By Chris Moon
Roger Munchian used to traffic marijuana. Tons of it.
A 20-month stint in prison brought him to Christ. Today, Munchian traffics something else—Bibles.
His prison ministry, Rescued Not Arrested, distributes tens of thousands of Bibles every year to jails and prisons across the United States and to mission fields around the globe. Munchian always is looking for a good place to send a Bible.
Some habits die hard—but in a good way.
“The trafficking side is still kicking into high gear,” he jokes.
GROWTH DURING PANDEMIC
These have been busy times for Munchian’s 16-year-old ministry, which saw demand for its services grow during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The organization, originally founded to serve prisons in Arizona, now serves in some capacity in 5,000 prisons and jails in all 50 states.
Last year, Rescue Not Arrested partnered with Mission Cry, which distributes Bibles and Christian books around the globe. As a result, it now sends Bibles—as many as 50,000 a year—to orphanages, leper colonies, and other places in 177 countries.
RNA already had done some work internationally. But the partnership fueled those efforts, Munchian said.
And when the arrival of COVID-19 last year shuttered most in-person services in jails and prisons nationwide, inmates began flooding RNA’s “spiritual pen pal” program with letters. The group now gets 800 letters a month from across the country, and 100 to 150 volunteers write personal responses to each of them.
“Some just want to know who Christ is and how they can change their lives,” Munchian said. “That’s been a huge impact for us.”
INDEBTED TO GOD
Munchian founded the ministry—at first known as Life Changing Prison Ministry—shortly after he was released from prison in 2004. He had been part of a drug cartel and at one time faced up to 150 years in prison on charges brought against him.
Munchian said he agreed to a plea deal for a seven-year sentence. A judge further reduced it 2.5 years.
“God really went all out for me,” he said.
And Munchian found Christ in prison. He diligently studied an NIV Life Application Study Bible. He calls it his Bible college experience.
Upon leaving prison, he was resolute in his plans to start a prison ministry to help other inmates. He says a person’s arrest and imprisonment can be a time for God to work in their life—hence the name, Rescued Not Arrested.
People often arrive in prison needing to be rescued from something—an addiction, a toxic relationship, a bad tradition, or something else, Munchian said.
“They should see their arrest as a rescue,” he said.
THE ‘RESCUED’ BIBLE
Munchian started his prison ministry and later folded it into his home church, Christ’s Church of the Valley in Greater Phoenix. As the ministry and the church grew, Rescued Not Arrested eventually spun out on its own and is now a stand-alone nonprofit organization.
One of the ministry’s big tools is the Rescued Not Arrested Bible. Years ago, RNA partnered with Zondervan to distribute NIV Life Application Study Bibles in prisons and jails across the country. Zondervan even agreed to create a custom “Rescued Not Arrested” cover for the prison Bibles. The Study Bible is printed in both English and Spanish.
Asked how he was able to negotiate the deal with Zondervan, Munchian said, “I think I just called and asked for a rate.”
He said he doesn’t know of any other organization that has its own custom cover on the NIV Study Bible.
“I count my blessings,” he said.
The “Rescued” Bible now is distributed globally. And it was a major help during COVID-19 pandemic.
As in-person programs were shuttered in prisons, thousands of the “Rescued” Bibles already were in jail cells, and all of them had the contact info for RNA on the cover.
Faced with loneliness, inmates began to write.
“Everything shut down except for the mail,” Munchian said. “We were in high demand. Our mail increased literally overnight.”
A LOT, WITH LITTLE
Today, the organization is in the process of revamping its in-person church services in Arizona prisons. Some facilities still are closed to visitors.
At its pre-COVID levels, RNA was holding 300 church services a month.
Now, Munchian is doing a lot of video conferencing with inmates as part of RNA’s mentoring program.
He talked to the Christian Standard one morning at 10 o’clock.
“I visited with two people this morning,” he said. “I have probably 15 more after we get done talking.”
The organization has a zero-staffing policy and is fueled exclusively by volunteers. Most of its funding comes from CCV, but churches and individual donors also can send support, he said.
“Every penny goes to Bibles and books throughout the world,” he said. “The Bible, I feel, is the best gift I can give anyone.”
Munchian doesn’t even take pay. He has some investment rental properties that help support him and his wife. He says they live a simple life.
“We do a lot with little,” he said of Rescued Not Arrested. “The Great Commission has always been the goal.”
Chris Moon is a pastor and writer living in Redstone, Colorado.
Inspiring story. I have recently taken the job or Life Recovery minister for the Southside church of Christ in Ft Worth, a new role for me. This story thrills me, all of it. God bless you guys!