Justice Ministry
What I learned in life is that nothing precedes purpose. The ministry must have a purpose and it will be driven by a vision of the leadership. I have practiced law in the United States for over 43 years and have counseled thousands of individuals and families who are facing a crisis in their lives.
Families who have been torn apart by child abuse, domestic violence, infidelity. Families were destroyed due to failed businesses, bankruptcies, family embezzlement. Domestic disputes where the children are the medium by which vengeance can be extracted upon the other parent. What I have learned over the years is that clients become so resentful during the contest of litigation that they lose themselves, their self-respect, their very humanity is challenged. I believe that I can work with families who are facing disappointment, depression, loss of faith because of a perceived injustice imposed on them by the system. I can use my experience in the law of man and my knowledge of Divine principles to bring closure and Peace of mind by instruction to the afflicted.
At this moment I do not foresee an interest in starting a church or maintaining a community. Rather I would have a specialty ministry that would concentrate on bringing those who feel that a great injustice has been inflicted upon them and they cannot find peace, cannot move forward, and cannot discover love in their hearts to fill the vacuum left by resentment.
To do this I would market my practice to those that have encountered the system in one way or another. I have applied to be a chaplain for the Orange county sheriffs office. In that capacity, I would have access to provide services to inmates at the county jail who are already in the predicament of finding themselves incarcerated due to some action of theirs. In my experience as an attorney I find that almost anyone can become a criminal and that this does not mean that they are “bad” persons. However what is a very constant challenge are clients who complain about the charges brought against them or a sentence imposed upon them. The families of those incarcerated also feel as they are being punished either by the unjust system or by the family member who was stupid enough to get himself incarcerated while the family is in need of their income or support. I have had hundreds of client who are bitter because they were found guilty by a jury or because the state is asking for so much jail time when others are in the street while committing the same crime. These clients will live their lives in bitterness and every day spent blaming their lawyers, the system, their mother or whomever is in their way that prevents them from healing and moving forward. In the jails when the inmates attend services just to get a break from the monotony of the jail routine, I have a captive audience to speak about the difference with Justice of man and Divine Justice.
You must minister out of love and thus will never be a failure says Rev Warren. This ministry must follow a golden rule. “people don’t care about what you know until they Know that you care” Sincerity in the delivery of the message will be paramount. Thus it will be important to listen to the situation of the client and point out that whatever the cause of the reason they are in jail, how they mentally handle the situation will determine their peace of mind.
Thus I believe I have clearly defined my mission and my market for the ministry. The next step is to determine the methodology for the marketing and how to keep getting the word out into the community of interest about the existence of the ministry.
Of course I have already mentioned that I would visit the jails and thus reaching out to defendants and their families. However another place to “plant a seed” is with social services agencies which service families in distress. Because I am an attorney there will be a great need for clients who want to talk about how the system is so unfair and how they are being unjustly punished. These agencies can refer the client which would be a great opportunity to talk to them about the difference with a system we call justice and what God principles exist that can attenuate the situation.