Greetings from the PSF Team!
We are grateful for you and your ongoing support of the work of Prison Seminaries Foundation. This month we have included a summary from several of our PSF Team members of the exciting work that is happening across the country changing moral rehabilitation with the Gospel ministry of theological education.
Simply, we are thankful for you making moral rehabilitation matter!
Dr. Denny Autrey, Director of Operations/Educational Consultant
Each week we see the amazing way that God continues to open doors for Moral Rehabilitation. Here are some recent activities:
-
Alabama – We received word from Samford University of their interest in working with us partnering with The Church of the Highlands in establishing a work within the Alabama DOC.
-
Colorado – We continue to have interaction each week in preparation to begin the program in June 2021 at Limon Correctional Facility. Dr. Daniel Jones has been named Director MABTS to oversee the program. An application for the program is under way along with an MOU between the school and CO DOC. Pray for those efforts.
-
Florida – We had a follow-up phone visit with Dr. Tom Kinchen, President, Baptist College of Florida in early October and Tim Whipple and I will be returning for another visit sometime in November. Tim also had appointments with possible donors for the Florida program as well for PSF too. He met with a family regarding their foundation. Pray for these efforts as well.
-
New Jersey – In consultation with our NJ Sustainability Team, Mike Palombi, Dr. Wayne Dyer, VP and Dr. Peter Amerman, Chair of the Biblical Studies Division at Pillar College, we are taking a proactive approach in preparing an application and a draft MOU so that we might be ready to begin the process for the program after the first of the year.
-
Mississippi – The Women’s Program is moving along in fine fashion with Director Beth Masters and Lisa Leavell at the helm. The program is scheduled to begin in January.
-
Oklahoma – OK has had many obstacles to overcome to get their program off the ground but raising funds has not been as issue. Over $550,000.00 has been raised for the program. GOD IS BLESSING OUR EFFORTS!
-
Texas – If you are in the Houston area, we would like to invite you to “An Evening with Burl Cain and the PSF Team” on Thursday, December 3, at 6:30 pm at Sagemont Church, Houston, Texas. If you’d like more information, please contact michele@prisonseminaries.org.
Tim Whipple, Sustainability Team Leader
Since having the privilege of joining PSF things have been very busy. Below is a summary our recent activity and some hopes and dreams about the future.
We have established The Ninety-Nine Foundation as the sustainability foundation for FL and TN. The name comes from the parable in Matthew 18 & Luke 15. We are currently setting up a website and finalizing our 501c3 status.
Along with the 99F we have established The One Initiative. Our goal is to raise significant funds to not only provide for seminaries in FL & TN but also to endow PSF so that it can accelerate additional launches. The One Initiative’s goal is for anyone and everyone to find themselves in the plan and become financial partners. The initiative is simple…
99 donors @ $100,000…………….. $9,900,000.00
99 donors @ $10,000……….……... $990,000.00
99 donors @ $1,000………………... $99,000.00
99 donors @ $100 …………………. $9,900.00
99 donors @ $10…………………… $990.00
______________
$10,999,890.00
It’s a lofty goal but I believe it is doable and gets everyone involved. I have floated it by some potential donors, and they like it. 99F has set a goal of $1million dollars in FL and $1million in TN. We believe that will easily sustain both men’s and women’s seminaries for 3 years.
We are in the process of planning 3 major fundraising events in FL. Obviously Covid-19 has slowed a lot of that work but with the anticipation of things opening up in early 2021 we are moving forward with plans for a banquet, golf outing and fishing tournament. In addition, we are continuing to meet with individuals and organizations about how they can be a part.
In early Oct. we held two Open House gatherings at our office where we shared PSF & 99F vision and goals. We had approximately 125 people attend over two nights and the response was amazing. We shared brochures, videos and some of the books. People were captured by the idea of being a part of such a significant ministry and I believe many will give support and be a part of future events.
I have spoken to three area churches about making PSF & 99F a part of their ongoing missional giving in 2021. I look forward to sharing with others around the state in the coming weeks.
In addition to working on my foundation I am privileged to serve other sustainability partners as the Sustainability Team Lead. I have had opportunities to speak with a few of those teams and look forward to doing more to encourage, guide and support them in their fundraising. In November I will be meeting with team members in CO and GA as well as beginning conversations in TN.
Dr. Vance Drum, TDCJ Chaplain (Retired)/Pear Ministry Consultant
In October I led a 12-hour chaplaincy training by Zoom on the Prison Seminary Model and other chaplaincy matters. The training originated in Dallas and was attended by about 60 chaplains in several states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Virginia and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
One of the main focuses of the training is how to effectively utilize the valuable asset of seminary graduates in their chaplaincy programs. Moral rehabilitation and prison culture transformation are the beneficial results when chaplains guide their graduates in doing the ministry they were called to do—in prison with their own peers.
Prisons all around the country are transforming as peer ministry—by trained seminary graduates—happens. The end product is worth all the effort. ******
