Crossroads | Inside these walls: Women at the Well prison congregation

Inside these walls: Women at the Well prison congregation

Presenter: Paul Witmer
Lead Pastor, Women at the Well UMC

OCTOBER 21, 2022 — 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
Plymouth Congregational Church, Des Moines
** in-person event **

Women at the Well is a United Methodist congregation located within the walls of the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville, Iowa. It is a diverse community composed of women incarcerated at ICIW, people from around the state of Iowa who choose to worship together, and volunteers who regularly support the ministries and programs.

Rev. Paul Witmer serves Women at the Well and provides programming for the ministry. Join us for the October Crossroads luncheon to learn more about this important program, the challenges still it is still facing from the impact of COVID, and the needs of the women who reside at ICIW.

About our presenter: Ordained in the United Church of Christ, Paul Witmer has served as a pastor for more than 30 years in rural and suburban settings, including a new church start in the 90s here in Iowa. He has extensive experience teaching contemplative practices, leading retreats, and working with folks in twelve-step recovery. A trained spiritual director, Paul also helps others in developing deep listening skills and growing on the spiritual journey, which has included many years of teaching and leading with the Prairiefire program.  As an artist and musician, Paul is especially drawn to the arts as creative expression and experience of the Divine.

Paul currently serves as Lead Pastor with Women at the Well, a prison congregation of The United Methodist Church at the Iowa women’s prison in Mitchellville, Iowa. Paul is a graduate of Southwestern University (Georgetown, TX) and Eden Seminary (St. Louis, MO). He resides with his wife in Urbandale, and between them they have five grown children and three grandchildren.

You may make your reservation to attend in-person by clicking on the "Register Now" button. Three brown bag lunch options are available: turkey sandwich, roast beef sandwich, and vegetarian sandwich; brown bag lunches are $12 each and come with a bag of crisp apple slices, chips, condiments on the side, and a brownie. Please note: You must pre-order and pay for your lunch by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, OCTOBER 18. Late orders or walk-in requests for lunch will NOT be available.

If you have any issues registering, please email info@interfaithallianceiowa.org or call 515.279.8715.

Crossroads is a monthly gathering of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa in Des Moines. It's an opportunity to learn, to participate in civil dialogue, and to discuss issues at the crossroads of religion and politics.