The Rev. Deacon Tom English made St. Mary’s his church home in 1984. His faith journey led him to the diaconate and in October 1999 he was ordained a deacon in the Episcopal Church. He remained at St. Mary’s in that new role and began a 22 year calling as a deacon with a particular emphasis on Jail and Prison Ministry. Tom and St. Mary’s were already working in Jail and Prison Ministry prior to his ordination, yet his new role at St. Mary’s provided greater visibility to this ministry. For the past 22 years, Tom has been sharing his important work with this community. As we celebrate Tom’s ministry, we asked Loren Crow, a parishioner who works with Tom in Jail and Prison Ministry, to speak to some of the impact Deacon Tom’s work has had.
For several years I’ve had the privilege to work alongside Deacon Tom English in his chaplaincy ministry at the Lane County Jail. He had shown extraordinary compassion and helpfulness to my family at a difficult time, and my gratitude for his unflappable, level-headed presence produced in me a desire to help too. Tom shepherded me through the process of obtaining clearance to enter the jail, introduced me to the interdenominational chaplains group, and then started me leading evening Bible studies with groups of men. Then he helped me start meeting with men individually in a more traditional chaplaincy role. Throughout all of this Tom was a regular source of wisdom and encouragement to me, as I know he was to countless others.
Deacon Tom is a great teacher. One of his strengths in jail ministry that I got to observe was his cordial relations with the officials who run the jail. I had come to jail ministry with a set of blinders that had me unthinkingly regarding the deputies who run the jail with suspicion. But Tom had built relationships with seemingly everyone who worked there, and I learned that they also need chaplains who can encourage them. There’s a line in Prayer #37 For Prisons and Correctional Institutions (BCP p. 826) that asks God to “remember those who work in these institutions; keep them humane and compassionate; and save them from becoming brutal or callous.” Tom taught me by his example that chaplains can help to answer that prayer.
Because Deacon Tom has such a long-standing, cordial relationship with the authorities at the jail, he has been able to work with them to improve several situations I know of that were manifestly unjust but would have remained unquestioned if not for his witness. In my opinion this is bedrock for Deacon Tom: he is passionate about both justice and mercy. May his tribe increase.
Loren Crow
