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I was in prison and ye came unto me
(Matt. 25:36).
In the late 1970s, Dr. Mike Johnston was involved in
jail and prison evangelism where scores of incarcerated
men and women were surrendering their lives to the Lord
Jesus Christ. By 1981 the ministry was touching lives
across the State of Michigan and presenting a new set of
challenges: Biblically based discipling for all the new
converts. In response to prayer, the Lord made it very
clear that the answer was in providing doctrinally sound
correspondence Bible studies, which has been the path
this ministry has followed since that time.
 As
the ministry grew, two things naturally expanded with
it: expenses for operations as well as a growing
interest from other Christians who wished to support
what brother Mike was doing. In the fall of 1981, he and
long time friend Rev. Mike Olney organized this prison
outreach into Promise Ministries International. And while the
original intention was fixed on follow up ministry to
those being reached through the evangelistic efforts of
brother Mike and PMI, the Lord began to speak to his
heart about the tens of thousands of other hungry souls
out there that likewise needed to be fed, and yet were
not.
This spiritual nudging proved to be the
leading of God in many wonderful ways.
Localized Ministry via 36 Letters to Jackson Prison
Mike's friend, Chaplain Jerry Key of Kalamazoo
County Jail gave him 36 names of inmates that recently
transferred to Jackson Prison. Brother Mike hand wrote a
personal letter to each of them offering FREE Bible
correspondence courses and waited for the response. It
was incredible.
Expanding into Florida via Rev. Frank Costantino
 Scripture
promises: A man's gift maketh room for him, and
bringeth him before great men (Proverbs 18:16). Two great men of God (besides his father, Dr. Bob
Johnston) verified this for brother Mike.
The first was Rev. Frank Costantino, a born-again an ex-con
who founded Christian Prison Ministry in Orlando,
Florida. From their first phone conversation, brother
Frank saw the possibilities and immediately became an
avid supporter by spreading the word throughout the
Florida penal system. This soon produced a flood of
hundreds of applications from dozens of Florida prisons
we still work with to this day.
Covering the USA via Dr. Jack Van Impe
The second great man is Dr. Jack Van Impe. In October,
 1982,
Dr. Van Impe was contacted to serve on the Board of
Reference (a position he still holds today). Brother Van
Impe became so excited about our Bible school that he
immediately promoted our school across America while
donating thousands of dollars and hundreds of his
prophecy books we continue to use as text materials
today.
Here's what he wrote: "I am excited about the
external studies
program for prisoners offered by Dr. Michael Johnston's ministry.
It is
meeting the definite and growing need for discipleship
and Bible training in this segment of our society . . .
(this school) has opened the
door to a complete, tuition free program of Bible study
for these babes in Christ. I have personally reviewed
the curriculum, and find it to be scripturally sound.
Therefore I am happy to endorse Dr. Johnston's program
for prisoners and recommend it to all who are interested
in becoming students of the Word and servants of the
Lord Jesus Christ."
With these two great men of God promoting our school
nationally,
PMI grew from a local Bible study
program into a burgeoning Bible school ministry spanning
hundreds of prisons all across America-- in less than 2 years.
PMI will will forever
be indebted to many precious friends who could have been
mentioned here; men and women that believed in our
mission and supported it in one fashion or another.
And
yet, those mentioned above- including Dr. Mike's father-
stand apart in a kind of selfless love and sacrificial
commitment that really brought this ministry and this
school to the place where it now serves the Body of
Christ located in and out of prisons all across America,
and for which it will continue to do for as long as the
Master so allows.
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Dr. Mike and Ann Johnston |
Drs. Jack and
Rexella Van Impe |
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Rev.
Dr. Bob Johnston
(Dr. Mike's dad faithfully served in this
ministry for almost 25 yrs) |
Rev. Frank Costantino went to be with Jesus April 2,
2006. He was 66 years old.
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