April 4, 2016
The Correctional Ministries and Chaplains Association (CMCA), a ministry of the Institute for Prison Ministries at the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism at Wheaton College, has partnered with the North American Mission Board, Southern Baptist Convention (NAMB) and the Georgia Governor’s Office of Transition, Support and Reentry (GOTSR) to host UNITE, the 4th annual Correctional Ministries Summit for anyone engaged in correctional ministry.
UNITE will be held May 20-22, 2016, at the Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel in Atlanta, Ga., and will feature speakers including Carol Kent, author and founder of Speak Up for Hope, a ministry to incarcerated people and their families; D.A. Horton, national coordinator for Urban Student Missions at the NAMB; Garland Hunt, pastor and past president of Prison Fellowship; and Tony Lowden, director of the Faith and Justice Initiative for the Governor’s Office of Transition, Support and Reentry for the State of Georgia.
The three-day event will also include workshop tracks to help those in correctional ministry develop skills, network with others in correctional ministry, and be encouraged and inspired for ministry. Workshop tracks will be offered for chaplains, those in jail/prison ministry, reentry specialists, program managers, church leaders, and those specializing in juvenile ministry. The event will also feature two pre-summit events: a criminal justice policy panel discussion and a session on spiritual formation training.
"There are tremendous challenges and opportunities for Christians within corrections today," said Joseph Williams, executive director of CMCA. "Our role at CMCA and with this summit is to prepare our brothers and sisters in Christ to be ready to meet these challenges and take advantage of the opportunities."
Jerry Daniel of the Missional Engagement Team of the NAMB said, “Church leaders are waking up to the pressing need and opportunity to demonstrate God’s love to those impacted by the criminal justice system: incarcerated individuals, their family members, returning citizens, correctional professionals and victims of crime. We are honored to partner in hosting CMCA’s Summit in Atlanta this year as a way to equip and encourage those involved in correctional ministry."
The North American Mission Board, Southern Baptist Convention (NAMB) exists to work with churches, associations, and state conventions in mobilizing Southern Baptists as a missional force to impact North America with the gospel of Jesus Christ through evangelism and church planting. More information about NAMB is available at namb.net.
The Georgia Governor’s Office of Transition, Support and Reentry (GOTSR) exists to help all returning citizens and those citizens currently under community supervision reenter public life and transition into law-abiding, productive members of the community. More information about GOTSR is available at dcs.georgia.gov.
The Correctional Ministries and Chaplains Association (CMCA) is a ministry of the Institute for Prison Ministries at the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism at Wheaton College. CMCA was created to connect, encourage, equip, and strengthen Christians as they fulfill the Great Commission in corrections. For more information and to register for the Correctional Ministry Summit, visit cmcainternational.org.