Moody Prison Ministers Use Basketball to Preach Gospel

Twice a year since the early 1990s, Moody Bible Institute’s Intercollegiate Men’s Basketball Team has played exhibition games with teams from Indiana state prisons at Michigan City and Westville. Every year, the men travel to the prisons in October and January to minister to the spiritual needs of the prisoners through their sport.

“There is great openness to the gospel, and it has been an incredible privilege for our teams to share with those inmates who are in need of personal relationships with Jesus Christ,” said Dan Dunn, head coach. “Over the last several seasons, we have cultivated meaningful relationships with the inmates and prison staff.”

The prison guards have allowed the men to witness freely with the inmates and encourage those who are believers. They are often able to take gospel tracts and copies of the New Testament into the prisons for distribution to interested inmates and staff.

“The prison staff and the inmates are both very thankful that we take time to come play with them each year, and when the game is being played we can talk with the other inmates that come to watch,” said James Bolin, a senior sports ministry major and a member of the team. “As a student athlete, this type of ministry is very important and encouraging to me. It is a blessing to do ministry with this group of guys.”