When Robert Wickham was released from prison in 2011, he felt that he had been held captive for long enough. He had not lived a life of true freedom. Since dropping out of high school, Robert struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, losing jobs and ruining relationships along the way. He had served four years for aggravated domestic violence. Prior to that, he had served time for home invasion.
Robert was back in jail this past April—not to serve time, but to serve others.
It all started with an after-care ministry. Fresh Wind Christian Community’s program, designed for recently released prisoners, helped transform Robert’s heart and heal him from his past. As he became more involved in the church, he experienced the love of God through Christian community, and the Gospel became real to him. He realized he could have a fresh start.
Robert entered a chaplain training program through Forgotten Man Ministries. Serving at a jail in Benzie County, he uses his unique testimony to lead by example. “Thank God people gave me a chance,” Robert tells Record-Eagle in Traverse City.
Men behind bars can relate to Robert, who was in a similar place not so long ago. He knows how to relate to them, too. “I know how to detect if someone is just playing games with me,” he explains.
But Robert isn’t playing games. He serves at the jail on a strictly volunteer basis. Whether he is leading a Thursday night worship service, distributing Christian reading materials, or just making conversation, Robert’s genuine desire is to help others the way that he was helped—to give them the second chance that he was given.
“It’s been a dream of his,” says Chuck Towersey, one of Robert’s pastors and mentors, as reported by Record-Eagle.
Prison Fellowship offers biblical mentorship, life-skills training, and other valuable programs for healing and restoration. These resources help men and women take their first steps toward finding a second chance in their communities. To learn more about reentry support, click here.