Remember the prisoners, as if chained with them…
Hebrews 13:3a
1978-2005
Founding of PBI
Prisoners Bible Institute was a prison revival and crusade ministry founded in 1978 by Pastor Paul Carlin. Accompanied by many laymen from his church, and at the invitation of the Ellis II Unit’s warden in Riverside, Texas. Pastor Carlin conducted the first lay-witness prison crusade ever held in a Texas prison in 1971. At that time it was unheard of for free world men to walk freely down the hallways of a prison, especially in such numbers as forty and fifty at a time. However, it was apparent that the Hand of God was on these fledgling attempts to reach the incarcerated with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the concept behind PBI began to take form.
Many men who would never have dreamed of going into a prison became involved and saw the potential of this vast, unharvested, mission field. Prison and jail ministries sprang up around Texas, started by counselors involved with PBI who “caught the vision,” and began reaching out on their own. Today, more than fifteen Crusade Provider Ministries go into prisons across Texas, and lay-witness weekends (or crusades / revivals) are now mandated by the state for every prison in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system.
2005-Present
Current Leadership & LOGOS
Brad & Debra Gardner
Pastor Carlin retired from prison evangelism in June of 2005, at which time the ministry was turned over to its current director, Brad Gardner. Brad and his wife Debra were saved in the late 1970’s out of the drug culture, and both came from dysfunctional and broken families. Brad gave his life to Christ in 1977, while in a Christian drug and alcohol rehab. Debra received Christ in her apartment while listening to a radio preacher in April of 1979, while in the midst of an abusive relationship. Brad and Debra met in 1979, in Pearland, Texas, and were married in December of 1982, after dating for three years by correspondence until his discharge from the Navy.
Shortly after marriage, and while working as a cabinet maker, Brad began attending weekend revivals as a volunteer in the Texas Department of Corrections. During this time, he began to feel God’s leading to continue in prison ministry, and followed wherever the Lord would present opportunities. He held church services on Sunday evenings at the Darrington Unit Trusty camp for 21 years. Brad has also served as a volunteer on Texas Death Row for 4 years and at the Plane State Jail women's facility. He was licensed to preach in August 2002, and was ordained in July 2005 by the First Baptist Church of Pearland, Texas.
Brad retired from full-time contracting and cabinet making in 2015, and Prisoners Bible Institute was transitioned into LOGOS Prison Ministries (from Greek meaning, “The Word”). Brad and Debra continue to serve together, bringing the Gospel's message of hope to the men and women incarcerated in Texas prisons. The Gardners currently enjoy being a part of a local church, and have three children: Joshua, Amber, and Barak; all blessings from the Lord. God’s blessings have been on their family and the ministry of PBI for over 41 years. Together, they look forward to carrying on this important work until the return of the Lord Jesus!
“Many special thanks go to my mother, Jeri Carlin. For without her continued prayers and tireless work, I would not be alive and PBI would not have continued all these years.”
— Brad Gardner
Today
Our outreach programs
Plane State Jail Volunteers
LOGOS’s current programs include crusades, Sunday services, inmate correspondence and mentorship, providing supplies to indigent prisoners, and donating supplies and equipment to chaplains as the need arises. There are more than twenty Sunday morning church services scheduled at various units throughout the year. Please use the following links to view the upcoming Sunday morning service and crusade events, and feel free to contact us with any questions you may have or apply to volunteer if you wish to join us. If you would like to help financially with ministry running costs and supply donations, you can also make a donation.
The three day revivals begin on Friday evening at the designated unit, as the call goes out for the first of three church services, where all interested inmates are welcome to attend. The service begins with worship music, led by either the unit’s worship team, or one of the worship teams that volunteer with LOGOS. This uplifting music service precedes the preaching of God’s Word and the moving of The Holy Spirit in many hearts. During these crusades, we have seen some of the hardest criminals imaginable come to Christ, with tears of joy and repentance streaming down their face. We then pray for and with the prisoners, offer correspondence Bible study courses at no charge for their continued growth, as well as take record of their names for follow-up by the unit’s chaplain.
Saturday afternoon, our volunteer counselors will go into the dormitories and cell blocks for one-on-one time with the inmates. During this time, the inmates are encouraged, prayed for, and given solid Christian literature to help them with their walk with the Lord Jesus. Many first-time decisions have also been made during this time with the prisoners. At the conclusion of this visitation, we have a second church service, concluding with another alter call. The crusade is then culminated in a Sunday morning service which wraps up the weekend. Again, all the glory belongs to the Lord for the fruits of this ministry over many decades.