International Nonprofits Partner to Transform Prisoners with God’s Word

September 10, 2019 – SANTIAGO, Chile – Bible League International (BLI) and Prison Fellowship International (PFI) are partnering to develop solutions to the problems of crime and incarceration worldwide. This week, the organizations, which both have proven evangelism and discipleship programs in prisons around the world, are launching an evangelism and discipleship ministry, which invites prisoners to experience the transforming power and redemptive love of Christ, in Santiago, Chile—the first of 59 countries over the next five years.

“Each ministry brings complementary strengths, products, and relationships to this partnership,” says Jos Snoep, President and CEO of Bible League International. “Together we are able to reach so many more prisoners with the saving and transformative Good News of God’s Word, and then see their lives transformed.”

The organizations offer prisoners a continuum of evangelism and discipleship programming. Based on the Gospel of Mark, PFI’s The Prisoner’s Journey® introduces Jesus, who was also a prisoner, and is deeply relatable. This eight-week program is designed to run three times per year in each prison. Through 16 course videos, participants also hear stories from prisoners around the world whose lives have been changed through their personal journeys with Jesus. Upon completion of the program, course graduates receive their own easy-to-read Bible, God’s Word: Your Journey to Freedom from BLI, and are invited to continue their journey with Jesus through BLI’s Prison Project Philip Bible studies, a 52-lesson series embedded in the Freedom Bible.

BLI provides participants with the Bibles and training they need to lead the studies with other inmates. Each Prison Project Philip participant is encouraged to become part of a local church, whether behind bars or within their community post-release.

“The combination of these evangelism and discipleship studies is life-changing for prisoners,” says PFI CEO Andy Corley. “We’ve found when a prisoner is transformed at a heart-level, his or her chances of thriving outside of prison dramatically increase. We’re also finding it creates a positive shift in the prison culture. Prison officials are telling us there are fewer fights and a calmer atmosphere within their prisons after inmates go through the program. We believe this is an end-to-end solution to the problem of repeat offenders, and we’re grateful for Bible League International’s committed partnership in this effort.”

The two organizations first partnered together in 2014 when BLI donated 25,000 prison Bibles to PFI’s then newly launched program, which has since graduated more than 250,000 prisoners. In an effort to reach nearly 2 million prisoners in 59 countries by 2024, the partners plan to graduate 825,000 prisoners from The Prisoner’s Journey, distribute 688,000 easy-to-read Bibles in 11 languages, and enroll 416,000 participants in Prison Project Philip.

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About Prison Fellowship International
Prison Fellowship International has affiliates in 117 countries whose programs are proven to restore prisoners, help their families, and integrate them back into the community—for good!

About Bible League International
Bible League International serves under-resourced churches with Bibles and training to transform lives through God’s Word.