Faith behind Bars

When Rev. Scott Van Voorst (’08) walks through the gates of the South Dakota State Penitentiary, he is entering a sanctuary unlike any other.

“Having a clear view of God at work in places and with people that most of society would write off as a lost cause is the most enjoyable part of my work at Cornerstone CRC,” says Van Voorst. “Getting to be in the room when God moves and pours out His grace through the words of a person serving a life sentence and know that He uses my efforts to make these opportunities continue is a rich blessing.”

Van Voorst currently serves as pastor at Cornerstone CRC, which meets inside the penitentiary, and as a chaplain in the Air National Guard. This fall, Dordt University recognized Van Voorst’s faithful and creative ministry by naming him the 2025 Horizon Award recipient. The award is given to alumni who are community-minded and entrepreneurial—those using their knowledge, gifts, and talents to participate in God’s redemptive work in the world.

Although Van Voorst majored in youth ministry at Dordt, it was through his mentors that he gained a clearer understanding of his calling. “A number of the theology professors invested significantly in me,” he recalls. “And several staff members took the time to get to know me, help me discern God’s call in my life, and broaden my view of what kingdom impact my life could have.”

“Through my time and interactions at Dordt, it became clear that my passion for youth ministry was a part of a broader passion for the church to reach people on the fringes or who may fall through the cracks,” explains Van Voorst. “As I pursued further education at Calvin Seminary, I had the opportunity to visit Angola Prison in Louisiana to experience the difference the Gospel had made in that prison. God used that experience to increase my passion for the potential of the Gospel light in darker places and the dignity of all humanity as image bearers.”

Ordained in the CRC in 2015, Van Voorst and his family continued to follow God’s call and relocated several times, most recently returning to the Midwest where he also joined the Air National Guard. In 2021, he began serving at Cornerstone Prison Church.

In his roles as pastor and chaplain, Van Voorst works with people from a range of religious backgrounds. He believes his Dordt experience equipped him well for that work. “My time at Dordt greatly deepened my knowledge of my faith and commitment to the Reformed worldview,” he says. “Without the mentoring, education, and training I received at Dordt, I wouldn’t have had the background to take on extra challenges during seminary and likely would have had less perspective on the broadness of God’s Kingdom.”

Alongside the joy of witnessing God at work, Van Voorst also navigates the unique challenges his role presents. “There is a cross-cultural aspect to the work. There are regular changes in policy and schedule, and we are regularly adapting to the unexpected,” explains Van Voorst.

Still, his faith anchors him. “The confidence that God works when we are weak and that our challenges did not surprise a Sovereign Lord helps me to continue to adapt and carry on the work of pointing to Christ through all the changes and challenges.”

His work today reminds Van Voorst of his first weeks on Dordt’s campus. “During my freshman Week of Welcome (WOW), the theme was ‘Get Engaged’—a nod to how many students ended up engaged or married during their time at Dordt, but more than that, it was about making the most of the opportunities God gives,” says Van Voorst. “I remember posters with messages of stepping into a bigger role paired with an image of a goldfish in a bowl looking out at the ocean.”

Those ideas encouraged Van Voorst to not just learn, but to consider how that learning could have impacts he had not yet imagined. “They encouraged me to turn the foundations of my faith into a launching pad of service. Dordt was not the only place God did this kind of work to push and stretch me, but it was a formative place and was used to create opportunities I continued to build on, leading me to where I am today.”

Van Voorst is also grateful for his wife, Leah, whom he married while still a student at Dordt. “She has been with me through so many adventures in serving God and has been a massive support at times when I have wondered if God was calling me to more or to the next thing,” says Van Voorst. “I wouldn’t be the military chaplain and prison pastor I am without her support and care for our family while I serve in my ministry roles.”

The Van Voorsts have five children, spanning life stages from toddler through high school. “When I’m not serving in a secured facility somewhere, I am spending time with my family, enjoying God’s world and the unique passions He has given each of my family members,” says Van Voorst.

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.