Seventy-two baptisms in 2025 stood as a powerful testimony to the impact of prison ministries across Florida. To honor the selfless leaders who make this impact possible, the Florida and Southeastern conferences gathered on Sunday, February 1, 2026, for the annual appreciation banquet at the Florida Conference office.
The banquet is organized each year to recognize and encourage prison ministries leaders and volunteers serving in churches throughout the state. Leading the program were John Mills, Florida Conference prison ministries director; Conrad Duncan, general vice president; and Jael Williams, church ministries coordinator. Also participating was Olinto Groce, Southeastern Conference prison ministries director. Special guests included Bill Payne, North American Division personal ministries director, and Colette Newer, North American Division associate director for Adventist Community Services.
The keynote speaker was Edwin Smith of Nashville, Tenn., representing South Central Conference. Smith is a sought- after speaker who connects with audiences through his personal testimony of redemption and transformation. Smith spoke about the dangers of substance abuse and the restorative power of Christ. He serves as a church elder and associate director of the Don’t Follow Me Anti- Drug and Alcohol Youth Organization.
This year’s honorees included Ernest Robinson, Southeastern Conference; Marjorie Mitchell-Palmer, Sunrise Church, Lauderhill, Fla.; Rogelio Llaurado, Westchester Church, Miami, Fla.; and Tammy Harbour, Forest Lake Church, Apopka, Fla.
As Florida Conference prison ministries director, Mills oversees 34 prison ministries. He reported that 72 baptisms were recorded in 2025, most of them at the Martin and South Bay correctional institutions.
Also featured was Kimane Mitchell of Fort Myers, Fla., who is beginning a new prison ministry in Moore Haven, located near the Everglades in Glades County. She shared her excitement as she nears the final stage of the clearance process required to minister inside the facility. Jeffrey Cobb, director of Shelter from the Storm, a Florida Conference-supported ministry operating three transitional homes in the Gainesville, Fla., area, was also highlighted.
Approximately 80 prison ministries workers filled the lobby, enjoying fellowship and networking.
Prisons remain a vital mission field where the Lord continues to work. The conferences expressed gratitude for the faithful leaders who minister behind prison walls, and for the lives being transformed through this important outreach.
Florida | April 2026
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