Professional Documents
Culture Documents
We are happy to welcome new leaders such as Billy Paul and congratulate so much Brian Fraser for his
10 years as ED of PF Scotland. Brian’s commitment towards the European Region has been fruitful
during the years and we hope to count on his expertise in the future also.
We are sharing with you in this Newsletter various news items of best practices in media coverage and in
training led by leaders of the European ministries. The successful programmes we are running such as
Angel Tree and Sycamore Tree are really inspiring and contribute to raise awareness that our movement
of reconciliation is crucial in our world and society. There will be so many stories, experiences and
projects, as well as training opportunities, at our ninth Convocation in Toronto, that you would not miss
it for sure. We will also have our Regional Assemblies for which you will receive soon some information.
Meanwhile, remember we are at your disposal anytime all along the year.
Leader’s profile:
PF Scotland new ED
The appointment of Billy Paul to take up the role of Executive Director
of PF Scotland was effective February 1st. Billy started as a
volunteer with prison Fellowship in Greenock some 27 years ago, and
has continued to help there over the intervening years, and also been a
regular visitor to Barlinnie and Kilmarnock prisons more recently.
Billy took early retirement following many years of senior
teaching and leadership roles in the west of Scotland in 2008, and is
well known to many in the Fellowship.
“It is my intention to visit all our volunteers, both in-prison and prayer groups, to meet the Prison
Fellowship family. If possible I will attend the groups and also get the chance to listen to the folk
on the ground and the people they are working with. It is my hope that a member of the Board of
Trustees will be able to join me on these visits” Billy said.
Billy is also a great singer (Grammy Award winning soul singer) and will lead part of the music
team at the Convocation as he did in 2007. Be sure to be there in Toronto to meet with him!
Training on communication and
media for volunteers in England and
Wales
PRAYER REQUESTS
• PF Malta appeals for prayers for the neighboring country Libya so that peace may be restored.
Malta is very close to Libya and has a large group of inmates from Libya at their prison. Already
2000 Libyans a week are seeking asylum.
• Pray for new PF Scotland ED Billy Paul and for Alan Taylor new Chairman of PF Guernsey
We are entering the decisive period in registration and other preparations for PFI Ninth World
Convocation in Toronto. Please be sure to check where you are in your ministry preparations for
this major event in PFI global family:
- Have your delegation been selected, have all the delegates registered on PFI website www.pfi.org ?
- Has you ministry paid the membership fee for 2008, 2009 and 2010 ?
- Have you received visa support letter, have you made the arrangements on how to apply to nearest
Canadian Embassy? Have the names of the delegates been spelled out correctly in the letter ?
- Have you checked your travel arrangements, noting that the official delegate of your ministry
should travel on June 26 to participate in PFI General Assembly, the participants in ILF
Foundation seminar before the Convocation should travel on June 21, while all other participants
may arrive at the airport by 3pm on June 28, as the opening ceremony is at 8 p.m.
- Please note, that all participants need to leave the hotel on July 3.
Yours,
Ivan Sotirov
The ministry is preparing for participation in Toronto in the prisoners art competition in several
categories, and especially in applied arts. Syrga Sarukieva, a Board member and an artist herself
is working with a number of prisoners throughout the prison system. More than 90 women
prisoners have taken part in the applied arts courses taught by Syrga in a women prison.
The prisoners learned how to produce handicraft, goblins,
embroidery, etc. The best works will be selected for the
competition and the exhibition during PFI World Convocation
in Toronto (June 28-July 2).
PRAYER REQUESTS
• Please pray for the leadership of the new ministry in the Czech Republic, Gabriela Kabat, Ales Malach
and Pavel Olsanik, and for their relations with the chaplaincy service and the chaplaincy association.
• Please pray for the ED of PF Kazakhstan Dmitriy Dobrolyubov in his efforts to increase the number of
churches partnering with PF Kazakhstan in prison ministry. Pray for Alexander Karimov, the
coordinator of the new regional office of the ministry in Southern Kazakhstan.
Resources
You will receive the 2011 Week of Prayer and Transformation materials in the next
few weeks. The theme for this year’s Week of Prayer is “Jubilee: Hope, Forgiveness,
Restoration, and Freedom.” The materials will again include a CD that will provide
the Microsoft Word and art files for customization and additional print runs. You can
also access materials at the PFI website.
The PFI Convocation is only a few months away. Please be sure to register as soon
as possible online at www.pfi.org. If you have any questions about Convocation,
please email convo@pfi.org.
ALL YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE NEXT EUROPE NEWSLETTER ARE MORE THAN WELCOME:
Please send them to dalexandre@pfi.org (Western Europe) or isotirov@pfi.org (for Eastern Europe
and Central Asia)
PFI Europe News is brought to you by Prison Fellowship International. Compiled and edited every other
month by Dominique Alexandre and Ivan Sotirov - PFI Europe Secretariat, Rue du Panorama 4, 1800 Vevey, Switzerland
© 2011 by Prison Fellowship International - All rights reserved - Reprints permitted with acknowledgement