The Prison Ministry and Criminal Justice Commission (PMCJC) is a subsidiary body of, by and subject to the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. and whose vision and mission are consistent with the mandate of Jesus Christ for his glorious church to provide pathways for spiritual enlightenment and growth, as well as to improve reentry education and employment outcomes for returning citizens and empower families, strengthen community safety, prevent and reduce community violence, and reduce recidivism among population specific people and historically underserved African American communities (Luke 4:16-19).
The PMCJC in cooperation with state conventions, district associations and local churches, recruits, trains and enlists volunteers from constituent churches of the NBCUSAINC for engagement in a ministry to incarcerated individuals, formerly incarcerated individuals, victims of crime and their families, and to promote justice, fairness and equity within the criminal justice system. It also gives lead in the development of criminal justice strategies for NBCUSAINC constituent churches for engagement and advocacy in all stages of the criminal justice system in terms of arrests, jury selection, convictions, sentencing, incarceration, probation, parole, and reentry and their disproportionate impact on the African American community. The PMCJC as the official criminal justice entity of the Convention is authorized to contact local, county, parish, state and federal criminal justice officials and correctional institutions to acquire permissions to conduct prison ministry activities in selected institutions in the area where the NBCUSAINC is meeting during its Mid-Winter Pastor and Church Enrichment Gathering, June Board and Congress of Christian Education, and Annual Session during which the PMCJC also conducts Prison Ministry and Criminal Justice Training Workshops for its constituency. The PMCJC actively seeks public and private funding to support its National Multi-State Initiative to assist local churches, community residents, organizational partners, and community stakeholders in developing community violence intervention and prevention strategies based upon a multi-method and data-driven approach to understand the root causes and key drivers of community violence. The organizing and sustaining tool that follows the Training Workshop is the creation of a Planning, Evaluation and Advisory Coalition Entity (P.E.A.C.E) comprised of clergy, church members, residents, law enforcement, education, health industry, financial industry, corrections, probation and parole, substance use and mental health agencies and concerned citizens in historically underserved focus communities with high rates of poverty and violent crime.
Reverend Anthony Kelley is a graduate of Trinity College, Deerfield, IL (Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Biblical Studies double majors) and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary/Northwestern University Campus, Evanston, IL (Master of Divinity-Ethics and Society focus). Kelley is the Visionary Organizer, Retired Senior Pastor and Teacher of the Greater First Church-Baptist of Baker, Louisiana. He is the former Pastor of the Mount Zion First Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana succeeding Dr. T.J. Jemison former President of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. He has served other churches and communities to include Van Buren Missionary Baptist Church, Gary, IN; Union Baptist Church, Danville, IL; and the King of All Nations Baptist Church, Chicago, IL. He is a former Commissioned County Deputy Sheriff Chaplain and State Prison Staff Clinical Chaplain and has been engaged in Prison Ministry since 1981. In 1994, after the submission of his prison ministry proposal to three NBCUSA, INC. presidential candidates, he was appointed the Executive Secretary of the newly created Prison Ministry and Criminal Justice Commission for the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. by the late Dr. Henry J. Lyons of Florida who was elected President. Kelley is responsible for the appointment and supervision of an exceptional and competent team of Commissioners and Servant-Leaders and the performance optimization of the work within the 7 regions of the Convention. Kelley is also, Founder, Chairman and CEO and Grants Administrator of the Reclamation and Restoration Ministries, Inc. (a 501 © (3) non-profit Corporation-not a church) organized in 1996. Kelley is author of six books, Jailhouse Religion: The Church’s Mission and Ministry to the Incarcerated-1992; and A Strange Silence From the Pulpit: The Prophetic Role of Pastors in Prison Ministry-1998, revised 2000), How Shall They Hear: Effective Preaching to Prisoners-2013(All published by Townsend Press, Sunday School Publishing Board, Nashville, TN. Also, What the Spirit is Saying to the Church: A 21st Century Progressive Ministry Vision Plan for the Church-in-the-Black-Experience-2017, Christian Faith Publishing, Meadville, PA; Shadows: Serving with Character, Competence, Commitment and Pride in the Absence of Accolades and Recognition-2020, and STORMS! Sound Doctrine in an Age of Lying Tongues and Itching Ears-2024, both published by WestBow Press, Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan, Bloomington, IN. (www.anthonykelleyministries.com). Dr. Kelley and his wife YaVonya (Nancy) of nearly 40 years are the parents of a blended family of 4 daughters, a son, 4 grandsons, 2 granddaughters, and 1 great grandson, and great granddaughter.
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Prison Ministry and Criminal Justice Enrichment Session
“Equipping Pastors and Local Churches for Effective Ministry in our Nation’s Jails and Prisons”
-Biblical, Theological, and Existential Mandates and Requirements - Dr. Anthony Kelley,
PMCJC Founder and Chairman; Organizer and Retired Senior Pastor, Greater First Church-Baptist, Baker, Louisiana
-A Sobering Reality and the Criminal Justice System’s Negative Impact on Historically Underserved
African American Communities – Dr. Grady Scott, PMCJC Vice-Chairman, Far West Regional Director, and
Pastor, Grace Temple Baptist Church, Tucson, Arizona.
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Prison Ministry and Criminal Justice Enrichment Session
“Equipping Pastors and Local Churches for Effective Ministry in our Nation’s Jails and Prisons”.
-Getting Started in the Local Church, District Associations and State Conventions - Dr. Grady Scott, PMCJC Vice-
Chairman and Far West Regional Director, and Pastor, Grace Temple Baptist Church, Tucson, Arizona
.
-Credentials, Orientation, Training and Certification – Reverend Burton Barr, PMCJC Commissioner and In-Training
Specialist, And Prison Ministry Director, Baptist State Convention of Missouri and West Side Missionary Baptist
Church, St. Louis, Missouri.
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Prison Ministry and Criminal Justice Enrichment Session
“Equipping Pastors and Local Churches for Effective Ministry in our Nation’s Jails and Prisons”
-Conducting the Worship Service and Effective Preaching to Prisoners Behind the Walls, Dr. Anthony Kelley,
PMCJC Founder and Chairman; Organizer and Retired Senior Pastor, Greater First Church-Baptist, Baker, Louisiana
-Evidence-based Intervention and Prevention Ministry Model I: Mentoring Children of Incarcerated Parents and
Youth-in-At-Risk Situations (Ages 6-17) - Reverend Marlon Mack, PMCJC Midwest Regional Director; and
Pastor, Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church, Gary, Indiana.
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Prison Ministry and Criminal Justice Enrichment Session
“Equipping Pastors and Local Churches for Effective Ministry in our Nation’s Jails and Prisons”
-Evidence-based Intervention and Prevention Ministry Model II: Community Reentry Ministry for Returning
Citizens, Mrs. Verna Bradley-Jackson, PMCJC Southwest Regional Director, Founder and CEO, One Touch Ministry,
Inc., and Member, Second Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and the Reverend Florestine Taylor, PMCJC
Commissioner and Substance Use and Mental Health Services Specialist (SUMH), and Associate Minister,
Emmanuel Baptist Church, New Haven Connecticut.
-Evidence-based Intervention and Prevention Ministry Model III: Effective Approaches for Community-based
Partnerships and Collaboration (CBPC), Dr. Michael Couch, PMCJC Northeast Regional Director, Pastor, Berean
Baptist Church, and Executive Committee Person of Philadelphia’s 23rd Ward, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Donna K.
Thompson, PMCJC Western Regional Director, Prison Ministry Director, Oklahoma Baptist State Convention, and
Member, Fairview Missionary Baptist Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Mrs. Linda Joyce Mackey, PMCJC
CBPC Advisor, Founder and Executive Director, Family Resources and Community Connections, and Member, New
Sunny Mount Baptist Church, St. Louis, Missouri.
6:00 p.m. WRAP UP! Training Evaluations, Partnership Linkages, Commissioner Applications, and NBCUSAINC
Church Surveys.
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