Resources to be Shared with Prisoners and their Families Across Eastern Europe
WASHINGTON and FORT WORTH, Texas -- Prison Fellowship International (PFI) and Eastern European Mission (EEM) have signed a new agreement to provide 71,000 adult, 8,500 teen and 34,500 child-friendly Bibles to seven PFI national affiliates across Eastern Europe, which will be distributed to prisoners and their families in the months and years to come. The organizations, who previously worked together to distribute approximately 15,000 Bibles to PFI affiliates across Eastern Europe, have greatly expanded their partnership to provide Bibles and scripture resources to graduates and beneficiaries of PFI's in-prison and family programs across the region.
EEM publishes, prints and distributes Bibles and Bible-based materials in more than 35 countries and more than 25 languages through a vast network of partner churches and organizations. Through this partnership, Bibles will be published in Albanian, Hungarian, Russian, Romanian and Ukrainian. They will be distributed to graduates of The Prisoner's Journey®, families and children enrolled in PromisePath® and beneficiaries of each ministry's other local programs.
"Ensuring those in prison and their families have access to Bible-based scripture and resources is at the heart of all we do," said David Van Patten, Chief Operating Officer of Prison Fellowship International. "Partnering with EEM to get the most relevant, meaningful scripture resources to those in Eastern Europe is the perfect solution for the growing and complex needs our ministries have there."
Eastern Europe, once an area where communism repressed religion, is finding religion has once again become important to individual and national identity. According to Pew Research Center, most Eastern European adults believe in God and identify with a religion, however are not highly observant of their faith.
"God's Word is very clear about Jesus' love and care for the prisoner," said Bob Burckle, President of Eastern European Mission. "Together, with Prison Fellowship International, we are able to help our supporters meet the call to minister to those in prison, leveraging our wide range of resources and extensive network of churches to augment the work PFI is already doing in prisons and with families across the region."
PFI has a long-standing presence in Eastern Europe, with its first chartered ministry signed in the early 1990s, and is now home to ten partner ministries. Both organizations expect a long-lasting partnership and to continue transforming the lives of prisoners and their families with the Good News for years to come.
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About Prison Fellowship International
Since 1979, Prison Fellowship International has helped prisoners experience transformation from the inside out through the healing power of the Gospel. Its mission is to transform the lives of prisoners, their families and victims through a global network of ministry partners.About Eastern European Mission
Eastern European Mission was established in 1961 to provide Bibles and Bible-based materials throughout the former communist bloc countries in Eastern Europe. Today, EEM publishes and prints Bibles and New Testaments as well as Teen Bibles, Children's Bibles and coloring books, distributing them through a vast network of partner churches and organizations reaching more than 35 countries in more than 25 different languages, delivering nearly 2 million Bibles in 2023.
