Prison Fellowship Bahamas (PFB) will host the 3rd annual Regional Conference of Prison Fellowship International in New Providence, anticipating fellowship partners from 12 Caribbean countries, for a week long seminar.
Under the theme Caribbean United in Faith, Breaking Shackles and Changing Lives, former Regional Director for the Caribbean for Prison Fellowship International, and Programs Coordinator for PFB, David Williams, said Prison Fellowship ministries will come from as far as Jamaica, Barbados, Bermuda Antigua and Barbuda and the Cayman Islands.
“The broad goals of the conference are fellowship, education and training, and initiative sharing.
“Highlight presentations will cover reports from the various countries, strategies for capacity building for longevity, fund raising – the new paradigm, protocols of prison ministry, and Prison International’s signature programs, TPJ and Sycamore Tree.
“We will also be addressing child molestation, rape prevention and prevention of gender based violence, considering the time we live in, particularly in The Bahamas,” Mr. Williams said.
As More than 100 evangelism workers, from churches across The Bahamas, have been invited to join the PFB in this conference, Mr. Williams says it’s a great opportunity for the public to get involved in ministry.
“Prison ministry is one of the purest forms of the love of God in the midst of broken humanity, and we invite the benevolent, sensitive, and the financially generous citizens among us to jump in and help us to plan and put on a very successful conference.
“As we all lend a hand in aiding the fallen in our land to walk again, we must remember that Jesus says if you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me,” Mr. Williams said.
Prison Fellowship Bahamas is an arm of an international fellowship out of Washington DC. According to the PFB, other nations to be represented at the conference include US Virgin Isles, British Virgin Isles, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Belize.
The opening ceremony to will be held at the Cousin McPhee AME Church, on Sunday May 26.
President of PFB, Reverend Anthony Sands, said the non-profit organization, conducts spiritual enrichment services in five different sections of the Bahamas Department of Corrections (BDOC), namely Maximum, Medium and Minimum Security, Remand facility, the female section.
“Those programs are aimed to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those individuals, and as we do that we seek to bring about transformation, reconciliation, and restoration.
“By extension, it’s also offered to ex-offenders, our communities and certainly the families of victims as well,” Mr. Williams said.
PFB also conducts a number of programs outside of the prison program, including a school program, taking the message of hope, and crime prevention to the youth, partnering with the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) and BDOC.
