INDUCTION YEAR: 2024
Myron Contee’s family goes back more than 200 years in Alexandria but his influence today is impacting Alexandrians for generations to come through his ministry and spiritual guidance to those who need it most.
As the chaplain for the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center, Chaplain Contee uplifts the hearts and souls of hundreds of incarcerated individuals each year, not only because of his faith but because of his personal understanding of what those in custody are experiencing. Chaplain Contee carries the added credibility that comes from having previously served time himself at the very same jail more than 30 years ago.
A native of Alexandria, Contee grew up at 328 North Patrick Street and worshipped at Roberts Memorial United Methodist Church on South Washington Street. From a young age, he was a talented athlete and became a standout basketball player at T.C. Williams (now Alexandria City) High School. Contee took his hoops talents to the college level by playing at George Mason University where he later served as a coaching assistant. While hoping to one day be a professional athlete, he also recognized that those opportunities often come from being “in the right place at the right time,” a lesson that would indeed become more meaningful in his spiritual journey.
But before beginning that journey in earnest, Contee lived what he calls “the street life” which soon included a drug habit, one that resulted in multiple arrests on drug charges. During his time at the Alexandria jail, Contee met the detention center’s chaplain, John Poffenberger whose guidance helped him strengthen his Christian convictions. Contee not only made the decision to change his own life but he decided he would return as a volunteer so he could help other inmates. “I wanted to come back and be a testimony to those that are in this situation,” he recently said, and to “let them know it’s possible for life to change, you just got to take the right steps.”
For several years, he continued volunteering but also pursued formal education in religion, graduating from the Capital Bible Institute in 2000 and becoming a licensed minister. Following Poffenberger’s retirement and changes in the jail’s ministry contractor, Contee became the jail’s chaplain in 2011 as well as head of Second Chance Ministries. As chaplain, Contee provides spiritual support to inmates, oversees religious-based services and programs of all faiths, reviews religion volunteer applicants, and works with other members of the clergy to ensure inmates can observe religious practices, diets and holidays.
Chaplain Contee works closely with Inmate Services staff, teaches in the Life Learning Program, provides anger management instruction, and recommends books that can help inmates on their walk of faith. He facilitates dialog between inmates and their families, something that helps everyone when families are separated during a loved one’s incarceration. By bolstering their faith and providing spiritual guidance, Chaplain Contee also strengthens their foundation for success when they return to the community. In doing so, Chaplain Contee has a significant and lasting impact on these returning citizens, their families and our community.
Beyond the jail walls, Chaplain Contee supports the formerly incarcerated through his Second Chance Ministries. If he learns that a family or returned citizen has a specific need, like food, he works to fill it, “whatever it may be, whenever it may be, wherever it may be.”
A professional plumber with his own business, Chaplain Contee also hires returned citizens, truly practicing what he preaches. He views his business as more than his livelihood; it is “something that can help somebody else.” He explains that by offering “temporary employment to ex-offenders coming out that can’t find work, it gives them access to get money in their pocket in a clean way.”
In addition to his work with justice-involved individuals, Chaplain Contee serves as a reverend at St. John Baptist Church of Alexandria and is involved in the preservation efforts for historic Douglass Cemetery where several of his ancestors are buried in unmarked graves. He is also active in outreach work for other people in need, collecting and delivering donations during the holidays or for those impacted by emergencies.
His wife, Dr. Angela Contee, is supportive of his calling and he cherishes her and their blended family which includes several children and grandchildren. He and Angela take pride in each other’s accomplishments and are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary the same week as the Living Legends reception.
During a difficult time in his life, Chaplain Contee recognized how faith and spiritual lessons could create meaningful and lasting change and he has used his calling to inspire others to do the same. He sometimes hears from ex-offenders who let him know that they are doing well, noting, “It’s always rewarding to hear from one, but it’s not a necessity. As long as I know they’re not doing bad. If I don’t see them, then I know they’re doing better.”
By: Amy Bertsch
Photo Credit: Steven Halperson–Tisara Photo