The friends of moravian prison ministry 
is an independent ministry support
group within the Moravian Church
Southern Province that seeks to:

     > secure ongoing financial support for this important ministry;

     > raise awareness of the amazing “boots-on-the-ground” work happening in the Forsyth jail 
        and prison through the Moravian chaplaincy; and

     > share opportunities for people to support this chaplaincy with their time, talent, and prayers.

  By becoming a Friend of the Moravian Prison Ministry, you will be answering God’s call
  to minister to “the least of these.” We urge you to open your hearts and minds to this ministry
  that is truly life-changing.

“A man handed the usher his candle after a Candlelight Service. The usher told him it was his to keep, and the man replied, “This is mine to give away, as it has given so much to me.” The candle the man was holding did not come from the service he had just attended. It was given to him during a worship service years before at the Forsyth County Prison where he had been an inmate. “The light of Jesus came to me through that Moravian Candle. I kept it, and I would’ve been in a lot of trouble if I had been caught with it, but I held on to it all this time. And now it’s time for me to share the power of this light and what it has given to me.””
— an inmate at the Forsyth County prison

The moravian partnership with fjpm

Since 1978, community churches in Winston-Salem have shared the gospel with incarcerated men and women through Forsyth Jail & Prison Ministries (FJPM) — helping them seek Christ and break the cycle of crime and punishment. In 1995, the Moravian Church formalized a partnership with FJPM and called pastor Robert Wolfe to a full-time chaplain’s position. Upon Pastor Robert Wolfe’s retirement in 2018, Pastor Jeff Carter answered the call and began his work as Chaplain in January 2019.

In 2024, Chaplain Jeff was promoted to Senior Chaplain of Forsyth Jail & Prison Ministries. His involvement in the Transition to Work program is making a difference in the lives of those enrolled in the program, and it has become a model for the State Prison system. (Recidivism rate for the graduates is 8% versus the state’s overall average of almost 50%.) As Senior Chaplain, Jeff is responsible for providing oversight and direction to the chaplaincy and chaplaincy staff. He is the only Moravian minister serving within FJPM.

Through the partnership with FJPM, Chaplain Carter:

  • teaches Bible studies and life-skill classes;

  • leads worship at the jail and prison;

  • provides 24-hour emergency crisis counseling for inmates;

  • reconnects inmates to their estranged families;

  • provides marriage counseling to strengthen fragile families;

  • coordinates a weekly Yokefellows meeting at the prison; and

  • encourages men after incarceration.