Meet The Pastor
Reverend Kenneth Russell Barber II
KairosofMaine.org 2009-Present Auburn, Maine
2022-Present Maine State Prison Ministry Advisory Council Secretary and Outside Support Team member (#38-present)
2017-2019 MSP Retreat Weekend Inside Graduate Server (#33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
2015-2017 MSP Advisory Council Secretary and Outside Support Team member (#30, 31, 32, 33)
2016-2017 MSP Advisory Council Outreach Coordinator (#31, 32, 33)
2010-2013 MSP Retreat Weekend Inside Graduate Server (#22, 23, 24, 25)
2009 MSP Kairos #20 (This is Holy Ground) Participant
Kairos Prison Ministry International, (www.KMPI.org), is an organization that started in 1975 that presents “Christianity 101” 4-day retreats in medium and maximum-security prisons via a team of outside volunteers. Our MSP volunteers put on (2) retreat weekends a year (May & October) and return each 2nd Saturday of the month (AM rec) for Reunions (fellowship, worship, talks & prayer and share circles) and more intimate ‘prayer & share’ groups during the week. It is a statistical fact that those who have completed a Kairos weekend while in prison have a substantial chance of never committing another violent crime again.
I had a profound experience at my Kairos Weekend, as well as those around me in May, 2009 that I have become deeply involved with the Ministry “Inside” as well as “on the Outside”. The International Communion of the Charismatic Church’s (www.ICCEC.org) Reverend Jim King Church of the Holy Spirit in Portland, Maine (www.HolySpiritPortland.org) was clergy at my table (Luke) and he has become my mentor in the ICCEC’s St. Michael’s Seminary’s Deacon Certificate Program. I also became his groundskeeper & handy man at church when I was out on probation (2015-2017.)
Cell-to-Street Outreach Re-entry Ministry 2010-Present Portland, Maine
2015-Present Director
2010-Present Re-Entry Specialist
We assist soon-to-be-released inmates back into society after their intermediate/long-term incarcerations. We do this by responding to MEDOC CCTW/caseworker referrals and carrying on a conversation via ‘snail-mail’ with our future clients (ideally 6 months prior to their release.) This is a ‘getting to know you’ period where we get an idea of the inmate’s personality, crimes, future probation conditions, along as their support service needs once back in society: physical, mental, substance use d/o health needs, financial support, housing, etc. We need to know the specifics, so we can help them get the State (ME DHHS, ME Dept. of Labor & Veterans’ programs) and Federal benefits (SSI/SSDI, Veteran’s Administration) benefits they qualify.
We keep in close contact with our clients to make sure that they are adhering to their probation conditions, staying sober, reminding them of up-coming appointments, seeing if they teed transport to and from them, etc. We also teach our clients basic lifeskills that they might have lost during their incarceration(s), or that they never developed to begin with. Our services last (1) year, but can be expended if needed.
It is my goal to have a Cell-to-Street house for non-violent sex-offenders (Brothers of the Scarlet Letters) with the ICCEC’s support in either the Mid-Coast, or Eastern Maine.
The Disciples of Hope Project (2015-2017) Portland, Maine
I was the facilitator of a weekly peer-to-peer support group ministry for those with ‘correctional experience’. Being incarcerated beings many a challenge after one’s release be it: standard/affordable housing, being excluded from previous employment areas, encountering barriers to higher education/vocational training, which may result in backsliding into prior addiction(s) &/or dependency on State/Federal Aid programs.
There is so much that probation won’t/can’t help us out with, possibly resulting in a probation violation – landing us back in county jail &/or prison. This group discussed the issues that probation would not – giving those attending emotional, spiritual support as well as sharing any up-to-date resources that we have come across that caseworkers, therapists, or others might not be aware of yet.
We are also involved with the U.S. federal Bureau of Prisons System as a suicide-watch ministry. We work in conjunction with Cell-to-Street’s Outreach Re-entry Ministry out of Portland, Maine.