Todd Galvin
Chaplain
Office Phone: 02 4424 6280
Todd serves as a chaplain at the South Coast Correctional Centre in Nowra. He has the privilege and satisfaction of seeing very broken individuals changed by the gospel.
“Most of the men in prison would never attend a church or have any contact with a Christian. In this role, I’ve seen men wanting to read the Bible, ask questions and beginning to understand it.”
What led you to become a chaplain?
I was looking for a change from pastoral ministry. I’d be doing it for 17 years. An opportunity for a prison chaplain position at the South Coast came up. I spoke to the head chaplain of Jericho Road and he was very positive. It sounded an exciting and unique gospel opportunity, especially for me being an ex-police officer. The rest is history.
Tell us a bit about your role:
I’m the Presbyterian chaplain at the South Coast Correctional Centre. Basically, my role, along with the other two chaplains, is to provide pastoral and spiritual care to the 900 inmates who reside here and the 350 staff who manage it. Currently, I personally minister to about 300 inmates in the maximum and medium section of the prison. Some of these guys are on remand which means they’re awaiting their day in court. Some are sentenced and some are on protection from the mainstream prison population.
What is it like serving in this context?
It can be challenging at times, working with men who have done horrific things and those who have themselves been destroyed by violence, abuse, drugs and so on. Despite this, there are moments of great joy. I think of an inmate who was at his lowest point, full of despair and hopelessness. I visited him and shared about the hope that is found in the gospel. Three months later he gave his life to Jesus Christ. He wrote: ‘My life has been a blessing ever since. All the glory to God.’ He went on to undertake a correspondence course with a theological college.
It doesn’t get any better than that!
Supporting Todd with a regular donation ensures that he can continue to share the Gospel with those in prison.
You will receive regular updates from Todd about his work as well as prayer points – so you can partner with him in prayer.
State legislation includes provisions for chaplaincy services in NSW correctional centres. Todd’s chaplaincy position at the South Coast Correctional Centre is enabled by an agreement between Corrective Services NSW and the Civil Chaplaincy Advisory Committee – ensuring that the pastoral care needs of inmates are met.
In NSW, the government provides funding for chaplaincy roles like Todd’s, acknowledging the benefits of chaplains in hospitals and correctional centres. However, this only covers part of a chaplain’s wage. To ensure we can sustain our chaplaincy ministry, we need your help. To find out more about how you can support chaplains financially as an individual or as a church, click here.
Don’t forget: You can support Todd financially and with prayer by becoming a sponsor.