followed, Britton said, was “the sweetest prayer I have heard in a long time.”
The inmate was part of a work crew from Morgan County Correctional Facility — a crew that includes at least one graduate from an innovative program that trains prisoners not just for personal spiritual growth but to become ministers themselves.
The program, which began in 2023 and coordinated by Carson-Newman University, is transforming both the men behind bars and the churches they’re beginning to serve.
Doug Brown, pastor of Witt Baptist Church in Morristown, is one of the ministers teaching missions courses to inmates who are pursuing their Bachelor of Arts degree in Christian studies with an emphasis in Christian ministry.
“The Lord just laid on my heart the plight of prisoners and the sadness, the drug addictions and things like that, all around us,” Brown said. “We’re in this together and we’re trying to figure this thing called life and ministry out together. And so we’re more coworkers, rather than I’m the teacher standing before them.”
Brown’s involvement in the prison ministry started informally, visiting local jails to see relatives of church members. Eventually, he connected with Phil Young, Carson-Newman’s director of prison ministry, who invited him to teach missions courses to inmates enrolled in the bachelor’s degree program.
The inmates in Brown’s class of 14 are mostly middle-aged, many first-generation college students who grew up in church but made decisions that led to incarceration. For many, prison became a turning point.
“The crisis of being in prison and what they went through caused them to rethink their faith and their life,” Brown said.
To qualify for the program, inmates must demonstrate a genuine desire for ministry. According to Brown, participants “have real hearts to reach out and help back in their community or make a difference in some form or fashion to try to help those who might be tempted to do some of the things they did.”
Brown’s teaching style mirrors his experience training pastors in Kenya through the Kenya Baptist Theological College. They’re discussion-based and collaborative rather than lecture-driven.
He connected with David Crutchley, dean of biblical studies at Carson-Newman, through missionary service in Zimbabwe, which opened the door to his current role.
“I’m not one who likes to do a lot of lecture without some discussion,” Brown said. “I have found that in both cultures, once they find out that they are being valued for their contribution, they do very well.”
The learning process is intense with classes being five days a week, six-hours a day.
At the end of last year, Brown finished teaching a class called Topics in Missions, where inmates worked in groups to develop outreach plans they could implement within the prison.
Young has told Brown repeatedly that beyond teaching missions, his pastoral heart has helped inmates “feel more validated and valuable.”
The impact from the correctional facility extends beyond the prison walls. Britton’s church, for example, has hosted three to five inmates at a time over the past three months to help with renovation work — sheetrock installation, floor tile, plumbing, carpentry and painting the entire church. The inmates also built picnic tables and seating for outside the foyer.
“I have grown to love these guys,” Britton said.
The arrangement began when Whites Creek Baptist voted to renovate its sanctuary but struggled to afford the work.
Britton had heard about prisoners working at area churches and asked about the possibility. James “Cowboy” Choate, the church’s chairman of deacons, approached the warden, who approved the request.
“God just worked everything out and we have 75% of the things completed that we needed to do and the only thing it has cost us is materials,” Britton said. “It has been such a God-given blessing.”
The crew’s leader, whom Britton described as “a great Christian man,” has led most of the inmates to faith. At least one has completed the ministry degree from Carson-Newman, while others have earned their GEDs.
For Brown, the work represents something larger than education.
“It is not really about the truth that can be found in a lot of places,” he said. “It’s more of a caring and love for the people and wanting to see them excel in their lives in general, not just in their knowledge.”
He advises anyone considering prison ministry teaching to ask themselves two questions: Are you more energized at the end of class than when you started? And do you have a heart for the people beyond simply expressing truth?
“Don’t be afraid of being vulnerable,” Brown said. “Most of what I’m going to tell you is not because I learned it in a book, but because I learned it from the mistakes that I made.”
The program continues to grow, and Brown said he feels honored to be part of a faithful tradition.
“There’s a lot of really great people in our past that have been faithful,” he said, “and I just feel honored to be a part of that.” B&R — Editor’s note: You can read more about Doug Brown’s ministry in Kenya in the B&R article “Caring for Kenya,” which appeared in the Dec. 17, 2025, print edition.
