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ABOUT US
We Care Program will pursue its purpose by:
- Placing and training missionary chaplains to serve in correctional facilities that request assistance, realizing the importance of maintaining healthy relationships with correctional administrations and submitting to existing authority structures.
- Fostering relationships with inmates by sharing encouragement and friendship, while understanding the urgency of sharing the Gospel message with those who are not yet following Christ.
- Encouraging Christian inmates to live in community within the prison by working towards unity among believers, serving others, and reaching out to fellow inmates still living in darkness.
- Teaching Biblical studies and practical life skills with an emphasis on preparing inmates for successful re-entry into society.
- Mentoring those who have committed their lives to following Christ by helping to nurture personal growth, offering spiritual guidance, and providing a place of transition upon release for growing Christian men who desire a fresh start (Timothy House).
- Providing outreach opportunities and experiences through the annual Alabama multi-prison crusade and other events giving participants an increased passion for missions and further development of spiritual gifts for more effective service in their local churches and communities.
- Collaborating with those who support our purpose including churches, sister ministries, social agencies, and individuals.
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Some 45 years ago or
so, Martin Weber of Atmore, Alabama, went to prison—not as a convict,
but as a preacher called to minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ “even
unto the least of these.” Where others saw only human weeds,
brambles, thorns and tares, Martin, by the power of the Holy Spirit,
saw soul-fields ripe for harvest. And harvest he did, for almost 20
years as a chaplain with the Alabama Department of Corrections.
In Atmore at Fountain Correctional
Facility, and later at Holman, Martin found prisons filled with men
who, no matter what horrible crimes they may have committed, were
created in the image of God, and by the marvelous grace of that same
God, could yet become all that they were created to be. But
Martin soon realized that the harvest was much too vast for a single
laborer. Eventually he was able to convince Department of Corrections
officials to allow volunteer ministers to come in to help.
New Life Foundation
was established in 1970 with an emphasis on free-world volunteers
teaching Bible classes to inmates in the Atmore prisons. In 1983 the
name was changed to We Care Program when the prison ministry and a
sister crime prevention program were combined into one organization.
Since then the crime prevention aspect has been phased out, and today
the core of our mission remains the original focus of in-prison
ministry. The ministry has grown beyond Atmore to include
missionary chaplains
and
associates
in Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama, as well as in South Carolina,
Georgia, and Ohio.
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Board of Directors – Oversees and insures
integrity of planning and direction of We Care Program. Manages the
business and property of the corporation. Approximately one-third of
the board are elected annually by the members to hold office for three
years.
Administration –
Working out of our headquarters building in Atmore, Alabama, are our
administrative staff, including
President,
Vice President and Business Manager,
Administrative Assistant, and
Bookkeeper.
They provide support for the diverse ministry needs of We Care Program
through faithful stewardship of people, finances, and property.
Chaplaincy Staff –
Taking the message of the Gospel to men and women in prison, meeting
spiritual and emotional needs, and equipping for release when possible.
Economy Shop Staff –
The labor force of the We Care Economy Shops, which are community
thrift stores set up to provide funding for the ministry by
processing, sorting, and selling donated clothing and miscellaneous
items at bargain prices.
Members – Support the ministry of We Care Program
through prayer, finances, time and/or input. Click to read more.
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The following are the positions of our ministry's statement of faith:
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We believe in one God, uncaused, almighty, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
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We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in
His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed
blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand
of the Father and in His personal return in power and glory.
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We believe in the person of the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin, righteousness
and judgment; and who is actively present, personally manifested, and
jealously operative in the life of every believer. He is the conveyor
of God’s love, forgiveness, and His will.
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We believe the Bible is God’s self-revelation to man, inspired, infallible, the final
authority for truth and life.
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We believe there is no hope for man’s eternal salvation apart from the regenerating power
of the Holy Spirit, demonstrated through faith in Jesus as Savior and
submission to Jesus as Lord.
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We believe that
salvation is by grace alone through faith and not of works; that
salvation is a gift, undeserved and unearned; and that saving faith is
substantiated by spiritual fruit and works of righteousness.
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We believe that heaven and hell are eternal realities; that an actual place of
unrelenting torment exists for unrepentant sinners and that an actual
place of uninterrupted bliss exists for the children of God.
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We believe that God loves everyone; that His kingdom knows no national, racial, ethnic,
cultural nor denominational boundaries; and that all who call on the
name of the Lord shall be saved.
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We believe God has graced His church with spiritual gifts for the bonding, strengthening
and ministering of the body of Christ.
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We believe that the great commission, “Go ye into all the world” is
incumbent upon all Christians; that each of us has a sacred
responsibility to share the good news of salvation with everyone,
especially those who have not heard or responded.
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Martin & Anna Weber
Martin and Anna Weber and family around
time of start of prison ministry. Children: Back row from left Velma, Leon,
Ruth Ann, Jim, Mary Jane—Middle: Joyce (standing), Phil (seated)
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