Four Arizona Conference representatives attended the Alliance of Prison Ministry Organizations and Affiliates (APMOA) 17th annual convention at the Parkway Conference Center in Toronto, Canada. Workshops, seminars and meetings began Wednesday, July 26, and continued through Saturday, July 29. The theme was, “A Passport To The Future.”

Approximately 300 volunteers representing eight U.S. states, several Canadian provinces and Switzerland learned from experienced prison workers who are dedicated to reaching men and women for Christ.

“Our goal,” says APMOA president Dolby Knott, “should be to try to reach them before they are incarcerated.”

Some of the workshops available were: After Care—Helping Them to Stay Out; Left Behind the Prison Walls; Women Behind Bars—Serving Them; Skills for Effective Leadership; Children, Families and Communities; Going Beyond Recovery To A New Start; and Starting A Pen Pal Program. Each training session highlighted the importance of reaching those who are incarcerated, effective leadership, and spiritual qualifications, as well as recruiting other volunteers.

One speaker, Jim Cavanagh, a former inmate who now works with Prison Fellowship, shared how his life was changed when an old friend asked Cavanagh to pray for him. “I’d had people say they would pray for me,” said Cavanagh, “but I gave him my word that I would pray for him. That night after lockdown, I got down on my knees and prayed for the first time since I was a child. The next night, I prayed again. And finally I started praying for myself, ‘Lord, forgive me of my sins. Give me the strength, wisdom, and patience to get through each day.’” That was the beginning of a new life.

Attendees enjoyed a bus trip to Niagara Falls. The Apple Creek Adventist Church, with a membership of more than 1,000, hosted the Sabbath services.

A banquet Saturday night at the hotel was the closing event for the convention. President Dolby Knott thanked the Canadian Prison Ministries for their excellent hospitality and for planning an outstanding convention.

Other features included Staff Sergeant Sloly, a representative from the Canadian police department, as the keynote speaker, and testimonies from three former inmates who are now prison ministry volunteers. Many attendees expressed a desire to attend the 2007 meeting in Chicago.