I n 1981 Reverend Jose Hernandez was appointed by Miami Dade County Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations to become the Chaplain of five facilities with over 2,600 inmates and twelve hundred employees.

Reverend Hernandez was trained that his single role was to bring others to the life saving and life changing message of the gospel of Christ. In accepting the position of Chaplain for the then five detention centers that housed over 30,000 inmates annually in Dade County he accepted the commitment that this message has the power to change; to rehabilitate these lives. In addition, as Chaplain for Miami Dade Department of Corrections he was Chaplain to the 1200 employees as well.

With the weighted responsibility on his heart and the impossible task of seeing to the spiritual needs of the inmates and the employees, he was blessed with the concept of South Florida Jail Ministries; a ministry supported by local churches both financially and with volunteers helping the inmates and their families.

The timing was perfect (as God's timing is) because the newly hired Director for MDCR was supportive and the opportunity for just such a ministry was provided.

Dr. Reverend Hernandez brought together some of the existing volunteers and recruited a few others to establish the SFJM, a non-profit organization ministering to inmates in the MDCR. He began approaching churches for support and participation and began with $100 from University Baptist Church and grew to a steady $60,000 per year of church support.

The basic structure was an English and Spanish speaking chaplain at each facility that would make ten chaplains starting as volunteers with the goal of achieving total support through their churches and communities. Each chaplain was responsible of designing their facility's program of worship services, bible studies and counseling sessions as needed.

While South Florida Jail Ministries started in 1982, one of the outstanding issues being faced in the Women Detention Center was female inmates being released at 4:00 AM and having no programs to refer them to. For the women participated in the SFJM programs inside the WDC. Their greatest challenge would be faced upon release when their pimps or drug-addicted boyfriends would be there to pick them up and return them to the life that brought them to jail.

Not having a place to refer the ladies to in order to escape this cycle was frustrating and seemed a problem impossible to overcome. Until a tragedy occurred: one of the young (20 year old) women participating in the program was released to her pimp; who violently threw her Bible on the ground outside the jail and threw her into the car. Several days later the young woman was found dead. Either she had jumped from a second story balcony at a motel on Biscayne Boulevard or she was thrown from it.

The ministry felt at a loss. What was to keep this from happening over and over? We prayed and a woman, Trudy Snider, in 1985 came forth. Her husband, John Snider, passed away leaving her an insurance policy of $20,000 and after hearing what had happened, she donated the money to help these women.

Everyone knew the need: a residential program the ladies could go to that was low cost or no cost, and they could receive the support in the community for themselves and children.

This donation made the dream of the Agape Family Ministries a reality. We began fundraising and looking for a location and we were adopted by Reverend Greg Davis who provided one acre of land for $1.00 a year. In 1988 we set up a large trailer that was modified to meet our needs and began with a capacity for twenty residents. Everything went well until 1992 when hurricane Andrew struck and completely destroyed the facility and most of the staff homes and displaced the residents until we could come up with a new location.

The government saw that the Agape home was doing such a great job that they could not let the program die. Since there was no one to take over the task of fighting drug addicts, the government offered 4 trailers on Railroad Ave. in Homestead.

The search began for a new permanent facility. A former retirement home, Sunrise in Goulds, was found at a very reasonable price. The property was paid for by the community and the facility became the Agape Family Ministries.

In the Bible the Lord was able to multiply the fishes to feed the thousands. He is doing the same wonderful miracle at Agape.

This is what powerful ministry is all about, letting Christ work through you and the body of Christ.

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