Church Blog

Dave Hartman Recognized for Service

The Montgomery County Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation recognized Covenant Life member Dave Hartman for outstanding volunteer work at a banquet held April 28. Christine Delcid, Program Manager/Volunteer Coordinator with Montgomery County, who presented the award, said that the staff chooses “someone who is available to assist on a moments notice, someone who staff sees week after week, someone who goes the extra mile.”

Virtually every Wednesday night for the past 6.5 years, Dave and other servants from Covenant Life have led worship, preached and conducted small group discussions at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. As the leader, Dave also has ongoing mentoring relationships with some of the men who get sentenced or who are released.

Dave describes his experience in prison ministry as “a front-row seat to the gospel.” He continues, “Almost every group of men has at least one who responds to the gospel. And we, as a team, get to watch him be transformed before our very eyes. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

A major highlight for Dave is the story of a man who was saved through the program in 2003 and is now serving a 60-year sentence. One evidence of grace in this man’s life is that he chose not to accept a plea bargain which would have greatly reduced his sentence but required him to lie and say he was guilty of certain things he did not do. His Public Defender strongly urged him to accept the offer, regardless of questions of innocence vs. guilt. However, as a Christian the inmate felt it would dishonor God to lie, so he refused the offer and was given the longer sentence. Dave has become a close brother in Christ with this inmate as have several others on the team. The inmate leads worship and preaches in jail; he fasts and prays diligently for Dave and his family; and they write to each other and talk several times a month.

Dave says, “He is growing in the Lord by leaps and bounds every day, and it is a joy to watch.”

Congratulations, Dave, on the award and your years of faithful service in the Prison Ministry. And Gretchen, thank you for supporting your husband so that his gifts can be deployed so effectively over such a long period.