Our Story
In 1996 the city of Fort Dodge began the bidding process for the second time to have a prison located in the Fort Dodge community. Local clergy were invited to participate on this committee along with contractors, city personnel and officials from several businesses and utility companies. Each of these groups submitted a “component” offering a description of their services should the prison be located in Fort Dodge. The clergy submitted a “Spiritual Component” to the bidding. In this component the clergy proposed the formation of a prison congregation headed by an experienced parish pastor that would exist as a church inside the walls.
Pastor carroll lang
During the spring of 1997 Pastor Carroll D. Lang was called as the Mission Developer Pastor and The Church of the Damascus Road was selected as the name of this new congregation which would include the Fort Dodge and Rockwell City Prisons. Pastor Lang officially began his ministry on August 1, 1997 at the facility in Rockwell City. On Thursday, August 28 the first worship service was held with 24 inmates and 12 guests attending. Later Bible studies began on Tuesdays. In April of 1998 the Fort Dodge facility began receiving inmates from the Classification Center in Oakdale, near Iowa City. 19 inmates were brought in the first week and of those 12 attended the very first Fort Dodge prison service.
Pastor Paul Stone
The ministry grew quickly and soon well over 100 men were attending services and bible studies between the two facilities. Right away the need for reentry support for men leaving incarceration was recognized so Pastor Lang partnered with Department of Corrections staff to form what was to become the CODR Reentry process. In 2009 Pastor Lang retired as CODR Lead Pastor and was succeeded by Pastor Paul Stone who came with extensive prison ministry experience. Pastor Stone’s compassionate presence in the prisons touched the lives of many men over the course of the next 10 years.
Pastor jim davis
The ministry continued to grow both inside and outside the walls. A great network of support was established with churches and individuals and many men benefited from The Church of the Damascus Road ministry. Volunteer Reentry teams supported men as they transitioned out of incarceration and many of those men have been able to join reentry teams themselves. Pastor Stone retired in 2019 and was succeeded by Pastor Jim Davis who helped guide the ministry through the tough years of the Covid 19 pandemic. Jim’s boundless energy and passion for ministry enabled CODR (and many other churches for that matter) to keep the fires burning through those tough years and laid the foundation for what we’re able to do today.
Pastor Kelli glasgo
Due to health concerns, Pastor Davis had to step down from leading the CODR ministry and on April 1, 2023, Pastor Kelli Glasgo was hired as the new Pastor/Ministry Director. Pastor Kelli had previously served in the prison as a volunteer with Paul Stone, leading worship and helping with Reentry.
As the pandemic has subsided, we’re gaining access back inside the facilities and have begun services again! We’ve also shifted more of our focus to the aftercare/reentry part of the ministry by establishing new partnerships with the Fort Dodge Residential Correctional Facility where we provide support for basic needs such as hygiene supplies and clothing as well as mentoring support for the men’s longer term reentry needs. We’re confident that God has great plans for this ministry in the years to come!
The guys inside
We are a congregation that exists inside of both Fort Dodge and Rockwell City IA Prisons. We meet every week to worship God, devote ourselves to his word, to fellowship, the Lord’s Supper and prayer. The men on the inside set up and provide assistance for the worship service just like volunteers do in outside services. We have a group of musicians who provide music, leaders who are in charge of greeting and communion and elders who collect an offering and decide where it should go. 100% of the inside offering goes to charitable causes like the local Fort Dodge Food Pantry, Backpack programs during the school year, overseas missions and K-LOVE Radio.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is an organized Christian congregation inside two prisons in Iowa. It is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, but its members and community partners are ecumenical in nature, coming from a variety of denominational and religious backgrounds.
In Acts 9, Saul of Tarsus, a persecutor of the followers of Jesus, has an encounter with the risen Jesus on his way to the city of Damascus to arrest and prosecute Christians. This encounter completely changed Saul, who later changed his name to Paul, and became the greatest evangelist and church planter the world has ever known, writing a large share of the New Testament. God has the power to radically change every life in this same way.
Though it exists inside two prisons, it is one congregation. There is an Outside Church Council responsible for the oversight and support of the congregation as well as Reentry Support. A full time ordained minister of the word and sacrament serves the congregation and leads the Reentry Ministry.
We receive 100% of our support from church congregations, individuals and local community organizations. The inmates who attend our services inside the prison collect an offering, 100% of which gets sent to local charities and international missions.
Have other Questions?
Send us a message through our contact page. We’d love to hear from you!
If you’re interested in volunteering, check out the Volunteer Opportunities tab.
If you’re interested in our Reentry Program, contact us via contact tab, email or phone.
Please consider a donation to The Church of the Damascus Road.
Your support is important to our continued mission. Thank you so much!
Meet the Staff
Joyce Phelps
Office Manager
Rev Carroll Lang
Reentry Reintegration Coordinator
Paul Stone
Pastor
John Doe
Software Engineer
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John Doe
Software Engineer
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John Doe
Software Engineer
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