wfn.org | Alaskan Named Restorative Justice Award Recipient

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17-June-1998 
GA98082 
 
 
    Alaskan Named Restorative Justice Award Recipient 
 
    by Emett Barfield 
 
CHARLOTTE, N.C.--On Thursday evening, Rev. Mrs. Mable Rasmussen 
distinguished associate pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of 
Fairbanks, Alaska and chaplain of the Fairbanks Correctional Center will 
receive the Restorative Justice Award from the National Ministries Division 
of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Rev. Rasmussen was nominated for this 
award by her session at First Presbyterian Church. 
    In 1951, this devoted disciple and her husband moved to Alaska to serve 
as missionaries to Native Americans. In 1957 she and her husband founded 
the Hospitality House for Youth-at-Risk, where she worked until retirement 
in 1974. Her work in prison ministries began in 1984 when a visitor to the 
church asked Rev. Rasmussen to go with her to the Fairbanks Correctional 
Center. She responded  to the call for help and has been responding ever 
since. She energetically ministers to some 250 prisoners in her role as 
chaplain. In addition, she carries on a very active counseling practice for 
the street people of her city and an outreach program for girl friends, 
wives, and families of the prisoners. At the age of 78, when most would be 
considering retirement, she became an ordained Presbyterian minister to 
comply with state requirements for prison chaplains. Her infectious 
commitment to her work has caused more than two hundred volunteers, 
including spiritual counselors and ministers of other faith groups to join 
in this work. 
    Seeing prison ministry as an invaluable evangelistic tool, she 
encourages her volunteers to see themselves as friends to those with whom 
they work. One of the projects her church sponsors each  year is the 
provision of  gifts for the prisoners to give to their families each 
Christmas. Each prisoner is permitted to choose a gift for members of his 
family from the array of gifts gathered by members and friends  of the 
church. She speaks of one prisoner who asked, "Who gave us these gifts?" 
Rev. Rasmussen replied: "Church people." The man's immediate response: "I'm 
going back to church. No one has ever done anything like this." Recently 
six folk joined the First Presbyterian Church. Five were recovering addicts 
from her outreach program. Due to the overcrowding in the Fairbanks Center, 
a number of the prisoners have been moved to Arizona. There the ministry of 
this marvelous minister continues, as the men share their witness of faith 
which she has nurtured in them. 
The award to this very worthy disciple of Christ concludes with these 
words: 
    In the Letter to the Hebrews we are challenged: "Do not neglect to show 
hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels 
unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them." 
For doing this, and much more, your church - the Presbyterian Church 
(U.S.A.) - honors you." 
The most wonderful thing of all is the fact that this very amazing minister 
in her pioneer candor sees nothing extraordinary about her long and 
fruitful ministry. 

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