Christ Covenant Presbyterian Church which meets inside the Maryland House of Corrections in Jessup, MD, is a permanent mission work of the Presbytery of the Mid Atlantic of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Columbia Presbyterian Church and New Hope OPC in Frederick, MD supply the provisional session for CCPC, including elders Hart DeGrafft, Dick Ellis, and Wayne Koch. Deacons from each of these churches work together with deacons from Severna Park and Pasedena PCA churches to support the ministry to inmate members. Sixteen men have professed faith in Jesus Christ and have taken vows of church membership in CCPC. Services are held weekly on Thursday nights, with outside visitors participating twice each month. The session meets with inmate leadership monthly, and volunteer elders meet with inmates one on one for spiritual encouragement and accountability each week.

CPC has been able to demonstrate the love of Christ through generous assistance to one inmate CCPC member who was released from prison last summer. Through your giving, this Christian brother has been able to acquire tools allowing him to resume useful work to support his family.

Recently, volunteer leaders met together with several men from Celebration Church in Columbia to discuss partnering together in order to further the cause of Christ in the prison ministry both to inmates and to men after release from prison. We are currently investigating the possibility of beginning a gospel driven 12 step program, Celebration Recovery, to assist men who struggle with various types of addiction and addictive behavior to find victory through application of the Word of God in their lives.

There is ample opportunity for others to join in this exciting ministry. If you would like to volunteer in prison visitation, offer assistance to released inmates, the families of inmates, build a supportive relationship with inmates through correspondence, participate in music ministry for CCPC, contact Wayne Koch or Hart DeGrafft.