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Reaching the Church with Reentry printer-friendly

By Christian Association for Prison Aftercare

Reaching the Church with Reentry, an event for local pastors and church leaders, was held on October 7, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Milwaukee, WI. The purpose of the event was to encourage local churches to become more involved in ministry to those affected by crime. The program was preceded by a reception for church leaders at which hors d' oeuvres and liquid refreshments were served. The program included a keynote address by Milwaukee's Pastor John A. Barton, Sr. pastor of Philadelphia Church of God in Christ. Pastor Barton shared his passion for serving those in prison and in transition from prison. His church has been actively engaged in prisoner reentry for over 20 years. The program also included a musical selection, a testimony by a returning citizen, a video presentation of Brothers and Sisters in Christ Serving (BASICS) and the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative, both local organizations. A presentation was made by CAPA President Joseph Williams on Healing Communities. Healing Communities is a model that was developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation that encourages and teaches churches to minister to their congregants who have been affected by crime. This includes offenders, victims and families.

An appeal was made for church leaders to become more effectively engaged in ministry to those affected by crime by becoming involved in the local Healing Communities initiative. The presentation was well-received. All of those in attendance were made aware of a local follow-up Healing Communities meeting that was held on November 2nd in Milwaukee at the New Testament Church of Milwaukee. They were also informed of a national phone conference call that was held on October 27th. Approximately 200 church leaders attended this event.

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