Saturday, March 28, 2009, East Texas Baptist University (ETBU) in Marshall will host a one day restorative justice ministry conference.  Leaders in restorative justice ministry such as Emmett Solomon, Executive Director, Restorative Justice Ministries Network; Wanda Holcombe, Peace and Justice Coordinator, Southwest Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church; Dr. Tomi Grover, Restorative & Community Justice Specialist Missions, Baptist General Convention of  Texas ; and Dr. Ed Davis, Professor, Restorative Justice, Sam Houston State University will address the conference.  Topics will include an overview of restorative justice, current bills in the legislature that will effect prisoners and/or families of prisoners; ministry to victims, prisoners,  and to families of prisoners; and opportunities for volunteering and networking in restorative justice ministries.  East Texas Sports Reach will facilitate a workshop on sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and providing prisoners with opportunities for spiritual growth through sports.

The local steering committee has designed a conference that will inform and encourage new and/or potential volunteers.  It will motivate and refresh the many hundreds of volunteers who already minister to prisoners, to families of prisoners, and to the formerly incarcerated. 

Conference Program

 8:00 a.m.      Registration opens

 8:30 a.m.     Breakfast and Keynote Speaker:  Judge Hughey

9:45   Restorative Justice 101 - 

           Emmett Solomon, Exec Dir Restorative Justice Ministries Network

10:00 Biblical Mandates for Restorative Justice

          Jeph Holloway, Professor of Religion, ETBU

10:20 Overview of Workshops

11:00  Workshops (Choose 1)

1. Bridges To Life: Restoring Men and Women— Connie Hilton, NE Regional Coordinator

2. Respectful Dialogue: RJ Interfaith Ministries— Wanda Holcombe & Julie Smith, RJ Ministry-SW TX Conference of the United Methodist Church

3. Current Legislative Issues—Ed Davis, Professor, Sam Houston State University

4. Faith Based Restorative Justice Programs—Dr. Tomi Grover, Restorative & Community Justice Specialist Missions, BGCT and Cheryl Miller, Executive Director, Perpetual Help Home

5. Re-entry: Staying Home Successfully—Chaplain Jesse McLendon, TDCJ Parole Division, Region 1

6. Alternatives to Violence Prison Ministry—Bob Benefield, Professor of Criminal Justice, ETBU

7. Amachi: Mentoring Children of Inmates—Olivia Eudaly, State Executive Director Amachi Texas

8. Sharing Jesus through Sports—Jason Smith, Tim Alexander, Josh Gentry

12:00 p.m.    Workshops Repeated (Choose 1)

12:45     Lunch  / Plenary Session

1:30        Legislative Report—Ed Davis

1:45        Chaplaincy Report—Richard Lopez

2:00        Keynote Speaker—

                       Wanda Holcombe

Lunch Keynote Speaker

Wanda Holcombe

Peace with Justice Coordinator, SW TX Conference of the United Methodist Church

Wanda is a retired missionary who returned to the US from her assignment to Asia in 1999 and has served as the Peace with Justice Coordinator since 2000.  She creates and facilitates training seminars on “Reconciliation & Healing Methods”, makes presentations on justice concerns and serves on various boards for the denomination.  Interrelating interfaith, as part of Restorative Justice ministries, has been one of Wanda’s major focuses over the past years.  She resides in Austin with her husband, George. They have two children and five grandchildren.

Breakfast Keynote Speaker

Judge William Hughey

Judge Hughey has practiced law for 22 years in both state and federal courts.  He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Grambling College in 1973, and then received his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center in 1986.  In January of this year, he began serving as the District Judge for the 71^st Judicial District Court of Harrison County.   He has served as a Junior Achievement volunteer since 2005, and also helped with the Marshall Boys and Girls Club in 2006.  Recently, He and his wife of 35 years, Willie Mae, reside and Marshall and have three daughters.