Prison Fellowship

Prison Fellowship is the largest outreach to prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, active in the United States and in more than 125 countries throughout the world through Prison Fellowship International (PFI).^[1][2]

Leadership

Charles Colson founded Prison Fellowship in 1976 after spending 7 months in prison for obstruction of justice and becoming a born again Christian. In 2002 Mark Earley became the organization's chief executive officer. In 2006 Michael T. Timmis (chairman of PFI since 1997) succeeded Colson as chairman of the board.^[3] James D. Liske became the President and CEO in 2011.^[4]

Angel Tree

Angel Tree® is a program of Prison Fellowship® that serves incarcerated parents by mobilizing the church to share the love of Christ with their children and families.^[5] Every Christmas, Angel Tree mobilizes the church to minister to the 2.7 million children of prisoners by delivering a gift and the Gospel message on behalf of their incarcerated parents. In addition, our partner churches meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs prisoners’ families through year-round ministry such as camping and mentoring. Through these partnerships, Angel Tree provides a pathway for strengthening and restoring prisoners’ relationships with their children and families.

Operation Starting Line

Operation Starting Line (OSL) is a network of national, regional and state ministries and organizations working together to support prisoners, their families and the prison community through evangelism, discipleship and collaboration. The collaboration presently includes ministries and organizations that vary in size and focus, lending resources and expertise to both Operation Starting Line and America’s prisons. Operation Starting Line began as “Project Macedonia” in North Carolina. Aaron Johnson, Secretary of the Department of Corrections, invited Prison Fellowship to bring revival to the prisons of North Carolina. Its success opened the way in 1992 for Prison Fellowship to take in-prison evangelistic programs called “Starting Line” across the nation. This evolved into Operation Starting Line in 2000 as other ministries joined Prison Fellowship in ministering to prisoners. Since 2000, over 700,000 prisoners have been reached through OSL. ^[6]

Justice Fellowship

Justice Fellowship is the criminal justice reform arm of Prison Fellowship.^[7] Justice Fellowship mobilizes grassroots activists across the country and works with key state and federal policymakers to reform the criminal justice system according to the principles of restorative justice found in the Bible. The mission of Justice Fellowship is to reform the criminal justice system so that victims are respected, offenders are transformed and reintegrated, and communities are safer.

Colson Center

The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview is an affiliate ministry of Prison Fellowship. Their mission is to grow and resource a movement of Christians committed to live and defend the Christian worldview.

References

External links

• Prison Fellowship
• Colson Center
• BreakPoint
• Turner, Allan. "Evangelist group plans to visit every prison in nation Evangelists targeting inmates Group plans to visit each prison in the nation in the next six years." Houston Chronicle. Saturday October 2, 2004.