Our Mission

In September, 1992 Pete and Agnes Fiske took over the leadership of a Sunday Church Service at Northwest State Correctional Facility (NWSCF) in St. Albans, VT. In July, 1993 Pete retired from IBM to answer God’s call into full-time prison ministry. In April, 1997 the Ministry was incorporated as “The Church At Prison.” In Nov. of 2004 Pastor Agnes Fiske passed from this life into the arms of her Lord Jesus.

In April of 2006, having met Joanne (Jo) Falise at the funeral of a prison volunteer a month earlier, Pete asked Jo out on their first date – a church service held at the NWSCF prison in St. Albans. On January 28, 2007 Pastor Pete and Jo were married at the NWSCF with inmate Pastor Fred Little officiating and inmate Elder Andy Wood giving Jo away to her beloved. Jo retired from Real Estate and began working full-time in the Church At Prison ministry, including taking over Patmos Christian Academy which continued as a satellite college of Christian Life School of Theology (featuring sixteen courses attended by students at CRCF and NWSCF.) https://www.christianlifeschooloftheologyglobal.org.

In May of 2011, Jo was licensed by Maranatha Ministerial Fellowship International (MMFI). In March of 2015, Pastors Pete and Jo were recognized for their work in prison ministry and Commissioned as Apostolic Leaders by MMFI. In 2016, Pete and Jo began praying for the Lord to bring forth those who they would disciple to become the next generation of prison ministers for the Church At NorthWest. Providentially, Josh Riggs contacted them just after Easter and soon became a volunteer, laboring beside them in the prison. This allowed Pastor Pete time to establish New Life Crew, LLC - an aftercare painting and construction work program which continues today.

In September of 2019, Pastor Jo was ordained by MMFI in recognition of the ministry she had been running at a Theological Academy for both men and women at CRCF and NWSCF. https://www.christianlifeschooloftheologyglobal.org.

There is NO SUCH THING AS RETIREMENT in God’s ministry, but as we embrace His will for our lives, we are confident in the uniquely gifted group who are taking all The Church At Prison does to a new level to bring glory to God through His Spirit. Pastor Josh as President, Tim Hurlbut as Vice President, Treasurer and faithful bookkeeper, Jason Miller as Chairman of the Board, Pastor Ann Parsons as Secretary, all leading our other anointed Board of Directors. Mike Diffenderfer, Pastor Fred Little and Eileen Beer as well as Affiliates at BCCF and NCCF, newcomer Emily Diffenderfer at CRCF, and other volunteers in prison are a prayer come true for us. God is urging and gifting the new leadership of CAP in the high calling He has for them to serve the least of these in the worlds eyes, but who are just as loved by Him as everyone else.

Thank you all for marching to His beat!

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another” (1 Peter 4:10).

In addition to ministering church services inside of prison, he also provides free pastoral counseling to anyone who has been incarcerated. His heart overflows with the love of ministering the transformative gospel of Jesus Christ to those in and out of prison. Josh is captivated with the divine simplicity of loving all people and encouraging the spiritual gifts God has given them. For Pastor Josh, to understand the true meaning of righteousness in Christ is to understand the true meaning of why we live and who we live for.

On December 16th of 2018 Josh was licensed by The Church At Prison and installed as Associate Pastor of The Church at Northwest at NWSCF in St. Albans VT. After an encounter with the Holy Spirit one week before Good Friday in 2016, Josh was transformed into a devout follower of Jesus Christ. His heart is overwhelmed with the love of ministering the transformative gospel of Jesus Christ to those in the darkest, most marginalized places in the world.

Tim Hurlbut was born in St. Albans, VT in 1962. He has been married to his wife Lucy for 32 years and has 3 children and 2 grandchildren. Tim has worked at IBM/Global Foundries for 32 years. He received Jesus on 11/6/1981 at Ramstein AB in Germany while in the Air Force. Tim has studied with the School of Biblical Studies, is a free two-year Bible School.

See www.jesusexperience.com.

Tim participates in the Body of Christ at the Church of the Rock, where he is an active member of the Ushering team and participates in the “Helps ministry” church services. He is gifted in areas of service, giving and teaching. He has given to the direct needs of ex-inmates and to CAP directly for their purposes.

Pastor Fred became an active ministry member of the Church at Northwest in 1995, and in 2000 was licensed as Associate Pastor. During the period of his licensure, Pastor Fred served as a teacher and registrar with Patmos Christian Academy where he earned an associate degree in biblical studies, preached regularly, facilitated baptism ceremonies, counseled, and co-facilitated memorial services.

Pastor Fred was ordained as a minister of the Gospel by the Maranatha Ministerial Fellowship, International in November of 2004 and continued serving the Church at Northwest as the Senior Pastor until he was released from the Northwest State Correctional Facility in July of 2008, after serving 13.5 years of incarceration. His credentials were transferred to The Church At Prison and remain valid to date.

Pastor Fred served on staff with the Church At Prison as pastor for New Creation Christian Fellowship—a home fellowship support group that helps people directly affected by incarceration—until he married Dragica Little and moved to Burlington. Pastors Matt and Ann Parsons now head that ministry in St. Albans.

Editor and publisher, Guy Page is a Vermont native, a Berlin resident, and 1979 University of Vermont graduate. He has 43 years’ experience as a journalist, government affairs professional, and lobbyist. After graduating from the University of Vermont in 1979, he began his journalism career as an intern reporter at The Burlington Free Press. He also worked at the St. Albans Messenger and The News & Citizen in Morrisville. He founded The Winooski Eagle and The North Avenue News. From 1988-2002 he published The Colchester Chronicle, a community newspaper.

His public affairs advocacy included the Vermont Energy Partnership, Divestment Facts, the Vermont Lung Association, Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Vermont, the Church at Prison, Physicians, Families and Friends for a Better Vermont, and the Vermont Alliance for Ethical Healthcare. He is an occasional guest host for the Ethan Allen Institute’s “Common Sense.”

Mike has a humble “realness” garnered through years of dynamic life experience and worldwide travel that is healing and infectious. He and his wife Emily ran a support and Bible Worship group replete with a potluck for many years at their large, renovated country farmhouse in Underhill, VT—welcoming ex-inmates and CAP team members alike. Mike has helped transport released inmates and been a willing participant in many CAP endeavors.

Mike and Emily have three teenagers, a daughter serving at Ywam, and a daughter and son at home. Mike and Emily have transformed their farmhouse into a gracious and lovely home and renovated a large chicken barn into three apartment homes with a commercial space on the first floor. Mike continues to serve in the prison when needed, helps released persons, and is an active member of the Underhill community.

John and Betty had been in the process of seeking the Lord for whoever He has ordained to take over once they needed to retire from inside-prison ministry. In the meantime, Scott and Mona Frye (see below) continued to provide worship and discussion for their services at SRCF for a time until they moved to New Hampshire. John and Alta Ludlam are not associated with CAP but continue to provide worship services and Bible Studies at SRCF.

John was ordained by The Church At Prison, and both he and Betty were installed as ministers to the prison congregations in SESCF (Windsor – closed in 2017) and SSCF (Springfield). John was a Commissioned Centurion, an intensive program developed by Prison Fellowship Ministries to teach Biblical Worldview. He has published 3 books and was a member of the Fellowship of Ailbe, dedicated to applying tenets of Celtic Christianity to today's Church. He served on several local boards in southern Windsor County and met via zoom daily in an evening prayer group of members of the Fellowship of Ailbe to seek the Lord for revival.

John and Betty are former innkeepers in Weston, Vermont and had extensive careers in industry and real estate in Illinois, New Mexico, Connecticut, New Jersey and Virginia. They have resided in Vermont since 1979. Our dear Betty still resides in their home in Chester, VT but has been traveling to visit relatives regularly. We continue to pray for her earthly loss but know her faith is strong.

“And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet.

I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” John 13:14-15

The Fellowship of Ailbe, "Realizing the presence, promise and power of the Kingdom of God"

Scott and Mona Frye moved from VT to the NH Lakes Region but had served the Lord through Praise and Worship together for since they married, for 17 years. They led worship and gave inspirational messages with Rev. John and Betty Nunnikhoven of First Avenue Ministries each week at Southern States Correctional Facility. Both play by ear and played in their high school bands, and Mona learned to play the “Chord Method" during her senior year. Their time in the music ministry spans 35 years. They are creatives and self-employed empty nesters whose blended family consists of 7 adult children and their spouses, along with 13 grandchildren residing from Burlington, VT to Manchester, NH. They are greatly missed both inside and outside the razor walls.

Matt became involved with CAP by volunteering for a Kairos weekend at his former church in 2001. During the training session Matt encountered a personal tragedy in which many church volunteers ministered to him. Still hurting, Matt went into the weekend with very little to give. As God would have it, Matt received so much more than he could ever give. Pastor Fred Little prayed over Matt and a veil of darkness was lifted from his eyes. Scripture began to make sense! God was speaking to Matt through the Word and he was comforted, strengthened and guided by it.

Impressed by the men in prison who were set free on the inside and lived in “close community”, Matt began to volunteer at church on Sunday nights. The greatest thing Matt learned while serving was the importance of forgiveness and the power it gives.

CAP became a staple in Matt's growth from 2001 until the change in population at NWSCF in 2008. During those early years Matt became involved with a home fellowship led by Pastor Roger Patno and his wife Joyce. It turns out that God was using these two ministries to prepare Matt for continuing the ministry of NCCF. Matt and his wife Ann were married in 2011 and have served together ever since. Matt and Ann continue to grow as they serve CAP and NCCF as the spirit leads.

Tom has an Associate degree from Champlain College in business. His career background includes creating an unarmed Security business, a tent renting business/ministry for weddings and graduations, and residential home construction/handyman. Pastimes include bicycling, aviation, music (plays trumpet/baritone), and one-off creations.

Tom has connections with the indigenous Indians as Ambassador of the Algonquin Wabanaki Nation of Turtle Island (2003-2011), and still promotes their healing of centuries of mistreatment. Tom was given vision for Jesus’ Holy Nation (1 Peter 2:9-10) in 2002 and has been continuously developing this creative ministry. He is a lifetime member of Pilot’s for Christ International.

Tom has actively participated in sharing of the Gospel at the ministry’s Booth during the Experimental Aircraft Association Air Adventure, “Oshkosh”. He has also participated in three 4-day outreach events in South Carolina Prisons with the Mennonite Gospel Express Ministries. Tom has been to Israel twice and is a ministry partner with Dr. Michael Evan’s Jerusalem Prayer Team, working towards “The Peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6).

In 2021, Jim was blessed with an incredible gift from God, his wife Barbara, who was seeking a ministry and discovered BCCF. Barbara’s heart’s desire is to serve as a disciple of God. She is an excellent teacher of the God’s Word and supports whoever God puts in her path. She serves at Turning Point Tuesdays for BCCF Bible Study, and both she and Jim minister at their church, to UVM Students—and at North Beach and City Hall Park where they offer burgers and hot dogs and hand out tracts and pocket Bibles. Jim also helps transport ex-inmates for CAP, including moving people. Jim & Barbara love walking the streets of Burlington handing out bags filled with treats and tracts. It is a joy to give the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the Lord puts in their path. Jim moved to Vermont in 2004 and surrendered his will to God. He began to serve the Lord in a few churches and various endeavors. He met Pastors Pete and Joanne in 2008 and developed a relationship with them while continuing to grow in his faith. He became a regular attendee of Vibrant Church (Community Bible Church) and began to video church services while also helping with Bible Studies. Jim also began to minister to the inmates at Northwest State Correctional Facility alongside Pastors Pete, Joanne and Josh Riggs.

During the pandemic Jim and Barbara applied to become Bible Study volunteers to the women’s prison at Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility—which they pray will be approved in 2023. In addition to providing worship services, they also see a deep need for healthy Christian couples to demonstrate the value of marriage and parents who live a Biblical lifestyle in a home committed to Jesus. Most of the broken people behind the razor wires have never experienced that. Following in the footsteps of Pastors Pete and Joanne, they hope to continue to provide a living example of God’s divine marriage.