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About

Our Challenge

Approximately 11 million people incarcerated worldwide are facing crushing darkness and despair. We’re here to change that. Every one of those carries a story – a story steeped in despair, plagued by loneliness, and shrouded in regret. These aren’t just numbers, they’re human beings, enduring their darkest hours, yearning for a flicker of hope amidst the overwhelming shadows of their reality.

Our Vision

We are disrupting the cycle of darkness and despair for all who are behind bars and beyond. It’s the power of the Gospel that produces change, brings redemption, and allows everyone to find their purpose in Christ.

Our Statement of Faith

The Scriptures

We believe that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” by which we understand that the whole Bible is inspired in that holy men of God were “moved by the Holy Spirit” to write the very words of God. We believe that this divine inspiration extends equally to all parts of the writings as they appeared in the original manuscripts.

The Godhead

We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three Persons – The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit – and that these three are one God; co-equal and co-existent.

Christ’s Advent

We believe that the eternal Son of God came into this world that He might manifest God to men, fulfill prophecy, and become the Redeemer of a lost world. He was born of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit, received a human body and a sinless human nature.

Salvation

We believe that, owing to death through sin, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless born again. This redemption has been accomplished solely by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who was made to be sin, dying in our stead, and that he was bodily and physically raised from the dead for our justification. We believe that the new birth of the believer is an act of God the Spirit and comes only through individual faith in Christ.

Man

We believe that man was originally created in innocency and that he fell through sin and, as a consequence of his sin, lost his spiritual life, becoming dead in trespasses and sins.

The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the blessed Trinity, though omnipresent from all eternity, indwells every believer since the day of Pentecost, and by His baptism unites all of Christ’s own into one body. He is the source of all power and all acceptable worship and service.

The Church

We believe that God has ordained that through the local church the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to be spread and that it is the duty of everyone who is born again, to seek out a local fellowship for the furtherance of the Gospel and his own edification.

We believe in the literal resurrection of the body, the everlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting punishment of the lost. We believe that the supreme mission of God’s people in this age is to preach the Gospel to every creature, and we believe in the second coming of Christ according to the Scriptures.

Our Story

Since 1961, Good News Global has been a beacon of hope for those behind bars. We started with a simple belief – that everyone, no matter who they are or what they’ve done, has inherent worth in the eyes of God. This belief has guided us for over six decades, leading us to correctional facilities worldwide, where we’ve had the privilege of witnessing the transformative power of the Gospel.

Over the years, our understanding has grown, our expertise has developed, and our tools have evolved, but our core mission has remained the same. Today we are more than a ministry; we are a global movement of chaplains, volunteers, and partner organizations. We are a community of passionate believers, dedicated to bringing the light and life of Jesus to those within the correctional facilities of the world.

We’ve seen the ripple effects of our work, the way it transcends bars and walls and impacts entire communities. We’ve seen hardened hearts softened, lives changed, and stories rewritten. And every day, we’re inspired by the stories of redemption and transformation we hear from those we serve.

OUR LEADERSHIP

Jon Evans headshot
Jon Evans

President

Jon joined Good News as the third President in the 54 year history of the organization in September 2013. Previously, he served as a volunteer in Anne Arundel County (MD) jails and as part of the Chaplain Support Team since 2001. Jon joined the Good News Board of Directors in 2005 and has served as the Secretary as well as a member of the Membership, Executive and Governance Committees. From 1997 to 2013 he worked for D.P. Associates (DPA), a division of L-3 Communications, serving as the Vice President of Operations (COO) for DPA since 2004. Prior work experience includes 11 years of full and part time ministry with Washington Bible College/Capital Bible Seminary (now part of Lancaster Bible College) in Washington DC. Jon has a Bachelor’s degree in Education/Recreation Administration from WBC as well as Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees from CBS. Additional graduate work has been completed in organizational communications, public relations and strategic planning/business policy. Jon and his wife Brenda have three children and reside in Suburban Maryland.

Gary Franz headshot
Gary Franz

VP, International Ministry

Gary enjoys serving the International teams of chaplains – building up, encouraging and guiding the ministry in strategic places around the world. He and his wife, Carol, have purposed to reach “difficult to reach” peoples for 30+ years. Prior to Good News, they served in a variety of ministry roles – as missionaries in Southeast Asia, Mission Field Leaders, Missions and Outreach Pastor, and Senior Pastor. Gary earned a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Wheaton College and an M.A. in Intercultural Studies from Columbia International University. The Franzes live in the Chicago suburbs. They have four children and six grandchildren.

Dan Katz headshot
Dan Katz

Director of Chaplains

Dan earned his Business Degree in Personnel Management from Cedarville University and his Master of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. In his 24 years of full-time ministry in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania he has served as a Pastor of Youth, Children, Men and Leadership Development. Dan joined Good News in January of 2015 and enjoys providing training, resources and encouragement to our chaplains in the United States in his role as the Director of Chaplain Support. Dan and his wife Laura live in York, Pennsylvania.

Martin Orcurto headshot
Martin Orcurto

Director of Operations

Martin attended Washington Bible College and Capital Bible Seminary where he completed an MA in Theology. He has served as a Youth Pastor and Sr. Pastor of Administration for local churches in Maryland and Virginia. In Jan 2015, he completed 13+ years in the defense industry with D.P. Associates, a division of L-3 Communications, finishing as the Sr. Director of Operations with responsibilities including HR, Procurement, Ethics, Facilities, and Marketing. Having previously served on the Good News Chaplain Support Team for Anne Arundel County, MD, Martin began with Good News in March of 2015. He and his wife Joni live in Florida.

Kevin Howells headshot
Kevin Howells

Lead Advancement Officer

Kevin enjoys connecting with Good News ministry partners for great conversation (and hopefully a great cup of coffee). He joined the team in 2021 after serving in advancement at his alma matter, Cedarville University. For almost 30 years, he called Chicago home, working as small group pastor at a local church, urban ministry, and in management at Moody Bible Institute. Kevin, his wife Vanessa and teenage daughter make their home in southwest Ohio along with their two dogs aiming to pass obedience school someday.

Our Board of Directors

Chairman – Donald J. Patterson Jr.

Former President/Owner, L-3 D.P. Associates Inc.

Treasurer – Stevens Gillespie

Senior Partner, B. G. Partners Inc.

Secretary – C. Bruce Otto

Senior Vice President, Bank of America (Retired)

Jonathan M. Evans

President, Good News Jail & Prison Ministry

Rob Wheeler

Senior Pastor, Osterville Baptist Church

Dr. Karen Swanson

Director, Institute for Prison Ministry at the Billy Graham Center, Wheaton College

Woody Long

Member, City Life Church

Vanessa Gardner

Program Director and Curriculum Developer, Discipleship Unlimited

Bill Molinari

Executive Chairman, Christian Business Fellowship

Jeff Shaffer

CEO, Common Good Capital

Bernard Fuller

Senior Preacher, New Song Bible Fellowship Church

Join Our Mission

Your generosity fuels our mission – lives transformed behind bars by the power of the Gospel.