Florida Prison Ministries Founder and long-time Chaplain/Director
The Lord called Frank Barton in 1979 to set up a prison ministries program with the self-supporting United Prison Ministries working in Florida through the Conference. After a year and half, the Lord impressed Frank that this needed to be strictly a Conference ministry which ultimately became Florida Prison Ministries. Initially serving as Chaplain/Coordinator, Frank was eventually named Chaplain/Director until his retirement.
Florida Prison Ministries
- FPM has a presence in approximately 155 institutions in Florida, collaborating with workers and other Conferences.
- FPM shares a monthly publication, Regeneration Fellowship, for inmates (printing roughly 1,800 copies per month) and other spiritual literature.
- FPM facilitates an active pen pal program, Regeneration One-to-One, reaching inmates where there is no one working in the prison and those in solitary confinement or death row.
- FPM created the LAMB (Love a Mother’s Baby) program for ministering to babies born behind prison walls. Thousands of children have benefitted from LAMB.
- FPM has been successful with many baptisms resulting from revivals held in prisons.
- A Conference-based training program has successfully helped laypeople be more effective in their prison ministry outreach.
- Between 300–500 people serve FPM throughout Florida in various roles.
- FPM has grown so much over the years, it has reached facilities outside the United States including: Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Africa, and many others.
More About Frank Barton
- Worked with prison ministry programs for North American Division and other unions and conferences throughout North America as the need arose and collaborated with United Prison Ministries.
- Served as a board member for Florida’s Adventist transitional housing program, Shelter From the Storm, operating two men’s houses and one women’s house. Also operating an active thrift store and lawn service for getting inmates back into society.
- Member of the Southern Union Prison Ministry Advisory Board.
- Served three years as General Vice President of Alliance Prison Ministry Organization and Affiliates.
- Served as the Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries (ASI) alternate for the Florida Conference president and is assistant to the president of ASI Southern Union.
- Served for a time as Florida Conference Seventh-day Adventist Disaster Response Warehouse Director.
Frank and Maxine were married in 1976. They have four children, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Besides prison ministry and other ministries, Frank’s hobbies included computer technology, growing roses and vegetables, playing around with electric trains, and traveling.
Sadly, Frank went to sleep in the Lord Sunday, April 7, after many decades of dedication to Prison Ministries. Current prison ministry staff and volunteers will carry on with his passion for bringing the message of Jesus Christ to the incarcerated.