BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

The most recent edition of the World Prison Population List, published by King’s College London, reports that “more than 10.2 million people are held in penal institutions throughout the world, mostly as pre-trial detainees/remand prisoners or sentenced prisoners.” And in another report, released earlier this year, the number of U.S. inmates serving life sentences has more than quadrupled over the past three decades. One in seven U.S. prisoners is serving an actual or de-facto life term, and those serving life sentences in the U.S. account for nearly one-third of all life prisoners around the world, the report showed. That’s more than 160,000 out of an estimated 536,000 worldwide. But these numbers aren’t hopeless. Every day, inmates are discovering salvation through Jesus Christ. And KCM and its Partner ministries are reaching out, providing them with the tools they need to discover who they are in Christ…full of hope and love, living lives of victory and prosperity. 1981: At the Heart of KCM KCM’s prison outreach began in 1981 through correspondence with inmates. Since then, through letters, magazines, complimentary books and audio teachings, and even special victory meetings in prisons, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland’s desire has been to give each inmate personal contact. To make sure all who want ministry receive it, the Copelands created a special prison ministry staff dedicated to ensuring every letter, order or prayer request is read and responded to promptly. This can be a warm ray of sunshine, especially to inmates eagerly awaiting a response from someone…anyone. It’s obedience to Matthew 25:34-40: “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…[for] I was in prison, and ye came unto me…. Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Kenneth Copeland said, “From the time we began this ministry, that scripture…became very alive in me. [Prison outreach] was not the mainstream calling of this ministry, but it’s everyone’s calling to a degree. So every door that was open to us, we stepped through it.” Over the years, KCM has worked hard to share the power of the blessed life to those behind bars—from donating $250,000 to construct a chapel for inmates in Texas; to supplying books and other resources for chaplains; to partnering with outreaches like Mike Barber Ministries, an outreach solely dedicated to prison ministry. KCM receives an average of 3500 letters at its headquarters office each month from inmates. Last year, the ministry sent more than 911,400 products to minister to prison inmates in the U.S. free of charge. While nearly 33,000 inmates receive ministry from KCM’s United States headquarters, another 7400 receive ministry from KCM’s international offices. V Comments and photo captions: 1. Ladies signing “the cross brings peace and love” 2. Amount of Bible study materials given directly to inmates in 2016: 51,987 3. KCM prayer minister Robert Morrow with an inmate BVOV : 3

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