About Us

Read more about how we serve those in prisons with the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Mission

Our mission is to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to prisoners through athletics and to mentor them towards spiritual maturity as they successfully transition into family and community.

Vision

Our vision is to be a national and international ministry dedicated to making a lasting change in the lives of individuals, their families and communities through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

History

The idea for The Saints Prison Ministry came about in 1982, when God burdened our ministry’s founder with a desire to combine his love for Christ and his love for sports for the purpose of reaching the lost.

After thinking and praying about the idea for several years, the ministry was birthed in 1987. Forming an all-Christian softball team, leadership contacted several area prison chaplains and recreation directors to schedule games. The first game played by the team, originally named The South Jersey Saints, was on June 6, 1987. That day, eight prisoners accepted Christ as Savior at the Bayside State Prison in Leesburg, NJ.

The Saints softball team played just five games that first season, but more than doubled its schedule the following year. A men’s volleyball team was also formed and visited correctional institutions for three years. In 1989, our basketball team was formed and soon supplanted the volleyball squad in popularity and effectiveness. In 2002, the Saints added a soccer team for the purpose of reaching Spanish-speaking inmates. Women’s volleyball followed shortly thereafter, and in 2010 the Saints expanded regionally by opening a Southeastern regional office in the Atlanta area. In 2012, Illinois was added to the family as a softball team was launched in the Peoria area and, most recently, another softball team was planted in Huntington, West Virginia in 2022.

Today, we operate six men’s softball teams, a soccer team, a basketball team, and two women’s teams – softball in the Southeast Region and volleyball in the Northeast Region. Our National Headquarters is located in New Jersey, as well as a regional office in Georgia, and a branch in Illinois.

Since 1987, The Saints have played over 4,700 games in more than 475 different prisons in 33 states and Canada. During that time, over 34,000 prisoners have made professions of faith in Jesus Christ.

Core Values

  • To honor God both individually and corporately
  • To minister with passion and Biblical conviction
  • To prudently and effectively carry out our mission
  • To serve with love, compassion, humility, and integrity
  • To pray and evangelize with urgency
  • To cultivate Spirit-led leadership
  • To honor our volunteers, prayer partners and financial supporters as valued stakeholders in our ministry
  • To trust God to fulfill our ministry’s potential
  • To convey God’s hope and celebrate what He is doing in the lives of individuals
  • To maintain a God-focused perspective
  • To come alongside the local church body
  • To be responsible stewards of God’s resources
  • To faithfully meet Departments of Corrections and other external commitments

Leadership Team

Frank Zeidler

Executive Director

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Jimmy Cochran

Director Of Team Operations

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Board of Trustees

Stephen Schoch, President
Principal
Thriven Design, Inc.

Robert Fogel, Vice-President
Principal
Sisbro, Inc.

John Ackley, Secretary
Retired
Federal Reserve Bank

Brenden Hellyer, Treasurer
Financial Advisor
Bank of America

David Cogliano
Accounts Payable
First Baptist Church Woodstock

Dennis Echols, Jr.
Vice-President, Finance and Accounting
Amplify HR Management

Rev. James Korth
Career Consultant
Lee Hecht Harrison

Brian Morrison
Partner
Oxley Rich Sammons PLLC

Hank Mumma
Mentor-Protege Program Manager
Parts Life, Inc.

Frank Zeidler, Jr.
Executive Director
Saints Prison Ministry