“You would never in a million years think that nursing home residents and jail inmates have much in common,” says Pastor Jerry David. “But they do because they are some of the loneliest and most forgotten people in our society.” David quotes some statistics: “Residents of senior care facilities and inmates in jails are often forgotten in life and in ministry by Christian organizations. For example, current statistics show that only 1-2 percent of Christians are ministering in nursing homes! Additionally, it’s reported that 60 percent of nursing home residents do not receive a regular visit!”
Such statistics as these moved David to begin a ministry that focuses on meeting the needs in nursing homes and county jails. The ministry is called Gentle Shepherd Ministries and is affiliated with American Missionary Fellowship, one of the oldest non-denominational mission society groups in the United States.
David began the first jail ministry at the Watonwan County Jail in St. James. The ministry which includes visits, Bible studies and counseling with the inmates is carried on today with the volunteer help of Pastor Steven Hultengren and Mychael Moffett. Hultengran, a former pastor, began as the first recruit/volunteer at the Watonwan County Jail in the fall of 2006. Hultengren and Moffett meet with a group of prisoners every Monday night and lead them in Bible Study, prayer and encouragement. Groups will average anywhere from 4-11 in size. “My philosophy is that good people don’t go to heaven only forgiven ones,” said Hultengren. “We are here to show inmates how to be forgiven for their past, whatever their past may include. If we get 4 out of 10 on the right track we have succeeded.”
“Mychael Moffett is one of those I met in jail,” Hultengren explained. “He got his life going in the right direction and is with me every Monday night. “In fact he started with me as a part of his sentence-to take part in the jail ministry as assigned by the District Court. It was the first time the court had ever given out a sentence of it’s kind.”
GSM Director/Pastor Jerry and Dorphia David reside in Mankato, Minnesota.
Jerry has pastored a church for a number of years, been a chaplain at a nursing home/assisted living facility and, along with directing Gentle Shepherd Ministries (GSM) he is an associate chaplain at ISJ-Mayo Hospital in Mankato. In 2004 Jerrry was approved as a missionary with American Missionary Fellowship. His heart’s desire is to minister to seniors in care facilities and inmates in jails. “Our mission is to partner with facilities and churches to provide effective services in senior care facilities and in county jails and to reach out with God’s love, share Biblical truths of hope and demonstrate compassion and care for those in need,” said David.
The ministry has grown to include 11 senior care facilities and 7 jail ministries/rehabilitation facilities/halfway houses. The GSM territory is south-central Minnesota and includes all of Mankato, Truman, Mapleton, LeCenter, Waterville, St. James, Waseca, New Ulm, St. Peter and Winnebago.
Sixty volunteers staff the organization along with David and most recently GSM has put on staff a trained administrator.
Volunteers are trained in ministering to drug abuse and alcohol victims, group meetings, looking for hope, mentoring programs and counseling. Nursing home volunteers receive training in an 8 part video series on how to do visitation.
Gentle Shepherd will come alongside of any church or group desiring training in any of these areas and who desire to do volunteer work in any of these facilities. The goal of GSM is to supplement any on-going program established in a senior care facility or jail facility.
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