September felt like a whirlwind for PSF. Our team met with prison seminary key players from New Jersey, Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi.
Dr. Autrey was able to meet with New Jersey DOC and Pillar College representatives early in the month to officially begin discussions about starting a prison seminary program in the state. The meeting was productive and Pillar College officially agreed to partner as the academic institution.
The next week Dr. Autrey, new team member, Tim Whipple, and Judge Kohl traveled to Tallahassee, Florida. There, they met with Dr. Frambo, Director of Chaplaincy Services of the Florida Department of Corrections, and Dr. Kinchen, President of The Baptist College of Florida. The Baptist College of Florida has committed as the partner school for the new women's program that will be located at Lowell Women’s Facility and they plan on opening next fall! Dr. Frambo is such a strong supporter and a wonderful resource. His involvement will certainly help ensure that the program opens on a strong footing.
This month our team also continued startup discussions in Alabama and Colorado.
More exciting news is that another graduate of the Angola Bible College was recently released and has expressed his calling to continue the ministry that he started in prison. Reginald Watts was released this year and has begun the next chapter in his life in Texas working with Mike Barber Ministries. Mike Barber is a longterm friend of Burl. They met because of Mike's heart for prisoners and his habit of pairing action with his compassion. He gave Reginald a job immediately upon release. Not long after, another chaplaincy position became available in Mississippi and Reginald was the first person that Burl thought of to fill it. Mike didn't mind Burl stealing Reginald from his ministry, that's because he knew that the opportunity for a formerly incarcerated person to come full circle and serve as a spiritual and moral guide within the prison system is an enormous blessing by God.
