Chaplain Susan Verbrugge
Chaplain Susan Verbrugge is a true mountain girl. She was born in Boone, NC. It was there that the mountains soaked into her soul and haven’t let her go since. So she completely understands when the women say that since they have to do time, they are grateful it is in such a beautiful place.Chaplain Verbrugge holds a BA in English from Wake Forest University and an MDiv from Columbia Theological Seminary, a Presbyterian Church (USA) seminary in Decatur, GA. She is ordained in the PC(USA). Prior to working at WCCW, she worked for twenty years as a pastor in a congregation in Blacksburg, Virginia and for three years as a hospice chaplain with CarePartners in Asheville. During her time as a pastor, Chaplain Verbrugge walked with several people through their experience with the “justice” system, from being charged to prison time. It was during those experiences that she felt drawn to prison ministry. She is honored to be a part of the good work that is done through Ministry of Hope.She has two grown children (son is a wildland firefighter in Montana and daughter is working in Atlanta and applying to school to be a Physician’s Assistant), a husband who is really good at making her laugh, two dogs, and two cats. She loves walking in the woods with her dogs, reading, drinking hot tea, napping, baking, and knitting. She isn’t a fan of exercising, but she does it because she knows it’s good for her. She has a passion for social justice and for helping each person know that they are a beautiful child of God.
Chaplain Susan Verbrugge can be contacted at: susan.verbrugge@dac.nc.gov or 828-596-6079
Chaplain Shannon Spencer
Chaplain Shannon Spencer is the founder and director of Asheville Poverty Initiative. She has a BS in Special Education from Appalachian State University and an M.Div from Duke Divinity School. Currently she is working on her Doctorate at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA and hopes (prayers appreciated) to graduate in Dec. 2017.
After coaching at the Div. I level in women’s basketball, Shannon finally gave into her call to ministry. She has served churches in Illinois, California and North Carolina. In California, she started a jail ministry team at her church that led to serving as the chaplain for the Santa Cruz Co. Sheriff’s Dept. She says of both ministerial locales: “I have had many teachers along the way – some living in gated communities while others behind the gates of prisons and jails. It’s been a beautifully broken journey framed by abundant grace and radical love.”
Shannon loves to travel and has lived in South Africa, traveled to Central America 9 times, backpacked across Europe, and believes Western North Carolina is as beautiful as any place she’s ever been.
She is mom to two beautiful and rambunctious girls.
2025 Board
• Cari Barcas, Chair
• Kitty Kelly, Vice Chair
• Amy Moore, Treasurer
• Kathryn Wilson, Secretary
• Suzette Armatas
• Sharon Fender
• Katie Hay
• Margo Mullinax
• Cindy Walton
Support Staff
• Lauronda Morrow Teeple,
Executive Director
• Susan Noblitt,
Administrative Assistant
to Chaplains
• Kelly Wortman,
Bookkeeper