This ministry is a part of St. John Missionary Baptist Church Soul-Saving Center in Stokes, North Carolina where our under shepherd, spiritual leader and pastor is Gregory V. Black and our Elect Lady is Patricia Black. Pastor Black shared what God laid upon his heart to do which was to start a “Prison/Jail Ministry.”

The Prison/Jail Ministry was started with Bro. Eddie Godley and Deacon Kevin Tetterton, both members of St. John would volunteer to visit the Pitt County jail where they would minister, witness to, and pray for the inmates in jail or the detention center.

Through serving in this ministry, the Lord placed a vision within Brother Eddie Godley to begin working and being proactive at making sure other youth do not end up in the same predicament as those whom he and Deacon Tetterton were visiting every month through the Prison/Jail Ministry. That was the birthing of the Youth Incarceration Prevention Ministry and how it started.

The first few events were held at the church. The first event was held June 11, 2016. Bro. Godley saw it as a way to educate and teach other youth how not to end up in Jail or the Detention Center. He saw how for some, it had become a cycle of repeat crime. Bro. Eddie Godley saw that it was necessary to be able to offer better choices to our youth so they don’t end up down the wrong road. The first event was a great success because parents had contacted Bro. Godley for assistance in how to help their son who needed guidance and to be steered in the right direction in life.

Others in the ministry at St. John, local law enforcement, and the community have caught the vision and have since decided to volunteer working to combine this ministry’s purpose with invaluable community resources to bring pertinent knowledge, tools, and resources to the youth so they can be equipped to make better choices and decisions in life and become strong and productive citizens.