Four years ago, the Arkansas Baptist State Convention celebrated the beginning of a partnership with Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis and the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
This partnership allowed a seminary extension center to open in the Varner unit, a maximum-security prison in Lincoln County.
This year, the first cohort of students celebrated their graduation, earning their bachelor of arts in Christian studies from The College at Mid-America. One of those graduates is Robert Rockett, who goes by Rockett.
Growing up, Rockett was a smart student, often singled out to be promoted to higher grades because of his intelligence. But that did not stop him from making poor life decisions leading to his first conviction at the age of 16. Within three years of his first arrest, Rockett had racked up multiple convictions and an automatic life sentence.
Over time, Rockett began a process of seeking and learning, especially striving to learn about the character of God.
The seeking process led him to a wide variety of religions, including nine years of practicing a major world religion. Rockett still had no one, however, who could truly answer his questions about God. Disillusioned and desperate for answers, he directly asked God to reveal Himself.
And he said God did!
He told Rockett to get rid of everything that tied him to his previous religion. Rockett struggled to surrender; obedience was not easy.
But Rockett continued to seek, and God not only protected him from threats from other inmates but also provided a pathway for him to find answers to his questions. One of those pathways came through Mark Thompson, director of the Arkansas Prison Initiative and a professor at Mid-America Seminary who taught Rockett and his fellow inmates.
Through Thompson, Rockett found someone who would willingly welcome and answer questions. He found the opportunity to learn and grow. He found the God he had been seeking.
Now a graduate, Rockett is ready to share the truths he has learned with his fellow inmates. He is excited about the possibility of field work and the opportunity to bring hope, answers and a miraculous turning point to others in Varner and other units around the state.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written and originally published by Arkansas Baptist News.
