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Presence Editorial Review Panel
Presence is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes thought-provoking articles addressing topics of interest to spiritual directors.
To contact an editorial review panel member, send e-mail to:
Lauren Artress San Francisco, California, USA  The Reverend Dr. Lauren Artress is author of Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool (Putnam/Riverhead Books, New York) and serves as a Canon at Grace Cathedral. In 1996 she created Veriditas, a nonprofit organization dedicated to introducing people to the healing, meditative powers of the labyrinth. In addition to her ordination as an Episcopal priest, she is a spiritual director and licensed MFT psychotherapist in the State of California, USA. She received her analytic training in Object Relations and Systems Theory at The Blanton-Peale Graduate Institute at The Institute of Religion and Health in New York, New York, USA. Her Doctor of Ministry degree was granted in 1986 from Andover Newton Theological School in Boston, Massachusetts, USA in Pastoral Psychology.
Wilkie Au Los Angeles, California, USA  Wilkie Au, MDiv, PhD, a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, is professor of theological studies at Loyola Marymount University where he teaches in the area of spirituality and coordinates the graduate concentration in spiritual direction. A former Associate Editor of Human Development, his By Way of the Heart: Toward a Holistic Christian Spirituality won the 1990 Book Award of the College Theology Society and his Enduring Heart: Spirituality for the Long Haul won an award from the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada in 2001. With Noreen Cannon Au, he has co-authored Urgings of the Heart: A Spirituality of Integration, which is used widely in spiritual direction and ministry training programs in the United States and abroad, and The Discerning Heart: Exploring the Christian Path, which was awarded first place in the category of pastoral ministry by the Catholic Press Association in 2007.
Peter Ball Ramsbury, Wiltshire, England  Peter Ball is a priest in the Church of England. Now retired, he has a fulfilling ministry in spiritual direction, retreats, workshops, writing and Sunday liturgies in neighbouring village churches. Previously he served parishes in the London diocese and was for six years a canon residentiary and chancellor of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Widowed by the death of Angela in 2004, he has three children and nine grandchildren. His books cover two topics: the adult catechumenate and spiritual direction. Introducing Spiritual Direction (SPCK, London, England, 2003), is widely available in the United States, as is his Anglican Spiritual Direction (a Spiritual Directors International book published by Morehouse 2007).
Thomas M. Ball Jackson, Michigan, USA  Thomas M. Ball, an ordained Elder in the Free Methodist Church of North America, holds doctorates in Education and Spiritual Direction. Having retired in 2000 as founder and head of the Department of Communication, he presently teaches courses in sexual abuse recovery, human sexuality, and counseling research methodology in the MA in Counseling program at Spring Arbor University. He specializes in offering spiritual direction to adult survivors of childhood emotional, physical, verbal, and sexual abuse and neglect, as well as adults suffering from sexual abuse-addiction-dysfunction, dissociative identity disorder, and ritual abuse. He is a contributing author in Ritual Abuse in the Twenty-First Century: Psychological, Forensic, Social and Political Considerations, published in 2008. Rev. Ball and his wife were married at age seventeen and in 2008 celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. They have one son living, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Gary W. Barkley Fukuoka, Japan  Gary W. Barkley, PhD, is President of Seinan Gakuin University, Fukuoka, Japan, and professor of Church History in the School of Theology. He is an ordained Baptist minister and also serves as associate pastor of Bethany Village Church. In addition to his major field of early church history, Gary also teaches courses on spiritual formation, meditation, and world religions. He has published in the field of spirituality in Japanese and provides spiritual direction, primarily in an institutional setting working with students, faculty, and staff. He also speaks and leads retreats for clergy and lay persons in Japan. He and his wife Carolyn have been married since 1978 and have three children.
William Barry, SJ Weston, Massachusetts, USA  William Barry, SJ, has been a Jesuit for sixty years, a priest for forty eight. He has a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan and has taught at the University of Michigan, Weston Jesuit School of Theology and Boston College. He was one of the founders of the Center for Religious Development in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and is author or co-author of about twenty books. At present he is the co-director of the Jesuit Tertianship Program and gives spiritual direction and retreats.
Patricia D. Brown
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
The Rev. Dr. Patricia D. Brown holds a PhD in pastoral theology and practical spirituality and is currently executive director of Spiritworks Center for Formation and Leadership in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. She is an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church. As director of the nonprofit, Spiritworks, Inc., she facilitates ongoing spiritual life ministries specifically formulated to help individuals and communities grow in the Spirit. Tricia seeks to be open to God’s presence and live in Spirit-filled ways. She is a much sought after speaker, teacher, preacher, and workshop leader on spiritual formation.
Lawrence Michael Cameron Toledo, Ohio, USA  The Rt. Rev. Dr. Lawrence Michael Cameron is an Anglican bishop and the ordinary of the Apostles Anglican Church. He holds a B.A. degree from Albion College an M.Div. degree from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, USA, a D.Min. degree from Ashland Theological Seminary and a DRS degree from Trinity Seminary. Besides being a spiritual director and bishop, he is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Social Worker, and holds counseling credentials in substance abuse counseling. He has published two dissertations, a book, and several articles. He presently resides in Toledo, Ohio, USA, where he serves as the lead Pastor of Pilgrim Church.
Philip Carter Westbourne Park, South Australia  Philip Carter is an Anglican Priest, married to Helen, and they have three adult daughters. He has been a parish priest, pastoral chaplain to a theological college, and director of a diocesan retreat centre. In 1996 he founded the Julian Centre, an independent and ecumenical centre for spiritual direction and spirituality. In July 2006, he participated in a two-week intensive training in supervision for spiritual directors at the Mercy Center, Burlingame, California, USA. He is currently president of the inaugural Australian Ecumenical Council for Spiritual Direction, which was launched in Melbourne on June 30, 2006.
Jill Hawk Clupper Jenks, Okalahoma, USA  Jill Hawk Clupper is an ordained minister of word and sacrament in the Presbyterian Church, USA, and works part time as parish associate in caring ministries at St. James Presbyterian Church in Jenks, Oklahoma, USA. She is the founder and director of Sojourn Training Center in Spiritual Direction in Tulsa, Okalahoma. She has been a spiritual director since 1999 and, since 2001, has trained both clergy and laity in the art of spiritual direction and spiritual formation at Sojourn. Jill graduated magna cum laude from Phillips Graduate Seminary (Disciples of Christ), Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1994 with a master of divinity degree. She is a 1999 graduate of the spiritual director training program and 2001 graduate of the faculty training program at HeartPaths Spirituality Centre in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, under the direction of her mentor, Rev. Dr. Bob Gardenhire. She completed a two-week intensive training in supervision of spiritual directors at the Mercy Center Institute of Contemporary Spirituality in Burlingame, California, USA, under the direction of Dr. Mary Ann Schofield, RSM. In addition, she is a certified labyrinth facilitator having graduated in 2002 from an intensive program in labyrinth facilitation at Veriditas, Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, California, USA, under the supervision and direction of Dr. Lauren Artress.
Joseph D. Driskill El Cerrito, California, USA  Joseph D. Driskill is Associate Professor of Spirituality, Ronald D. Soucey Lecturer, and dean of the Disciples Seminary Foundation, Berkeley, California, USA. Dr. Driskill leads students in exploring Protestant spiritualities, contemplative prayer, Disciples history, and the role of spirituality in pastoral care. He holds ministerial standing with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the USA and Canada and with the United Church of Canada. He has pastored churches in Missouri, Kentucky (USA), and Saskatchewan (Canada). For twelve years, he served as a campus minister in London, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Driskill’s publications include Protestant Spiritual Exercises: Theology, History and Practice (1999), Spiritually Informed Pastoral Care (2002), and Ethics and Spiritual Care: A Guide for Pastors, Chaplains, and Spiritual Directors with Pacific School of Religion professor Emerita Karen Lebacqz (2000). He has published numerous articles and chapters in books, including most recently “Exploring ‘White’ Identity Formation in Pastoral Care and Counseling Training” in American Journal of Pastoral Counseling (2003).
Katherine Dyckman, SNJM Seattle, Washington, USA  Katherine Dyckman, SNJM, is affiliated with the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University. Active as a retreat and spiritual director, she is co-author of four books, the latest of which is The Spiritual Exercises Reclaimed: Uncovering Liberating Possibilities for Women (Paulist, 200l). In addition, in l983 she and a Jesuit colleague began the first eight-month Nineteenth Annotation Retreat program in the United States (Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life) which uses the gifts of the laity as directors and administrators.
Jeanne Estella Rosscarbery, County Cork, Ireland  Jeanne Estella, formerly of New York City, USA, has been living in Ireland for eleven years. She is affiliated with Myross Wood Retreat House in County Cork as spiritual director and doing some retreat work with a team. Jeanne has a bachelors from Villanova University in Social Science/Psychology, a masters from Clemson University in Education, and a diploma in spiritual direction from Pecos Benedictine Monastery. Jeanne is one of the founding members of All Ireland Spiritual Guidance Association and has served as a regional representative for Spiritual Directors International. Further studies in spirituality include a graduate diploma course in Supervision at Milltown Institute School of Theology and Philosophy in Dublin.
Maike Ewert Hemmingen, Niedersachse, Germany  The Reverend Maike Ewert is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover, Germany, a spiritual director and retreat leader. While living and working in the USA, Maike trained as spiritual director at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. She presently serves at the "Henrietta Foundation" in Hanover, one of the largest charitable institutions in Northern Germany. The focus of her ministry is the spiritual care of the terminally ill and dying, their loved ones, and professional care givers. Maike also conducts retreats on meditation and contemplative living, co-directs a spiritual direction training program, and works as certified systemic counselor and supervisor. She is especially interested in spirituality as a healing resource for women and men surviving traumatic experience. Maike is a member of Spiritual Directors in Europe, a network fostering international exchange between spiritual directors within Europe. Her spirituality is rooted in the tradition of "via cordis'," the way of the heart as laid out by the early desert mothers and fathers. Maike is married and has three teenaged children.
Bob Gardenhire III
Eufaula, Oklahoma, USA
Bob Gardenhire, III, is the Founder and Director of HeartPaths Spirituality Centre of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma/Dallas-Ft.Worth, Texas, USA, where he has been training spiritual directors since 1982. He is a 1985 graduate of the Graduate Program in Christian Spiritual Guidance of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Guidance. He received the Doctor of Ministry degree in Spiritual Guidance from the Graduate Theological Foundation in 1995. He is a past president of Spiritual Directors International and served on the Coordinating Council for seven years. He is grateful to have been a member of the founding Editorial Board of Presence.
Douglas H. Gregg Springdale, Utah, USA  Rev. Douglas H. Gregg, PhD, is an ordained Presbyterian minister and consultant to pastors and churches in areas of prayer, spiritual formation, and spiritual direction. He is president and co-director of Christian Formation & Direction Ministries [CFDM]. He also serves alongside his wife, Catherine, an ordained Episcopal Priest, as Associate Pastor at Grace Episcopal Church in St. George, Utah. He is a certified spiritual director, supervises other directors, and guides the Certificate programs in Christian Formation & Spiritual Direction for CFDM. Coauthor of Inner Healing and Disciplines of the Holy Spirit, Doug has served as a church pastor, teaching specialist for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, director of the Office of Christian Community and Adjunct Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary, and Chaplain and Associate Professor of Religion at Occidental College. Doug loves to hike and explore the wilderness and has a special love for the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California and Nevada, USA; and he has twenty years of experience as a stained glass artist. But most of all, he loves working alongside his wife Catherine—at church, with CFDM, and with their six children and six grandchildren.
Laura Grimes
Dayton, Ohio, USA 
The Rev. Dr. Laura M. Grimes is a spiritual director and retreat leader; a feminist theologian, hymn writer, and liturgist; and a wife and mother of four children. She completed her PhD in Theology at the University of Notre Dame and was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies in Toronto. Laura is the author of Wisdom's Friends: Gertrud of Helfta's Conversational Theology (VDM, 2009), Sophia's Psalter, Sophia's Rosary, and Sophia's Book of Hours. Along with Dr. Ann Marie Caron, she is presently translating Mechtild of Hackeborn's Book of Special Grace for the Paulist Press Classics of Western Spirituality series. Laura has worked as a college professor; a crisis pregnancy counselor and supervisor of volunteers and field education; and a Catholic Worker serving homeless women and families. She serves as bishop of Sophia Catholic Communion, an Independent Catholic jurisdiction, and pastor of St. Junia the Apostle Chapel, a small house church community in Dayton, Ohio, USA.
Rev. Dr. Murray A. Groom Mill Bay, British Columbia, Canada  The Reverend Doctor Murray Groom is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada, serving Sylvan Pastoral Charge on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. He is a staff member in the Pacific Jubilee Program in Spiritual Formation and Direction in Vancouver, BC and a member of the Advisory Council at the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society at the University of Victoria, Victoria, BC. His doctoral studies (St. Stephen's College, Edmonton, Alberta) included a dissertation on the role of the guide on pilgrimage. His presiding interest in Celtic Christian history continues to fuel his pursuit for connections between northern aboriginal, Celtic and earth-centered religious traditions. He lives in a household that includes his spouse, a grandparent and three children.
Douglas S. Hardy Kansas City, Missouri, USA  Douglas S. Hardy, PhD, grew up in New Brunswick, Canada, where he received spiritual guidance from several adults in his home church before leaving for studies in the United States. His doctorate from Boston University in psychology of religion focused on the interface between Christian spiritual direction practice and psychoanalytic object relations theory. An ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene and drawing on the Wesleyan theological and spiritual tradition, Doug’s fundamental calling is to come alongside others to help facilitate their alignment with God. He has done this in parish pastoral ministry, by providing spiritual direction and leading retreats, and as a professor, currently serving as Professor of Spiritual Formation and Director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City. He has published articles and reviews in CrossCurrents, the International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, the Journal of Psychology and Christianity, the Journal of Psychology and Theology, and the Wesleyan Theological Journal, and contributed chapters to the books Spiritual Formation, Counseling, and Psychotherapy (Nova Science Publishers, 2003) and The Pastor’s Guide to Personal Spiritual Formation (Beacon Hill Press, 2005). Doug is blessed to be married to Anne and to co-parent their three children, Alexander, Lia, and Elena.
Wil Hernandez Arcadia, California, USA  Wil Hernandez, PhD, is a trained counselor and a certified spiritual director who holds private practice in Pasadena, California, USA. As author of two books: Henri Nouwen: A Spirituality of Imperfection and Henri Nouwen and Soul Care: A Ministry of Integration (Paulist Press, 2006, 2008), Wil teaches courses on the spirituality of Henri Nouwen at various universities and seminaries including Fuller Theological Seminary, Oblate School of Theology, Tyndale College & Seminary, and Loyola Marymount University. He is also an adjunct faculty for the Art of Spiritual Direction program at the Center for Spiritual Development in Orange, California, USA. All year round, Wil conducts various spiritual formation retreats, workshops, and seminars in different places all over the United States. His website is: www.nouwenlegacy.com.
Dwight H. Judy Syracuse, Illinois, USA  Dwight H. Judy, PhD, is an ordained United Methodist minister. He currently serves as Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation, and Director of Spiritual Formation Programs for Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, USA. He was instrumental, with other faculty members of Garrett-Evangelical, in creating the United Methodist Certification in Spiritual Formation. Dwight is author of four books: Quest for the Mystical Christ: Awakening the Heart of Faith; Christian Meditation and Inner Healing; Embracing God: Praying with Teresa of Avila; and Healing the Male Soul: Christianity and the Mythic Journey. He and his wife, Ruth, were married in 1967. They have two sons and were very happy to welcome their first daughter-in-law to their family in 2008.
James Keegan, SJ Weston, Massachusetts, USA  James Keegan is a Jesuit priest of the New England Province. His major interests are doing spiritual direction and directed retreats, and training and supervising directors. Jim is a graduate of the Center for Religious Development in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and was the first graduate to work full time on that staff—from 1985 to 1989. For four years before that he was a team member and director of Campion Renewal Center in Weston, Massachusetts. It was there that he founded and ran the Light program to train lay people to do spiritual direction. In Louisville, Kentucky, USA, from 1990 to 2001, he was part of the team of the Archdiocesan Office of Ministry and Spirituality. In 2002 he returned to Massachusetts as director at Eastern Point Retreat House in Gloucester. He is currently doing spiritual direction and supervision for the Jesuit Collaborative in Cambridge. Jim has been a member of the Coordinating Council of Spiritual Directors International and was part of the editorial board that founded the journal Presence. He enjoys cooking, bicycling, and Beethoven.
Valerie Lesniak Seattle, Washington, USA  Valerie Lesniak is an Assistant Professor of Spirituality at the School of Theology and Ministry, Seattle, Washington, USA. Before coming to Seattle University in 1999, Valerie held a teaching fellowship in spirituality at the University of London, Heythrop College, London, England. She also taught at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, USA, where she received her PhD. She has been involved in spiritual direction work for over twenty-five years. She often conducts workshops and retreats on contemplative practices from the east and west. Her current research interest centers on the aesthetic dimensions involved in the practice of spiritual direction.
Fr. Matthew Linn, SJ Minneapolis, MN, USA  Matthew Linn, SJ, (as a team with Dennis and Sheila Linn) has focused on integrating physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. He is a member of the Association of Christian Therapists and has advanced graduate degrees in sociology, spirituality, and theology. Since 1970 he has taught courses and given retreats on healing in over fifty countries. Ordained in 1973, he currently lives in a Jesuit community in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Matt, Dennis, and Sheila have written 21 books translated in over 20 languages, (all in Spanish) and with over a million copies in English.
Carol Ludwig
Vero Beach, Florida, USA
Carol Ludwig co-founded the Center for Spiritual Care (Vero Beach, Florida, USA) and teaches in the Audire Spiritual Direction Formation Program (San Pedro Center, Winter Park, Florida). She is a former member of Spiritual Directors International’s Coordinating Council. She trained at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation (Ecumenical) in Washington, DC, the Washington Theological Union (Roman Catholic), and Mercy Center in Burlingame, California, USA. A career diplomat in the Foreign Service of the United States before she moved to Florida, Carol has lived for extended periods in Japan, Italy, Mexico, and the Philippines. She completed doctoral studies at the American University's School of International Service in Washington, DC.
Jill Manton Somers, Victoria, Australia  Rev. Jill Manton is the director of formation at the WellSpring Spirituality Centre in Ashburton, Victoria, Australia. She is a retreat leader, spiritual director and supervisor, with a keen interest in spiritual formation. As an adjunct lecturer, she established and taught the spiritual formation program for ordination candidates at Whitley Theological College, Melbourne, Australia, for ten years and was at the same time the founding director of the WellSpring Spirituality Centre, a position she held for ten years. She has had wide experience as a parish minister (Baptist tradition) and always been actively engaged in ecumenical affairs. She is an executive member of the Institute for Christian Spirituality and Pastoral Formation associated with the Melbourne College of Divinity. Through her involvement with the Institute, she has been engaged in establishing and developing the MA in Spiritual Direction and the MA in Spirituality. She is a member of the Australian Ecumenical Council for Spiritual Direction and through that body has contributed to the production of a booklet on National Standards for the Formation of Spiritual Directors and an Australian Code of Ethics for Spiritual Directors. She is an executive member of the Victorian Council for Christians and Jews and has an active interest in inter-faith relations and dialogue and in the development of interfaith spiritual direction. Jill has three adult children and two granddaughters and enjoys spending time with them all. She is recently semi-retired and living in a rural setting close to the sea, but close enough to the city to keep involved in the various aspects of her ministry mentioned above.
Diane M. Millis, PhD
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Diane M. Millis, PhD, is the founder and director of the Journey Conversations Project, a partnership of educators and other leaders committed to cultivating contemplation and compassion in communities of faith, learning, and service (www.journeyconversations.org).
The Project provides training in contemplative practices and conversation facilitation; customized meeting design and discussion guides; and ongoing coaching, consultation and evaluation. Diane’s passion is teaching and learning. She has developed and taught an array of courses in spirituality, communication studies, and family studies at both public and church-related colleges and universities. Diane served as the founding director of Companions on a Journey, a group spiritual companioning formation program for the students, faculty and staff at the College of Saint Benedict (St. Joseph, Minnesota, USA), funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. She has completed internships in supervision, retreat direction and the art of spiritual direction at Mercy Center in Burlingame, California, USA. She lives with her husband and young adult son in St. Michael, Minnesota, USA.
Tim Noble
Praha, Czech Republic 
Tim Noble is originally from England, but has lived since 2001 in the Czech Republic, in Prague, where he teaches at the International Baptist Theological Seminary. He has studied in universities in Liverpool, London and Manchester in the UK and also in the Jesuit Faculty of Theology in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. His doctorate is from the Free University of Amsterdam. He is a former editor of The Month, and has published articles on a variety of topics, with a special interest in film and theology. He is secretary of Spiritual Directors Europe, and with his wife, Ivana, a Czech theologian and priest in the Czechoslovak Hussite Church, he is active in building up the ministry of spiritual direction in the Czech Republic.
Susan S. Phillips Oakland, California, USA  Susan S. Phillips, PhD, is executive director of New College Berkeley, an affiliate of the Graduate Theological Union, dedicated to Christian education and spiritual formation for everyday life. Susan is a sociologist, and much of her writing—including the CHOICE Award-winning book The Crisis of Care: Affirming and Restoring Caring Practices in the Helping Professions (with Patricia Benner)—and teaching relate to the sociology of care as expressed and lived in various practices. Susan is also a trained spiritual director and author of Candlelight: Illuminating the Art of Spiritual Direction. She works with individuals and groups, teaches and writes in the field, and serves as supervisor for spiritual directors. She is a member of the faculty of the Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction program at San Francisco Theological Seminary and regularly teaches courses in spiritual theology at Fuller Theological Seminary (Menlo Park, California, USA) and Regent College (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada). Susan also serves as part of the in-residence faculty of the Graduate Theological Union, on the adjunct clinical faculty at the School of Nursing of the University of California at San Francisco, and on the editorial boards of Radix and Presence magazines, as well as the journal Reflective Practice.
Michael Plattig,
Muenster, Germany
Michael Plattig is a Carmelite priest who holds a doctorate in theology from the University of Vienna and a doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Berlin. He is a professor for spirituality at the faculty of the Capuchins in Muenster, the director of the Institute for Spirituality, and leads a formation program for spiritual directors at the Institute in Muenster. He is also a member of the Institutum Carmelitarum in Rome and a visiting professor at the Pontifical Universities Gregoriana and Antonianum in Rome. He contributed the chapter “Freedom to Souls: Spiritual Accompaniment According to the Carmelite Tradition” in Tending the Holy. Spiritual Direction Across Traditions.
Susan Rakoczy
Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Susan Rakoczy, IHM, PhD is a theologian, spiritual director and writer. She is on the staff of St. Joseph’s Theological Institute, Cedara, South Africa where she lectures in spirituality and systematic theology and coordinates the post-graduate programme and is also an honorary professor in the School of Religion and Theology of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She has published widely in South African, European and North American journals. Her books include Great Mystics and Social Justice: Walking on the Two Feet of Love (Paulist Press, 2006) and In Her Name: Women Doing Theology (Cluster Publications, 2004). Her particular interests include the theology and practice of discernment and spiritual direction in contexts of “difference”.
Nancy Reeves Victoria, British Columbia, Canada  Dr. Nancy Reeves is a clinical psychologist, spiritual director, and author in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. She was co-keynote presenter at the Spiritual Directors International 2003 conference and has presented at a number of SDI yearly conferences. Nancy is adjunct faculty at the University of Victoria and guest faculty at various North American universities during summers. Her books include: Spirituality for Extroverts (and tips for those who love them), I’d Say Yes God, If I Knew What You Wanted, Found Through Loss: Healing stories from scripture and everyday sacredness, A Path Through Loss, Adventures of the God Detectives (for kids 5-11), A Match Made In Heaven: A Bible-based guide to deepening your relationship with God, The Midwife’s Story: Meditation for Advent Times, and, in spring 2009, Gifts of the Eucharist: Stories to transform and inspire.
Jan Richardson Orlando, Florida, USA  Jan Richardson, an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church, is the director of The Wellspring Studio, LLC, a creative ministry that offers sustenance for the journey through retreats, workshops, books, art, and spiritual direction. Jan serves as Visiting Artist at First United Methodist Church of Winter Park, Florida, USA, and is a faculty member of the Grünewald Guild in Leavenworth, Washington, USA. Her books include Sacred Journeys: A Woman's Book of Daily Prayer; Night Visions: Searching the Shadows of Advent and Christmas; and In Wisdom's Path: Discovering the Sacred in Every Season. Jan recently established Wanton Gospeller Press, through which she offers her artful, handcrafted books. She is an oblate of Saint Brigid of Kildare Monastery, a Methodist-Benedictine community in St. Joseph, Minnesota, USA.
Patricia Roberts Arequipa, Peru  Patricia Roberts holds a master’s degree in sociology from the University of Houston and a master’s degree in religious education from Saint Thomas University in Houston, Texas, USA. She also has a certificate in spiritual direction from the Cenacle in Houston. She is commissioned to teach lectio divina, centering prayer, and the Prayer of Forgiveness by Contemplative Outreach Ltd. and Bio-spiritual Focusing from the Institute for Bio-Spiritual Research. She has been studying Taoism for more than twenty years with Chungliang Al Huang. Patricia travels to North and South America as well as Europe offering her program, “The Dance of Life,” which combines lectio divina, centering prayer, and Tai Ji. Patricia is also doing Spiritual Tourism, taking groups for contemplative/Tai Ji experiences in the Highlands of Peru all the way to Machu Picchu. She can be reached at robertsbillig@yahoo.com if interested in coming to Peru for spiritual tourism.
Janet Ruffing, RSM New Haven, Connecticut, USA  Janet Ruffing, RSM, PhD, is a member of the Sisters of Mercy. She Professor of the Practice of Spirituality and Ministerial Leadership at Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut, USA, and Professor Emerita in Spirituality and Spiritual Direction at Fordham University in New York, New York, USA, where she chaired the spiritual direction program for more than twenty years. She earned her doctorate in Christian Spirituality from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, USA, and is the author/editor of more than 90 articles and five books, her most recent being To Tell the Sacred Tale: Spiritual Direction and Narrative (2010). She is one of the founders of Spiritual Directors International and has been mentoring spiritual directors since 1984.
Joyce Rupp Des Moines, Iowa, USA  Joyce Rupp is an international speaker, retreat director, and a "spiritual midwife." Her ministry includes writing, conferences and spiritual direction. Joyce is the award-winning author of numerous books on spiritual growth. Her professional education includes degrees in English, Religious Education, and Transpersonal Psychology. Joyce is a member of the Servants of Mary community and a volunteer for Hospice. In 2004, she received U.S. Catholic's national award for furthering the cause of women in the church.
Ligita Ryliskyte
Vilnius, Lithuania
Ligita Ryliskyte, MD, PhD, works in her congregation's retreat house, leads workshops in spirituality and scripture, and sees people for spiritual direction. She is also a consulting cardiologist at the Vilnius (Lithuania) University Hospital “Santariskiu Klinikos.” Since 2006, she has been a junior researcher and lecturer there. She is also a member of the General Council of the Congregation of the Sisters of Eucharistic Jesus and writes scripture commentaries and articles about spirituality (in Lithuanian). Among her many degrees, she holds a PhD biomedicine from Vilnius University, and she is studying for a Certificate of Advanced Educational Studies in religious education through Boston College. She completed her spiritual direction training in 2000 through a program offered by the joint staff of the Faith and Life Institute (Lithuania) and Mercy Center (California, USA).
Gordon Self Edmonton, Alberta, Canada  Gordon Self is vice president for mission, ethics, and spirituality with Caritas Health Group in Alberta, Canada. He works in the areas of sponsorship with the Alberta Catholic Health Corporation (ACHC), ethics, mission integration, relationships with the larger community (for example: faith-based facilities, educational as well as social service groups) and facilitates various groups within Caritas. In addition to his Caritas responsibilities, Gordon mentors pharmacy students at Creighton University in Nebraska, USA, assisting them to develop and form ethical reasoning skills. Previously, he worked with St. Joseph's Residence in Winnipeg, Canada, where his responsibilities as director of spiritual care and mission, included coordinating spiritual care for residents, families and staff, providing mission in-services and leadership training, and co-chairing the mission and ethics committee. Prior to joining St. Joseph's Residence, Gordon was a Mission Leadership Fellow at Mercy Medical Centre in Iowa, USA, and a chaplain at St. Boniface General Hospital in Winnipeg. Gordon also has extensive experience in spiritual direction and has written about spirituality of work and organizations. He received his Master of Divinity from the University of Winnipeg.
Marcus G. Smucker Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, USA  Marcus Smucker, PhD, professor emeritus at the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary and currently adjunct professor at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, teaches courses in Christian spirituality and conflict mediation. He is a spiritual director, does training and supervision in spiritual direction for The Kairos School of Spiritual Formation. He is a graduate of Eastern Mennonite University (BA), New York Theological Seminary (STB), Union Theological Seminary in Virginia (ThM), and The Union Institute (PhD). He is a graduate of the Shalem Institute of Spirituality and a Fellow with the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.
Rabbi Jacob Staub Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA  Rabbi Jacob Staub is a Reconstructionist rabbi. He serves as Professor of Jewish Philosophy and Spirituality at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, USA, where he established and now directs the Program in Jewish Spiritual Direction. He is the author of The Creation of the World According to Gersonides (Brown Judaic Studies, Scholars Press, 1982) and the co-author of Exploring Judaism: A Reconstructionist Approach (Reconstructionist Press, 2000). His poem "Facing You Facing Me" received honorable mention in the 2005 Presence poetry contest. Other poems have been published in Zeek, Ashe:Journal of Experimental Spirituality, Response, and White Crane Journal.
John Stuart Frankston, Victoria, Australia  John Stuart has been working in area of spirituality for over forty years, initially as a priest in the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and then as a counselor in the alcohol and other drug field. He has been a spiritual director since 1988. John is a graduate of the Institute for Spiritual Leadership in Chicago, Illinois, USA, and has a masters in pastoral studies from Loyola University Chicago. He is currently a team member of The Living Well Spirituality Centre in Melbourne and president of The Australian Network for Spiritual Direction.
Steven Sturm
Waialua, Hawaii, USA
Steven Sturm is Minister with the Waialua Christian Church on the island of Oahu, where he and his wife Blossom have served for over thirty years. Currently, he also serves as Interim Minister with the Central Church of Christ. Steve's spiritual direction training came through the Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction program (DASD) at San Francisco Theological Seminary, from which he received a D.Min. degree. He also holds a MS in Counseling Psychology from Chaminade University of Honolulu, where he teaches in the area of spirituality and counseling. Steve teaches courses in Christian Spirituality for Bible Institute of Hawaii, and formerly for Hawaii Theological Seminary. He practices spiritual direction and pastoral counseling at sites in Honolulu, the North Shore, and Central Oahu.
The Sturms enjoy their adult children and five grand children, and make the most of the outdoor life Hawaii affords. Steve views the natural world as a lens through which to gaze upon the beauty of God.
Stephen Truscott, SM Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia  Stephen Truscott SM, PhD, is a Marist priest and Director of the Fullness of Life Centre in Perth, Western Australia. He is committed to the psycho-spiritual growth of people. He assists individuals, groups, and organisations through counselling, spiritual direction, professional supervision, retreats, organisational reviews and vocational assessment. Stephen provides professional development seminars and personal growth workshops including the Myers-Briggs, the Enneagram, organizational spirituality and Open Space Technology. Stephen’s extensive experience and qualification include: Associate Diploma in Welfare Work, formation as a spiritual director at the Institute of Spiritual Leadership (Chicago), Master’s Degree in Pastoral Studies, majoring in Spirituality at Loyola University (Chicago), professional supervision at the Wasley Institute (Perth) and a Ph.D. from Murdoch University. He is the author of Beginning and Advanced Spiritual Directors: The Developmental Influences that Shape their Practice (VDM, 2008).
Jane E. Vennard Denver, Colorado, USA  Jane E. Vennard, MDiv, is ordained to a special ministry of teaching and spiritual direction in the United Church of Christ. She is senior adjunct faculty of prayer and spirituality at the Iliff School of Theology. In addition, Jane is a spiritual director in private practice, teaches classes in a variety of ecumenical settings, and leads retreats internationally. She is the author of numerous articles and six books: Praying for Friend's and Enemies (1995), Praying with Body and Soul (1998), Be Still: Designing and Leading Contemplative Retreats (2000), Embracing the World: Praying for Justice and Peace (2003), winner of the Colorado Book Award, and A Praying Congregation: The Art of Teaching Spiritual Practice (2005), The Way of Prayer which is part of the Companions in Christ: A Small Group Experience in Spiritual Formation (2006). Jane lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband Jim.
Andrew Walker Lewes, East Sussex, UK  Andrew Walker is an Anglican priest who was the founder director of the London Centre for Spirituality in the UK. A trained psychosynthesis counselor and supervisor, he has worked in the field of Ignatian spirituality and spiritual direction since 1990. His publications include Journey into Joy (St Paul’s), Spirituality in the City (SPCK) and Discovering the Spirit in the City (Continuum). He enjoys cooking, gardening, films, and fiction.
Rabbi Zari Weiss Seattle, Washington, USA  Rabbi Zari Weiss was ordained from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in May 1991. Rabbi Weiss is the new rabbi of Congregation Kol HaNeshamah: West Seattle's Progressive Synagogue Community. Rabbi Weiss has been a leader in the field of Jewish spiritual direction, and has published a number of articles and book chapters on that subject. Rabbi Weiss is launching a number of new and exciting initiatives in her new community, that touch on issues facing the Jewish community in the 21st Century. Rabbi Weiss is married to David Levy, a professor at the University of Washington Information School.
Wendy M. Wright Omaha, Nebraska, USA  Wendy M. Wright holds a PhD. from the University of California at Santa Barbara and is currently Professor of Theology at Creighton University and holds the John C. Kenefick Faculty Chair in the Humanities. She also teaches regularly in several graduate ministerial programs including Creighton's Christian Spirituality Master's program and the National Methodist Academy for Spiritual Formation. She is co-host with Dr. J. O'Keefe of the Creighton University Podcast "Catholic Comments."
Marika Zelča-Čerāne
Riga, Latvia
Marika Zelča-Čerāne, MBA, MA, is the founder of the Institute of the Christian Life in Latvia (Kristīgās dzīves institūts), and she is a spiritual director and retreat leader. She studied spiritual direction at the graduate School of Religion and Religious Education at Fordham University in New York (USA). She is a contact person for the Roman Catholic Church in Latvia in the Theobalt network. She leads Ignatian retreats in both in retreat houses and online. At the Institute of the Christian Life in Latvia, she gives courses integrating life and faith, finding God in daily work, and courses on scripture and life. She writes articles for the local religious media and her blog (in Latvian Language) Dvēseles draugs (Soul friend).
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