I Meet Chuck Colson

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The first InnerChange Freedom Initiative Program was established in the Carol Vance Unit at the minimum security prison near Sugar Land Texas outside of Houston in 1996-97.  All the principles from the Humaita Prison in Brazil were worked through at the Carol Vance Unit.  Then Governor George Bush visited the IFI-Houston as did many politicians.  It was the U.S. template for how IFIs were to look, act, and feel.  Jack Cowley (National Director of IFI) felt it was important for me to see the Carol Vance Unit in action.  So I took a trip down to Houston.

 

Texas is huge and flat.  Houston is also huge and flat, and in September? Horribly hot and unbearably humid. Jack met me at the airport and drove me to meet Jerry Wilger (IFI Executive Director) and his wife, Glenna.  I just wanted to listen to them and get a feeling for their spirits.

 

We went through flat, dust, dirt fields to the prison.  And we did a lot of sweating.  The compound was a maze of one story buildings and fences. The inmates all wore white.  There were huge fans blowing hot air around.  Of course the guys were great (not as great as my guys in Iowa, but still great.) The staff was great.  It was a sweaty-hot-great environment.

 

The main meeting area for IFI-Houston was an outdoor revival tent full of chairs.  Every day the IFI community would meet under that tent.  But that was about to change…

 

Money had been raised and a new (air conditioned) treatment building was going to be constructed.  There were a lot of folks in suits wandering around the prison…including Chuck Colson himself.

 

Now, I’m not a celebrity chaser, but I was determined to meet him.

 

It was hectic. People were running around and Mr. Colson had an entourage. There were guys with clip boards and phones and they were pointing here and there and Mr. Colson was striding through the yard like they weren’t even there.

 

I was standing to the side so I kept my distance, but then I saw my chance.  I strode up at an intercept angle, stuck out my hand and said, “Mr. Colson, I’m Chris Geil. I’m the new program manager for IFI-Iowa. It’s an honor to meet you.”

 

He and the entourage stopped. He looked me in the eye and said, “Yes. Iowa. That’s a difficult job there. Very difficult. Good luck Chris.”  Then he shook my hand and went on his way.

 

For me, Mission Accomplished.

 

The next day we went to local university for some kind of conference. Chuck was one of the main speakers, so all of us Prison Fellowship employees went to have a presence there.  It was a huge conference and it had something to do with public policy and faith and the law. It was packed.

 

Tom Delay (Texas native and Congressman) introduced Chuck to the crowd (ironic since a couple years later Mr. Delay would be convicted of money laundering and sentenced to 3-years in prison.)  Mr. Colson then gave his address to the several hundred people there.

 

After the speech I was standing near the massive doors leading into the lobby.   Mr. Colson had been bombarded with people and he was shaking hands and giving autographs.  The closer he got to the door the fewer and fewer people were around him.  At last it was just he and a couple of his assistants standing at the door near where I was standing.  I already had my hand shake, so I was just waiting to go back to the hotel.

 

Chuck’s assistant was reviewing his schedule for the rest of the day when Mr. Colson looked up at me and said, “It’s very contentious up there in Iowa. We’re all very interested how IFI does up in such a liberal state.  You have a big job up there Chris, good luck!” The, off he went.

 

Now, he had to have met dozens if not hundreds of people over those two days.  People were clamoring and pawing for his attention the entire time. I was shocked he recognized me, let alone pick right up on the “conversation” we had had the day before.

 

The guy was impressive, and technically, he was my boss.

 

chris

To learn more about Chuck Colson: chuckcolson.org