Rockingham County Jail Ministries
At the age of 15, Baker started a life of drugs and crime. At the age of 17, he was arrested and charged with felony drug distribution. At the age of 18, he came to faith in Jesus Christ and has never looked back. Baker has been a pastor for 20 years both in North Carolina and Virginia.
While pastoring in Culpeper VA, Baker ministered at the Coffeewood Prison. After 40 years in ministry, God has called Baker to preach the good news and make disciples in the Rockingham–Harrisonburg regional jail full time.
Nathan moved to Harrisonburg from Jonesborough, TN in the early '90s. He immediately got connected with the wrong crowd and started using drugs daily. Twenty-six years of that chaotic lifestyle ended with him behind bars. During that time, he grew closer to the Lord and a few weeks after being released he gave his life to Jesus. For the past 6 years he's been a leader at Celebrate Recovery.
Since October 2022 he has been employed with Virginia Mennonite Missions, doing prison ministry, walking alongside inmates, and helping addicts draw closer to God. He has recently founded Resurrected Ministries, a non-profit, Christ centered recovery program. Alongside his fiancé Leah Wolfe, he is raising funds to purchase a property to build a Christ centered recovery home in the Shenandoah Valley.
Leah was born and raised in Harrisonburg, VA. She went to church as a child and was on fire for God. By the time she was 12 years old she had experienced so many hardships in life that she began to blame God and renounced her faith. At a young age, she began living a life that would lead to many more hardships. Alcohol and drugs slowly began taking over her life. Leah ended up in toxic relationships, destroyed relationships with her family, and lost her jobs, her car, her home, and even her identity. Eventually, she ended up going to jail.
In jail, God got a hold of Leah and brought her back to her childhood faith. She has been blessed with a beautiful daughter who loves the Lord. The relationships she ruined in addiction are now restored, and she is engaged to a man who loves the Lord.
Leah is living out who God created her to be. She started New Life Recovery in 2019, a Christ centered recovery group (newliferecoverygccc.com). She works with women both in prison and one on one, and alongside her fiancé Nathan.
