New regional director for Daylight
‘David, I have a challenge for you!’
Bill Salmon, Chaplain of Belmarsh prison, was speaking; as many friends and members from David Fortune’s home church (Coldharbour Evangelical Free Church, Eltham) and three other local churches were gathered for the commissioning of David Fortune as a regional director of Daylight Christian Prison Trust (DCPT).
What was the challenge?
‘How do you reach young, white offenders with the gospel?’ Perhaps surprisingly, this was the group Bill identified as having the lowest level of Christian background and understanding in our prisons.
This is just one of the challenges that David will have to face, working in prisons and with churches across London, the South East and East Anglia. But it was heartening to see the congregation pledging their prayerful support for David.
David spoke of how God had changed him from a foul-mouthed young man into someone desiring to tell prisoners the good news about Jesus. And as he publicly reaffirmed his adherence to the FIEC Statement of Faith, it was a reminder that his responsibility is not only to reach unbelievers in prison, but to teach and build up any believers there (many in this category converted whilst serving their sentence).
It was the DayOne diaries that started this prison ministry. So it was apt that DCPT chairman Paul Philpott should quote the diary text for that day (17 June): ‘The Lord God is my strength’ (Habakkuk 3:19).
David was not the only one who went away with a challenge. Gerard Chrispin, DCPT General Director, powerfully reminded us all of the call to tell those around the good news of the gospel.
Sue Philpot
