On 15 Sep, about 300 people gathered at Paya Lebar Methodist Church for The Prison Ministry Conference 2018 organised by Prison Fellowship Singapore (PFS). The conference focused on building an inclusive church by mobilising members to embrace prisoners, ex-offenders and their families.
The keynote speaker, Mr Soh Wai Wah, who has extensive experience in rehabilitative work with the government, shared his own journey in prison ministry. He encouraged all present to love the beneficiaries as Christ loves us (John 15:12).
Mr Glenn Zhang, an ex-offender, then testified about how his life was redeemed by God’s grace. His story touched and inspired many in the audience.
In line with the conference goal to encourage churches to adopt prison ministry as part of their outreach mission, a panel discussion was moderated by PFS’ Executive Director, Mr Andrew Tay. The panellists spoke of how they and their churches became part of an inclusive community and answered questions from the audience about best practices in prison ministry.
In the afternoon, three workshops—embracing an ex-offender; supporting inmates’ families; and exploring ideas to engage the wider prison community—were conducted.
The conference closed with dedicating the entire prison ministry to the Lord.
Angela Chan is the Marketing & Communications Executive for Prison Fellowship Singapore.