OUR founder's story
John Holmes knows prison life firsthand.
Before Redeemed Prison Ministry existed, John was an inmate searching for hope in a place designed to confine it. Like many incarcerated men, he wrestled with regret, broken thinking, and the weight of past choices.
But inside prison walls, something extraordinary happened.
Through repentance, biblical discipleship, and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, John encountered Jesus Christ in a way that reshaped his identity, restored his purpose, and redirected his future.
Prison became the place of redemption.
What began as personal restoration became a calling.
Miraculously, John was released from prison, having served a small part of his original sentence.
Post release, John recognized a critical gap inside correctional facilities: many programs focused on external behavior, but few addressed repentance, deep spiritual healing, and discipleship multiplication. Redeemed Prison Ministry was born from that burden.
Today, John returns to prison facilities in South Carolina...not as an inmate, but as a teacher, mentor, and witness to the power of redemption.
This ministry is built not on theory, but testimony.
our mission and vision
Our Mission
To radically impact incarcerated individuals by teaching and mentoring them to become committed disciples of Jesus Christ and ambassadors of His Kingdom.
Our Vision
To see inmates experience the light and love of Christ, be healed from destructive mindsets, and walk in the full life God has called them to.
desired outcomes
Individual Outcomes
- Repentance and salvation
- Freedom from bondages
- Disciples making disciples
Systemic Outcomes
- Stronger families
- Healthier prison environments
- Reduced recidivism and long-term crime reduction
leadership
John Holmes - Founder/Director
“During my incarceration in both South Carolina and New Jersey prisons, God sent several inmates to help me understand how my mindset and the choices I made had landed me in prison and how I could walk a different path going forward. They declared God had a greater purpose in mind for me and led me through a process of repentance and discipleship that radically changed my life. When I was miraculously released from a 150-year sentence and emerged back into the world, God began to speak to me about replicating that experience in the lives of other inmates, and the journey toward Redeemed Prison Ministry began. I’m excited to see what God will do through this ministry in the lives of inmates who are facing long sentences and the impact this will have on their families and communities.”
Paul Smith - President and Board Chair
"Having formerly served as Board Chair for an organization assisting young people in the foster care system, I became acutely aware of the significant impact on families when a parent becomes incarcerated. When John Holmes shared his vision for starting a prison ministry in South Carolina, I was suddenly transported back in time to a prison in Brazil that I visited with my dad when he was a missionary. I could see the smile on the man’s face as they talked and as my dad prayed with him. I remembered the day that inmate presented me with a small handmade gift during one of our visits, and the joy on his face as he gave it to me. It was a full circle moment, and I knew I was being challenged to answer a call.”
John Darr - Board Treasurer
"I’ve been involved in a men’s ministry for several years and have come to know John Holmes and his passion for ministering to men who are in or have been released from prison. John's story is a story of redemption and God has given him a heart to help incarcerated men put the past in the past. I know John has been and will continue to work at getting into prisons to connect with these men and help them know they have a place in God’s heart and in society."
Leta Krieger - Board Secretary
"My first experience with prison ministry was in Jester Unit, Sugar Land, Texas with the late Pastor Jim Scalise. I was 26 years old and on the worship team at John Osteen’s Lakewood Church, so Jim figured I could sing well enough for the inmates. I grabbed my guitar and that was all it took. For the next 5 years, Jim, an assorted group of Lakewood members and I travelled all over the Texas Prison System at least two or three times per week preaching, singing and loving on the inmates. Most women my age have pictures of grandchildren on their refrigerators. Not me. I have pictures of inmates. Although I have grown older, moved across the nation, married and raised a family, I’ve always felt God had given me a special love for the incarcerated. John Holmes and I hit it off immediately and I could see his heart for those behind bars. When he asked if I’d like to be a part of RPM I couldn’t accept fast enough!
I look forward to seeing what God will do through RPM, as well as more pictures on my refrigerator."
Redeemed Prison Ministry Inc. is a South Carolina religious nonprofit corporation recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our board of directors provides governance oversight and financial accountability.