Johnson, associate pastor of Hilmar (California) Covenant Church, had just finished reading the story online when he received a letter from Jakob Emeto, one of the inmates he had visited. Jakob has spent 20 years in Kanater Men’s Prison and is scheduled to be released in October. He recently learned, however, that he will have to pay a $1,700 fine or spend another five to seven years in prison. It is money he does not have.
“I could sense his deep distress, and of course I immediately began to fret, and to try and figure out how we at Hilmar Covenant could assist him with this overwhelming amount of money,” says Johnson. Then he began to see God in the timing.
Members of the broader Evangelical Covenant Church already had begun to read the story and some had even called to express their appreciation for his work. Johnson hopes other Covenanters will contribute to a benevolence fund that will be used to pay Jakob’s fine and help him begin his new life outside prison walls.
For more information, email Johnson at djohnson@hilmarcovenant.org or contact him at Hilmar Covenant Church, PO Box 340, Hilmar, CA 95234, 209-668-0400.
Copyright © 2011 The Evangelical Covenant Church.
