Welcome
What do we do?
The Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry takes the gospel of Jesus Christ into the darkest of places in the Texas prison system through our bachelor degree program which educates men and women with long-term prison sentences. Graduates of the Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry are allowed to serve their peers as Field Ministers throughout the Texas prison system.
taking the gospel of Jesus Christ into the darkest of places
The Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry boldly believes that the only way to effect lasting change is through the gospel of Jesus Christ. That sets us apart as an institution. We carry this mission out daily in full respect of every student, staff member, and colleague. There is nothing worse than someone hiding who they really are. Our students expect to come to a Christian college. Regardless of what each of our students believes personally, each student should be able to graduate knowing the content of Christianity and a Christian world-
view because we have been true to our mission and fulfilled it.
We are an institution that knows the opportunity that our graduates have in front of them because we built that opportunity for a decade—the unprecedented job of Field Minister. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) leadership regularly states publicly that they could not imagine their agency without Field Ministers.
The development of the position of Texas Field Minister and the deployment of 199 Field Ministers to 41 locations all over the state of Texas was the work of the Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry from 2011-2021. In 2021, we became the institution of higher education that a man or woman must graduate from to become a Field Minister. We listened and counseled and worked with men and women inmates for years. We labored with TDCJ to train wardens and chaplains all over the state. Our staff and our board has stayed focused on our mission.
The Heart of Texas College of Ministry boldly believes that the only way to effect lasting change is through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our students are impacting men and women who will return to society within a matter of weeks. They are the epitome of public service as scholar-mentors and front-line spiritual responders.
the unprecdented job of Field Minister
Together, all of us—our board, our staff, our factuly, the Field Ministers, our students, our donors, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and state leaders—are creating a new standard of excellence in the field of corrections. The Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry continues to lead the way in measurable change from the internal decisions men and women make to thier outward actions. Transformation of the human heart through clear communication of the the good news of Jesus Christ, care for the human being made in God’s image regardless of his or her past, and Christ-centered education of the mind toward intelligent moral, spiritual, and emotional strength of all of our students leads to a change in their decisions and actions.
We are called to the highest standards of conduct in our public and private lives. As we take ourselves into the mission field within our state prison system, that standard becomes even more vital. It is vital to our own personal effectiveness
Grove Norwood CEO & Founder
and to the mission of our college. We must model integrity to our inmate students and to the officers and leadership within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
To model the moral standards of Jesus Christ in all we say and do is the personal standard for each of us and the standard to which we hold ourselves at all times. The daily and long-term effectiveness of our work depends on each of us dealing openly and honestly with all of our students, faculty, donors, suppliers, state representatives, and prison officials.
And most importantly, we are in the business of working to help the inmates, who are our students, repair the damage done to the lives of others and to themselves. All of our students have experienced the wanton and radical abandonment of their personal integrity and are now in the process of trying to rebuild their lives. We help them discover the life-giving effects of embracing and cultivating personal integrity.
Make plans to join us at our historic first graduation on December 6, 2023 at the Memorial Unit in Rosharon, Texas where 33 men are on track to graduate with the Bachelor of Arts in Applied Ministry. Our journey together has been a joy. The best is yet to come.
Under his waterfall of grace,
Grove C. Norwood, CEO
Our Team
Bachelor of Arts in English from Western North Carolina University
Master of Education from University of Southern California
Figher Pilot [F-102], Captain, and Veteran United States Air Force
Provost
Bacehlor of Science in Kinesiology from Texas A&M University
Master of Science in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University
Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from the University of Texas
Master of Education from Prarie View A&M University
Audrau Winkelmann
Librarian and Coordinator of Student Learning Resources
Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas A&M University
Master of Library Science from Texas Woman’s University
Faculty
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.” Psalm 111:10
Students
The historic first class to graduate from the Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry.
The historic first class to graduate from the Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry with both men and women.
2023 Proposed Budget
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry
Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry 2023
PROJECTED
Budget
EXPENSES
Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry
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Planning and Effectiveness