Serving Within a Lay-Led, Christ-Centered Ministry

Clergy in Kairos Prison Ministry International

Kairos is a lay-led ministry, grounded in the belief that the Body of Christ is called to serve together to share the transforming love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ to impact the hearts and lives of incarcerated men, women and youth, as well as their families, so that they can become loving and productive citizens of their communities.

While lay leadership is foundational to the structure of Kairos, clergy are essential to the spiritual health and effectiveness of the ministry. Their presence strengthens the proclamation of the Gospel, provides pastoral support where appropriate, and reflects the unity of the broader Christian Church within the Weekend experience.

A Lay-Led Ministry with Essential Clergy Support

Kairos is intentionally lay led. Leadership development, team formation, and Weekend structure are designed to equip lay men and women to serve. However, clergy play a vital and necessary role. Every Kairos Weekend, whether Kairos Inside, Kairos Outside or Kairos Torch, have clergy present on the Weekend. Their presence offers spiritual depth, pastoral sensitivity, and theological grounding within the Kairos community that forms around each Weekend.

Clergy serving in Kairos must meet the qualifications outlined in the Kairos Program Manuals (Kairos Inside, Kairos Outside, and Kairos Torch). These standards ensure consistency, accountability, and integrity across the ministry.

Careful Selection and Accountability

Kairos does not have ecclesiastical authority, meaning we are not an official church. But, because we minister within correctional institutions and to individuals who often carry deep spiritual wounds, we have a special responsibility to both the Participants, the Guests, and the institutions where we serve to make careful, and prayerful selections of those we identify as clergy.

Every clergy volunteer must:

• Complete a Clergy Volunteer Questionnaire
• Meet the qualifications set forth in the applicable Program Manual and be approved as clergy for their specific Kairos program

Once a volunteer has been approved and serves as clergy in Kairos, they remain clergy within the ministry and must continue to serve as clergy.

Although clergy serve in a distinct spiritual role, they are treated the same as every other volunteer. They do not receive special privileges. Clergy must:

• Attend all required team formation meetings
• Participate fully in the entire Kairos Weekend
• Adhere to all Kairos policies and procedures

The integrity of our ministry depends on unity and mutual submission, not hierarchy.

Non-Denominational and Ecumenical

Kairos is non-denominational and ecumenical. Volunteers from many Christian traditions come together, setting aside denominational differences to share the transforming love and forgiveness of Christ. Clergy who serve in Kairos must be comfortable working in this unified Christian environment, honoring the diversity within the Body of Christ while focusing on the core message of the Gospel.

Calling and Discernment

All Christians are called to be witnesses — to serve others and to share the Gospel. Every Kairos volunteer answers a call to service, and each role within the ministry is important and valued.

However, while all believers are called to ministry in a general sense, only some are called to ordained ministry. A true calling to be an ordained member of the clergy has been described as a wholehearted dedication to God’s will — choosing it above money, prestige, recognition, or even personal comfort. It is a life marked by surrender, humility, and service.

Some of our volunteers may be attending seminary or pursuing ordination. While this is commendable and worthy of prayerful support, Kairos remains a lay-led ministry. Volunteers who are actively pursuing clergy qualifications should not simultaneously pursue the Kairos leadership track for a Weekend. This distinction preserves the lay-led structure of the ministry and ensures clarity of roles.

Every Role Matters

We believe every volunteer who serves in Kairos is called to the ministry and is very important. The success of all our Weekends depends on prayer warriors, musicians, table workers, cooks, agape coordinators, advisory council members, and many others — as well as clergy. Yet not every volunteer is called to serve as clergy.

Discernment, accountability, and faithfulness to our structure allow Kairos Prison Ministry International to remain strong, unified, and effective in sharing Christ’s love with the women impacted by incarceration within the institutions we serve.

Clergy in Kairos are not elevated above others — they stand alongside lay volunteers, modeling servant leadership, and humility. Together, as the unified Body of Christ, we fulfill the mission entrusted to us: to bring the transforming love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ to impact the hearts and lives of incarcerate men, women, and youth, as well as their families, to become loving and productive citizens of their communities.