Call

Opportunity to make a difference.

In 1999, nine men and one woman formed a Texas corporation, Chapel of God’s Country Ministries, Inc., for the purpose of building a chapel at the Torres Unit, a Texas state prison hidden near Hondo, Texas. They had been ministering at Torres for years. They wanted inmates to have a quiet, safe and holy place where their worth and value as children of God was acknowledged and where hope would abound.

 Between 1999 and 2014, COGCM raised enough money to have construction drawings prepared and approved by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice but they were far short of having enough money to construct the chapel.  Undaunted and not losing hope, in 2014 COGCM commenced a capital campaign to raise the additional funds needed to construct the chapel.

 Around the same time, I took a prayer group brother of mine to Prayer and Share one Wednesday evening at Torres.  Prayer and Share is for the inmates.  Volunteers are present so inmates can meet.  Two days later, I received a phone call from my brother, who said—“the young man sitting by me reminded me of my grandson.  My wife and I will pledge a huge sum of money to build the chapel on two conditions—(1) you lead the capital campaign and (2) you make sure it is done right.”

 Those nine men and one woman answered a call in 1999, a call they continued to honor until the chapel was built. I also answered that call as did my prayer group brother and subsequently many others did as well.

The chapel was dedicated on July 11, 2019, twenty years after the call was first answered. It is a haven in the midst of a dark place.