What We Do
The PMI Center for Biblical Studies is a ministry of Promise Ministries International. We have two main goals at PMI. The first is to share the Gospel and win the lost to Christ. Second, we seek to disciple believers for service in Christian Ministry.
We have been providing quality Bible education to Prisoners through distance education since 1981.
Since that time we have enrolled over 30,000 students!
Write to us today to be enrolled in our free, 8-lesson course:
The Foundations of Theology.
Students that complete The Foundations of Theology are eligible to enroll in our affordable, quality Bible College education in Biblical Studies, Theology, and Ministry, from Calvary Christian College and Seminary.
Let's Face the Facts
FACTS:
- Prisons are colleges for crime! There are over 2 million prisoners currently attending these schools!
- Criminal skills are taught to students by seasoned cons serving as mentors.
- 95% of all "students" will eventually "graduate" to walk the streets of America better trained with improved skills.
- Prisoners that are abandoned by their family and friends seek companionship within the seedy prison elements that by default are prepared to totally radicalize them!
Now, here's the inconvenient truth about what is really happening inside:
- American penitentiaries are breeding grounds for concentrated forces of evil.
- 85%- or more- of America's prisoners- have no relationship with Jesus Christ.
- Increasing numbers of prison administrations are opposing Christian ministries while becoming favorable toward Islam.
- Biblically ignorant prisoners are being recruited by gangs, cultists, and Islamists- at alarming rates.
- Chaplains that should be preaching and teaching the Word of God are forsaking Christ to become ecumenical religious facilitators.
- Sodomy is occurring more frequently amongst professing Christian prisoners.
- Prison rehabilitation is a $60 BILLION dollar scam! Of the 95% of PRISONERS that will one day be released, 75% will be back in prison within 48 months!
Our Ministry With Your Help
For 40 years, our ministry to tens of thousands of hungry prisoners can be summed up in the words of Paul in Galatians 4:19: "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you." During that time, we have watched as the Spirit of God has taken the Word of God and made sons of God. Every PMI student applicant is given an 8 week Foundations of Theology preliminary course to introduce them to Christ and to ground them in the Christian life before any college level work is sent. All of these Foundations courses are provided at no cost to the student. We are able to do this only because of funds provided by precious supporters like you that are concerned about inmate's souls. Would you please help us continue sending life-changing Bible courses to prisoners? One day when we stand before the Lord Jesus at the Bema Judgment, we'll rejoice together that you did!
Endorsements
PMI Center for Biblical Studies incorporates several of my books in their coursework along with many other materials that I highly recommend. All their courses are Bible believing, pre-millennial, and fundamentally sound. Their courses challenge students while encouraging them to pursue a deeper personal study of God’s word. The students are taught to read the Bible, study the Bible and evangelize the lost. I am blessed to be associated to PMI Ministries and Dr. Ted Horton, and I look forward to an ever-increasing involvement. Pray for this ministry and do whatever you can to support it.
Pastor Doug Stauffer, PhD
Faith Independent Baptist Church of Niceville, Florida
Author of 20 books
www.BibleDoug.com
Dear Bro. Horton,
I am delighted to give you my endorsement for the work you are doing with PMI and the material you are using to follow up on the decisions that are being made in the prisons. These fellows have time to absorb the biblical truth from your material. I am impressed with the correspondence you are doing with the prisoners in your program. This is meeting a great need. God Bless you for it.
--Dr. Tom Wallace
Wallace Ministries, Inc.
http://www.wallaceministries.com
What a tremendous contribution to the cause of Christ! Promise Ministries International reaches many prisoners with the gospel of Christ, provides them with important Bible training in a number of areas, and provides real hope of a different future in society. This ministry is greatly needed and is more important in our country and culture than ever before. It is my pleasure to recommend it.
Dr. Phil Stringer, Evangelist
Vice President Dayspring Bible College
After a thorough review of our courses, we received the following response from Luther Rice College & Seminary, the undisputed pioneer in distance education:
Thank you for the follow-up letter of October 3. I did, indeed, receive the materials you sent and found them quite impressive. Of all the ministries that I have written, yours comes closest to what I was hoping to find.
When I am advised of students who are looking for high quality theological education but are unable to meet the financial requirements of Luther Rice Seminary, I will certainly recommend Promise Ministries.
Again, thank you for your concern and for the good work that you are doing.
In Him,
J.M. Kinnebrew,
Th.D. Luther Rice Seminary
I have known Michael Johnston (Promise Ministries' Founder) for over a quarter of a century. I am amazed at his focus and accomplishments with the PMI Ministries to prisoners. He knows the scriptures, has a burden for the less fortunate and has seen thousands come to Christ. This is one of the great ministries, relatively unknown to the Christian world, but needs the support of Bible believing Christians everywhere.
--Dr. Ed Reese
Professor (Crown College); Historian, Author of The Reese Chronological Bible and The Reese Chronological Encyclopedia of Christian Biographies
Our History
Since our founding in 1981 PMI, which now operates in all 50 states and multiple countries, has won over 18,500 precious souls to Christ while enrolling and/or graduating 30,000 Bible and Ministry students.
From humble beginnings involving prayer and intense Bible study, the Lord laid out a careful plan that literally led us from one open door to another. Here’s briefly how it happened. In the late 1970s, Bro. Mike Johnston was involved in jail and prison evangelism where scores of incarcerated men and women were trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. By 1981 the ministry was touching lives across the State of Michigan and presenting a new set of challenges: Biblically based training 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 fellow Christians wanting 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 (aka PMI). And while the original intention was centered on local 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, including Brother Mike finishing his Bible school and seminary training where to date he has received the following degrees: Bachelor of Theology (Th.B); Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies (BA); a Master of Theology (ThM), Master of Divinity (M.Div), a Doctor of Ministry in Church Growth (D.Min), a Doctor of Philosophy in Theology (Ph.D), and an Honorary Doctor of Divinity (D.D.).
Localized Ministry via 36 Letters to Jackson Prison
Dr. Mike's friend and associate in jail ministry, Chaplain Jerry Key of Kalamazoo County Jail, gave him 36 names of inmates that had recently transferred to Michigan State Prison in Jackson, Michigan, the largest walled prison in the world. Brother Mike hand wrote a personal letter to each of them offering FREE Bible correspondence courses and waited for the response which was very encouraging.
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 verified this for Dr. Mike.
The first was Rev. Frank Costantino, a born-again 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.
Day to Day with My Dad- Dr. Bob Johnston
With PMI now being promoted nationally, it quickly grew from a local Bible study program into a national Bible school ministry encompassing hundreds of prisons and thousands of prisoners all across America—and all in the span of about 2 years. With enrollments up, additional help was needed and Dr. Mike's father- Bob Johnston- was more than happy to provide. This selfless servant of God- facilitated in no small way by my mother Merry- literally donated tens of thousands of dollars in money, supplies, and man-hours over a 25 year period in a tireless effort to keep this ministry functioning from the mid 1980s through 2006 when health forced Dad to slow down.
PMI will forever be indebted to many precious friends who over the years believed in our ministry and supported it in one fashion or another. And yet, those mentioned above stand apart in a kind of selfless example of the sacrificial commitment that really brought this ministry from a promise to its current place where we now serve the Body of Christ located in and out of prisons across America, and for which we will continue to do for as long as the Lord Jesus Christ continues to provide the means necessary to do so.
2018 - We Said Goodbye...
Our beloved founder and friend, Dr. Michael Johnston went home to be with the Lord on December 23, 2018. He leaves behind a legacy of service to the Saviour that is a shining example to all. In his foresight, Dr. Mike has made provisions for the ministry to carry on under the direction of Dr. Ted Horton. As we look over the many cards and letters that pour in from around the country from students, it can be said with certainty that Michael Johnston made a difference for Christ in the lives of so many people. We may not be able to fully appreciate the impact he made in the lives of prisoners until we stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
2019 and Beyond
As we enter the new year, our first year without Dr. Mike, we look to continue his vision of reaching men and women for the Saviour: Bringing them the glorious Gospel that their sins are paid for and they can know that they have eternal life when they place their trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and then discipling them to live for Christ and to take that same message to others. Won't you help us in reaching prisoners for Christ?