Cyneatha Millsaps, lead pastor of Community Mennonite Church in Markham, Ill., will address “Prisons: Not Just for the Criminal” in a Bluffton University Forum at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 19, in Founders Hall. The Spiritual Life Week presentation is free and open to the public.

Millsaps is scheduled to relate the story of her son’s experience in prison and how it has affected her family. Sharing how God has sustained them through difficult times, she will also present a challenge for Christians and the broader church to care for those who are imprisoned.

In addition to her pastoral duties, Millsaps is the multicultural liaison for the Illinois Mennonite Conference, She works with multicultural Mennonite churches, providing information about blessings and challenges of worshipping in diverse faith communities. She earned a master of divinity degree from the Associated (now Anabaptist) Mennonite Biblical Seminary in 2008.

Also a graduate of Bethel College, where she majored in psychology and sociology, Millsaps is a community activist and advocate for the needs of women and children in the areas of violence, education and spiritual development. She spent several years working with victims of domestic violence; founded Black American Princesses, a mentoring program for African-American females ages 13-19; and chairs Young Life—a Christian ministry for adolescents—in Chicago’s south suburbs.