About Us
As a nonprofit organization, CKPM relies entirely on the generous support of donors and volunteers. Your contributions help sustain our ministry and provide essential support to chaplains and staff in the Hutchinson, El Dorado, and Winfield facilities. Whether through giving, mentoring, or prayer, you can play a vital role in changing lives behind prison walls.
We also welcome the opportunity to share our mission with your church or civic group. To schedule a presentation or learn more about how you can help, please email us at [email protected].
TRUSTEES
Darnell Bryant
Executive Director
Darnell Bryant
Darnell Bryant serves as Executive Director, bringing a deep commitment to ministry and a demonstrated passion for serving individuals who are often overlooked, marginalized, and broken. His leadership is grounded in compassion, integrity, and a clear mission to share the hope and healing found in Jesus Christ. Darnell is dedicated to fostering transformation by addressing both spiritual and practical needs through Christ-centered service.
His vision and leadership are shaped by the calling articulated in Isaiah 61:1:
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners.”
This passage reflects Darnell’s commitment to restorative ministry and his belief in the power of the Gospel to bring freedom, healing, and renewal. Through servant leadership and faithful stewardship, he seeks to advance the mission with clarity, accountability, and purpose.
Darnell is married to his wife, Abigail Bryant, and is the proud father of Jhailyn and Azel Bryant. His family remains a central source of strength and support as he continues to lead with conviction and faith.
Gary Lang
Board President
Gary Lang
Gary Lang serves as Associate Pastor and Worship Leader at Calvary Chapel Fellowship in Wichita, Kansas. After coming to faith while in county jail, Gary developed a deep passion for reaching the incarcerated with the message of God’s love and the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Eddie Silcock
Board Vice President
Eddie Silcock
Originally from Liverpool in the United Kingdom, Eddie has lived and worked in the United States since 2010.
After 30 years in the corporate world, Eddie sensed God’s call to ministry and entered full-time service in 2022. He serves as Groups Director at Newspring Church in Wichita, Kansas, where he has the privilege of helping people connect in Christ-centered community. He recently graduated from Regent University with a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling.
Shaped by his own testimony and the transformative work of God in his life, Eddie is passionate about helping men navigate life’s challenges and thrive by keeping their focus on Jesus. He also serves on the board of the Union Rescue Mission. Eddie is grateful to be part of the CKPM team, supporting men in their journey of spiritual growth.
Chuck Harder
Board Treasurer
Chuck Harder
Chuck Harder serves as the Treasurer for CKPM. He and his family attend Emmaus Church in rural Whitewater, where they are actively involved in the Missions Committee and in teaching Sunday School classes.
Chuck has worked in the automotive repair industry for most of his adult life. In addition, his family spent 11 years serving with a ministry dedicated to helping missionaries plant churches in remote regions around the world.
Inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:36, Chuck views prison ministry as an opportunity to serve Christ by serving others. While the fruit of ministry is not always immediately visible, he trusts that God is faithfully planting seeds and working in ways beyond what can be seen. Chuck believes that incarceration can often lead individuals to reflect on their choices and develop a genuine desire for change.
Having personally experienced God’s grace, Chuck is deeply mindful that earlier in life he was only a few poor decisions away from a very different path. This perspective fuels his passion for extending hope, grace, and encouragement to those impacted by incarceration.
Karen Deaver
Board Secretary
Karen Deaver
Karen Deaver has served as Secretary of CKPM for four years, assisting with Match2 administration and supporting various events within correctional facilities. She is married to Pastor Terry Deaver and is blessed with four married children and ten grandchildren. Karen brings valuable experience in management, social work, and accounting from her previous employment. More importantly, she is driven by a deep desire to reach those who are lost, disabled, and hurting.
A lifelong learner, Karen is passionate about missions, prayer, archaeology, and the Old Testament, all of which continue to inspire and strengthen her engagement with God’s Word.
Dave Schmidt
Board member
Dave Schmidt
Dave Schmidt has been an active member of CKPM since 2014. He is deeply grateful for the Lord’s guidance and blessing upon this ministry, made evident through the faithfulness of individuals and churches serving together in the spirit of Isaiah 61:1. Dave has been married for over 25 years and is the proud father of two children. He and his family also enjoy life with their goldendoodle.
Donovan Claassen
Board member
Donovan Claassen
Donovan Claassen was born and raised as a Kansas farm boy. He placed his faith in Jesus Christ at the age of 12. He married Velma Busenitz, and together they farmed and raised three sons. Now retired, Donovan enjoys serving at his church, in his community, and in prison ministry through both the Match 2 program and Bible studies. He has faithfully served on the CKPM board for more than 20 years.
Ronald Ducharme
Board member
Ronald Ducharme
Ronald Ducharme grew up in Arkansas, attending Baptist churches. He graduated from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and spent his working years throughout the Midwest, including Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Illinois. He now resides in Kansas.
His involvement in prison ministry began in the Chicago area, where he served at a maximum-security youth facility through his local church and Young Life. After ministering there for several years, he moved to Kansas in 2021 and joined CKPM.
Ronald’s commitment to prison ministry was shaped by his experience serving in the youth prison and his continued desire to follow God’s call to serve.
Robert Buckingham
Board member
Robert Buckingham
Robert Buckingham has faithfully served with Central Kansas Prison Ministry for 15 years, holding several roles throughout his time of involvement. He currently serves on the Board and is deeply grateful for the opportunity to minister to residents at the El Dorado facility. One particularly meaningful aspect of his service has been the use of the Spiritual Life Center, a dedicated sanctuary space that has proven invaluable for worship, Bible study, and the proclamation of the gospel.
Robert recognizes that prison life can often feel routine and monotonous. As a result, residents greatly value the presence of volunteers, especially during Bible studies and events such as the preparation of Christmas gift packages. Robert has consistently cherished the relationships he has built with residents and reflects with gratitude on the many ministry events and outreach efforts CKPM has participated in over the years.
ADVISORY BOARD
Eddie Silcock - Vice President
Anthony Brown - Sr. Contact Center Banker
Abigail Bryant - K-8 Dual Language Music Teacher Wichita Public Schools
Damon Young - CEO Lead Wichita
Mark McBride - Regional Sales Manager for National Precision
Tim Ayres - Farmer and Auto Body Repair
Jennifer Bugner - Former St. Ditmas Catholic Diocese
Dr. Garry Cowan - Veterinarian
Roderick Houston - Minister and Former State Representative
Robert Schmidt - Prison Ministry - Business manager
Bob Simmons - City of El Dorado
Mark Sommerville - Minister - Hospice
Clarence Walker - Minister
Bringing the Gospel of Christ Inside Prison Walls
Ministry program
To establish, develop and implement a ministry to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ within various correctional institutions and detention facilities.
Assist KDOC
Assist the Kansas Department of Corrections in purchasing necessary equipment and/or construction of necessary facilities for the purpose of conducting classroom settings, worship services, and religious studies.
Our Ministry Goal
In the Bible, Matthew 25 gives a mandate for Believers to “go into prison.” But the “how to” varies from State to State. It is our responsibility to train, equip and place Christian volunteers from various denominations in prison work.
STATEMENT OF FAITH
We believe in one God, Creator and Lord of the Universe, the co-eternal Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary atoning death on the cross, rose bodily from the dead and ascended to heaven where He lives as truly God and truly man. He is the only mediator between God and man.
We believe that the Bible is God’s authoritative and inspired Word. It is without error in all its teachings, including creations, history, its own origins, and salvation. Christians must submit to its divine authority, both individually and corporately, in all matters of belief and conduct, which is demonstrated by true righteous living.
We believe that all people are lost sinners and cannot see the Kingdom of God except through the new birth. Justification is by grace through faith in Christ alone.
We believe in one holy, universal Church. Its calling is to worship God and witness concerning its Head, Jesus Christ, preaching the Gospel among all nations and demonstrating its commitment by compassionate service to the needs of human beings and promoting righteousness and justice.
We believe in the necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit for an individual’s new birth and growth to maturity, and for the Church’s constant renewal in truth, wisdom, faith, holiness, love, power, and mission.
We believe that Jesus Christ will personally and visibly return in glory to raise the dead and bring salvation and judgment to completion. God will fully manifest His Kingdom when He establishes a new heaven and a new earth, in which He will be glorified forever and exclude all evil, suffering, and death.
Spread The Gospel Of Christ Inside Prison Walls
Central Kansas Prison Ministry is looking for Christian volunteers that will help spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in places where it is desperately needed. We are looking for volunteers that can assist in El Dorado, Winfield, and/or Hutchinson Correctional Facilities.
