Bill Glass Behind the Walls

What Bill Glass Behind the Walls does

Bill Glass Behind the Walls is a Dallas-area 501(c)(3) prison ministry founded in 1969 by former NFL player Bill Glass, with the prison-ministry program launched in 1972. It operates an event-based delivery model in which trained volunteer "Teammates" from partner churches are equipped using the What Do You Think? scripture tract and Equip & Ignite training, then deployed inside correctional facilities (prisons, jails, juvenile centers) across 15+ US states for Day of Champions, Weekend of Champions, Special Ops, Blitz, and Beyond the Walls formats. The organization also runs international events in seven African countries and operates auxiliary programs including a Local Team volunteer structure, the Champions for Life coloring book, Who Is Bill Glass? promotional cards, The Power of a Father's Blessing podcast, and platform-guest appearances by athletes, musicians, and ex-offenders.

The underlying "technology" is intentionally low-tech: a paper tract methodology, in-person one-on-one witnessing, and a supporting back office built on DonorView for donor and event management, JotForm for background-check forms, and RightNow Media for volunteer training content. The ministry reports 1.5 million+ cumulative decisions for Christ over 50+ years, 81%+ of funds directed to ministry, ECFA accreditation since 1989, and a Charity Navigator 4-star rating sustained over five consecutive years.

Revenue mechanics are donation-driven. Sources include Greatest Need appeals, First Team monthly recurring gifts (with complimentary event registration at $25+/month), $75 to Life unit sponsorships, event registration fees ($25), memorials, and planned giving via bequests, annuities, and trusts. The legal entity is Bill Glass Ministries (Texas nonprofit) dba Bill Glass Behind the Walls, headquartered in Duncanville, Texas, currently led by CEO Michael Nolan (appointed March 2020) following the death of founder Bill Glass in 2021.

Name

Bill Glass Behind the Walls

Legal name

Bill Glass Ministries dba Bill Glass Behind the Walls

Website

https://behindthewalls.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bill Glass Behind the Walls is a 501(c)(3) prison ministry that trains church-based volunteers and deploys them into US and African correctional facilities using scripture-tract evangelism events. It is funded primarily by individual donations and recurring giving programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Prison Ministry Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Faith-Based & Mission Service Programs (EDAIAGAI)

Keywords

• Prison evangelism ministry
• Correctional facility outreach
• Church volunteer training
• Faith-based nonprofit services
• Community evangelism events

Headquarters

HQ city

Duncanville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The primary revenue stream comes from individual donations. Supporters can give to the Greatest Need, support specific events, give memorials, or join the First Team recurring giving program.
2. Event Registration Fees: Volunteers pay a nominal registration fee ($25) to attend events, which helps cover materials, training, and meals. First Team members and their spouses receive free registration.
3. First Team Recurring Giving Program: Monthly recurring gift program where supporters commit to regular contributions. Members at $25+/month receive complimentary event registration and a First Team polo shirt.
4. $75 to Life Campaign: Campaign where donors sponsor the cost ($75) to train and take one person to lead a soul from eternal death to eternal life. Represents the average cost per conversion.
5. Planned Giving and Estate Donations: Bequests through wills, life insurance beneficiary designations, retirement account beneficiary designations, charitable annuities, trusts, and POD/TOD accounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bill Glass Behind the Walls is a faith-based nonprofit that trains church members through a tract-based evangelism methodology and deploys them into correctional facilities nationwide to share the Gospel with inmates. Core offerings are organized evangelism events (Day of Champions, Weekend of Champions, Special Ops, Blitz, Beyond the Walls, and Africa events) combined with pre-event volunteer training and ongoing donor support programs. The ministry partners with local churches and uses high-profile platform guests (athletes, entertainers, NASCAR, ex-offenders) to draw inmates into the program.

Product overview

Bill Glass Behind the Walls is a prison ministry organization founded in 1969 that operates as a single integrated ministry with multiple event formats and support programs. The core offering consists of five types of evangelism events: Day of Champions, Weekend of Champions, Special Ops, Blitz, and Beyond the Walls events—all designed to train volunteers and take Christians into correctional facilities to share the Gospel. Supporting products include the What Do You Think? scripture tract, Teammate Packet materials, and Equip & Ignite training. The ministry also offers subsidiary programs including the Champions for Life coloring book, Who Is Bill Glass? promotional cards, the First Team recurring giving program, $75 to Life sponsorship metric, and The Power of a Father's Blessing podcast. Africa Evangelism Events extend operations internationally. Platform Guests (athletes, entertainers, ex-offenders) draw inmates to programs. The Local Team Program enables community-based event coordination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Day of Champions (DOC) Events Single-day prison evangelism event format featuring high-energy performances by professional athletes, entertainers, musicians, and ex-offenders, followed by one-on-one volunteer witnessing using the What Do You Think? tract. Hosted inside correctional facilities for trained church volunteers (Teammates).
• Weekend of Champions (WOC) Events Two-day prison evangelism event format that includes volunteer training on day one, facility ministry on days one and two, and a celebratory banquet between ministry days. Designed for deeper engagement and larger volunteer groups.
• Special Ops Events Compact, bus-based prison evangelism events designed for remote correctional facilities requiring extended travel time. Volunteer training occurs on the bus en route, and the group ministers inside the facility then returns the same day.
• Blitz Events Single-day, compressed version of Day of Champions that combines early-morning volunteer training with facility ministry in one approximately 8-hour day. Suited for tighter volunteer schedules.
• Beyond the Walls Events Public-venue community evangelism events held in partnership with local churches at locations such as parks. Designed for Christians hesitant to enter correctional facilities; platform guests draw attendees who are then connected with volunteers for one-on-one tract witnessing.
• Africa Evangelism Events International extension of the ministry's prison evangelism model into correctional facilities across African nations including Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini.
• Equip & Ignite Training Mandatory pre-event volunteer training program that prepares Teammates for the correctional facility experience, teaches the What Do You Think? tract witnessing methodology, and includes spiritual preparation through praise and worship. Required for participation in any Behind the Walls event.
• Teammate Packet Physical envelope of witnessing materials distributed to each volunteer at Equip & Ignite training, including What Do You Think? tracts and supplementary materials for sharing faith with inmates during events.
• Local Team Program Community-based volunteer team program where members fill defined coaching roles (Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Fundraising Coach, Hospitality Coach, Media Coach, Prayer Coach, etc.) to plan and execute events alongside Regional Directors.
• Who Is Bill Glass? Cards Compact promotional cards explaining the ministry, available in six versions with different front images and shared back content, used to recruit volunteers, pastors, and donors.
• Champions for Life Coloring Book Children's coloring book telling Bill Glass's story from Texas childhood to NFL career to evangelist, including age-appropriate ABCs and 1-2-3s for sharing the Gospel with family, friends, and neighbors.
• First Team Recurring Gift Program Monthly recurring donation membership program with no minimum gift requirement; members giving $25+ per month receive complimentary event registration for self and spouse (excluding Special Ops events) and a complimentary First Team polo shirt.
• $75 to Life Sponsorship Unit-based sponsorship program where a $75 donation sponsors one person being evangelistically trained and sent, and is presented as the average cost to lead one soul to Christ. Spans training, inmate outreach, conversion, in-prison discipleship, and return-volunteer community witness.
• The Power of a Father's Blessing Podcast Faith-based interview podcast exploring fatherhood and spiritual themes, available on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts, accompanied by fatherhood resources and book recommendations.
• Event-Specific Giving Designated-giving program that lets donors direct contributions to a specific event or state, supporting 40+ event locations across the US.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.5 million+ decisions for Christ recorded since 1969
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Local ChurchescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurches across the country partner with BGBTW to reinforce evangelism training with their congregations. Churches host Equip & Ignite training sessions, provide volunteers (Teammates), and support local event logistics. The ministry works under the guidance of pastors to equip church members.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition: USCCB-coordinated Catholic prison ministry; broader in scope and tradition but operates in the same correctional facilities and serves the same inmate population.
• Volunteers of America: Large national nonprofit with substantial prison reentry and correctional services; broader in mission including secular social services but addresses the same target population with faith-informed programs.

Regional players

• Slide The City: Aggregator of Christian volunteer mission trips that includes prison ministry opportunities; comparable as a mobilizing channel for faith-based volunteers but operates more broadly across mission types.

Direct peers

• Good News Jail & Prison Ministry: Chaplaincy and evangelical ministry that operates inside correctional facilities, providing Bible studies and counseling; a long-standing peer in the prison evangelism space.
• Crossroads Prison Ministries: Correspondence-based and in-prison evangelical ministry that pairs volunteers with inmates for Bible study; comparable target audience and faith-based mission.
• Prison Fellowship: Largest Christian prison ministry in the US, founded by Chuck Colson. Operates Angel Tree, in-prison programs, and reentry services; directly comparable in mission focus on prison evangelism and discipleship.
• Kairos Prison Ministry International: Volunteer-driven Christian prison ministry that runs multi-day retreat-style events inside prisons; matches BGBTW's model of training volunteers and entering correctional facilities for evangelism.
• God Behind Bars: Faith-based ministry that runs church services and events inside prisons, including concerts and large gatherings; competes for the same volunteer and donor base as BGBTW.
• InnerChange Freedom Initiative: Faith-based prison program (formerly part of Prison Fellowship) offering in-prison discipleship and reentry; operates in similar correctional facilities with a similar biblically-based curriculum.

Emerging players

• Assistance in Healthcare: Smaller faith-based prison outreach programs that combine evangelism with reentry support; partial overlap with BGBTW's evangelism mission but with a stronger focus on post-release services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLaLm0r7Nww3aSy_OQCVRmin3LDlUV-qgV&feature=shared
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/billglassbtw

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bill Glass Behind the Walls