HIGH POINT, N.C. — A Christian ministry for High Point jail inmates will soon be expanded to include more religions. The change happens after a previous chaplain was fired for his controversial approach to sharing Christianity with Muslim inmates and inmates with mental health conditions.
The High Point Jail Ministry will be discontinued and replaced with a new ministry program in July 2019, the Guilford County Sheriff's Office confirmed Saturday.
"Everyone should look forward to the restructure and enhancement of programs and services being provided to be respectful of all religious practices," Catherine Netter, administrative director for the Guilford County Sheriff's Office, told WFMY News 2.
The decision to restructure the existing Christian program was made by Sheriff Danny Rogers in April 2019, according to Netter.
"Sheriff Rogers has decided to restructure the ministry program for the High Point Jail and expand the reach to ensure all religious denominations are being served," Netter said.
The sheriff and his administrative team met with the current High Point Jail Ministry board director before making the decision to revamp the current program.
Also in April 2019, a former chaplain with the High Point Jail Ministry, Rick Taylor, came under fire for his approach to sharing Christianity with inmates. He stated that Muslim inmates would "push their Quran across" the table and say they "don't need that" after getting the Bible.
“If you’re a Muslim in here, you’re gonna’ get a Bible as well as a Quran, because that’s my mandate,” Taylor told the High Point Enterprise newspaper, who first reported on the issue.
Taylor also told the newspaper he tried to work with people with mental health issues, including depression, suicidal thoughts, and addiction, by sharing Christ to help them.
Taylor was fired by the Guilford County Sheriff's Office afterward, who stated his comments don't reflect how inmates are approached about religious and mental health issues.
It's not clear if the program's restructuring is a direct result of April's controversial comments.
On Saturday, the High Point Jail Ministry's current Chaplain Dave Douglass confirmed to WFMY News 2 that the ministry would close down after nearly three decades of operation.
Douglass declined to comment further at this time, saying he wants the last weekend of service at the jail to go smoothly without incident.
The High Point Jail Ministry was founded in 1991, and its mission includes "saving lost souls and changing lives in our jail and prison systems," according to the organization's Facebook page.
Throughout the restructuring at the High Point Detention Center, inmates will continue to receive programs, services, and religious support, Netter with the sheriff's office said.