Chaplains
LANCE MARSHALL
Born in Nebraska in 1960, grandson of a lifelong minister, Lance Marshall is the son of Paul and Joy Marshall. In 1968, he moved to Hawaii and became a preacher’s kid, when his Dad became the pastor of a small church. Starting with a class called “Perspectives on the World Christian Movement”, Lance began an education that led to his current career as a Chaplain. Lance continued his education at Nebraska Christian College, earning a BA degree in Theology. Lance graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1996. The summer after graduating, Lance married his college sweetheart, Kim Craig, of Lincoln, Nebraska. Lance was first called to pulpit ministry while at Nebraska Christian College, serving the Ewing Church of Christ as preacher. In 1998, when their college days were concluded they moved to the west coast where Lance served as pastor at the Lighthouse Church of Christ in Bandon, Oregon. In 2000, they moved to California to serve the First Christian Church in Madera, where Lance was senior pastor. In 2006, Lance was called to a part-time Chaplain position at an Adult Rehabilitation Center. Lance was invited to serve as a jail chaplain intern in Contra Costa in 2007. At the conclusion of a six month equivalency internship, Lance learned of another county looking for a jail Chaplain and was called by that ministry to replace the Senior Chaplain, who was planning to retire. Lance served that county, Merced, for three years before being called back to Contra Costa. Lance and Kim have a son, Jude Nathanael, born in 2008. email: Chaplain Lance
JOHN KLOBUCHAR
John has been involved in jail and prison ministry since 2003. His first experience ministering to the incarcerated was through sports ministry. He has traveled and ministered in dozens of prisons in California, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi, including San Quentin and Angola state prisons. Since 2014 John has served as a volunteer, board member, and now as a chaplain with Bay Area Chaplains. John has and continues to serve in multiple ministries at the local church. He has served as an elder, deacon, and in various teaching ministries. He currently serves in Children's ministry, regularly teaches, and is part of the preaching team. John holds a BA in Christian Ministry from Liberty University and a Master of Divinity from Western Seminary. He spent 30 years in the US Coast Guard and retired in 2016 as a Command Master Chief. He and his wife Cindy have four children and two grandchildren. Their household is bilingual because their youngest son is deaf.
John’s mission is to Making Christ Known. The issues facing the incarcerated are often the heaviest of circumstances filled with uncertainty. This uncertainty creates a host of negative consequences. Yet, this is also the opportunity to make Christ known, the certain hope for eternal life (1 John 5:20). Redemption begins, continues, and ends with knowing Him. Knowing Him is wisdom for salvation (2 Tim. 3:15) and we have His Word in order that we might know Him (Luke 24:27; John 5:39). Knowing Christ is the central way we conform to His image and will become like Him when He returns (2 Cor. 3:18, 1 John 3:2- 3). So, whether it is one brief encounter or an opportunity for discipleship, Making Christ Known is John’s mission. That those made in the image of God may know The Image of God (Colossians 1:15).
Email: Chaplain John
HAROLD ALBERT (Founder and Former Chaplain)
Chaplain Harold Albert came from a Jewish background. He attended Hebrew school as a boy. He received Jesus Christ as his Savior when he was in high school, and soon became convinced that he should give his life for Christian ministry. While still in college he served as President of the So. Calif. Regular Baptist Youth Association. After earning his B.A. and B.Th., he served for 17 years with Fellowship of Baptists for Home Missions as a church planter. He pastored five churches, three as the founding pastor. During those years, he also served as Youth Chairman for the Chicago area and the Illinois-Missouri area Regular Baptists, editor of the state paper, and camp dean for the Illinois-Missouri Association of Regular Baptists. He was also a board member and chief fundraiser for the Baptist Builders Club. In 1982, Harold became the Administrator of Development at Denver Baptist Bible College. Over the next 13 years he was Vice President at Miami Christian College, Academic Dean at Hollywood Christian School and administrator of another Christian school. In 1994 he earned his M. Ed. in administration from Liberty University. That same year he moved to California to become the Executive Director of Western Baptist Home Mission. Harold became a chaplain with Good News Jail & Prison Ministry in 2003. In 2009 Harold became the founding chaplain of Bay Area Chaplains. He and his wife, Dorothy, celebrated their sixty-third wedding anniversary in 2020. They have two children and two grandchildren. Chaplain Harold Albert went home to the Lord on March 30th, 2022.
Bay Area Chaplains History
In March of 2009, Sheriff Warren E. Rupf asked the Bay Area Chaplains to provide the chaplains for the three jails in Contra Costa County. Current Sheriff David Livingston has continued that invitation. The arrangement with BAC is that the chaplains raise part of the funds needed to sustain the chaplain services. No tax dollars are used, which saves the county a significant amount of money. The golf tournament is our biggest fundraising event. Your sponsorship is vital to provide these needed services.
California spends over $100,000 per inmate for the 95,000 in it’s prison system. Many of these individuals are recurring offenders who need to be rehabilitated versus simply being incarcerated. The chaplains are involved in meeting the spiritual needs of both inmates and staff on a daily basis. The chaplains help to break the cycle of crime, one inmate at a time, through a process of spiritual renewal. The chaplains sponsor an annual Christmas gift drive for the children of inmates that provides hundreds of gifts. They also sponsor a drive for Thanksgiving baskets for the inmate’s families. Studies show the potential of a strong payback to the community in reduced recidivism from the chaplain services. This means that our communities are safer and better places to live and do business.
