Mark Anderson
My wife, Petra, and I have two grown children and together co-pastor a small congregation in Vancouver, British Columbia. In addition to offering spiritual direction for many years now, I also draw on my background as a consulting engineer to provide Whole Life Coaching to leaders in ministry and the corporate world. My passion is to help professionals have an inner experience of God that is just as real and formative in their lives as their careers and family are. I have an M.Div. from Regent College with an emphasis in biblical spirituality and received two years of training in spiritual direction from SoulStream. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, business executives, salespeople, artists, pastors, and church planters: If you are looking for more to life — healing, freedom, and effectiveness — I’d love to join you in paying attention to what God is doing in and around you. While meeting in person for spiritual direction has definite advantages, I do most of my one-on-one work with people over the phone and by Skype.
Cynthia (Cynch) Concepcion-Baga
With 25 years of ministry experience in human formation for diocesan seminarians, clergy, and religious men and women plus rich exposure and training in the ministry of spiritual direction through the 40-day Spiritual Exercises Institute in Guelph, Ontario, and at Mercy Center, Burlingame, California, I co-founded G.A.M.O.T. Resources (Growth Alternatives for Managing Ongoing Transformation) in 1993 with a community of friends dedicated to facilitating personal and communal transformation through bio-psycho-social-spiritual programs. 2010 proved to be a profound affirmation of my ministry calling when Pope Benedict XVI bestowed the papal award Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice on me. Offering spiritual direction face-to-face or online is a sacred privilege I humbly embrace with delightful gratitude.
Brenda Buckwell
As an ordained elder within the United Methodist tradition, I have additionally trained as a spiritual director and supervisor of spiritual directors at Mercy Center in Burlingame, California, and have received the United Methodist certification in spiritual formation. I am a spiritual director for lay and clergy persons, a national retreat leader, and co-founder and current director of learning and formation for the National Fellowship of United Methodist Spiritual Directors and Retreat Leaders, which kindles Hearts on Fire. With my online teaching certification, I have taught spiritual formation and direction courses at United Theological Seminary and for the Rueben Job Institute for Spiritual Formation through Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. Currently, I serve as lead pastor of Westgate United Methodist Church in the West Ohio conference, providing formational ministry to those who live on the marginal places of society.
Mike Harbert
I’m a Presbyterian pastor of 31 years, having served churches in Connecticut, Texas and California. Even though I grew up in the church, I didn’t come to understand God’s love until late in high school. From that time until today I have deeply appreciated, and been greatly stretched by, my growing relationship with the One Who loves perfectly—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Over the years I have had an insatiable appetite for knowing God and serving God. This has led to many varied and rich experiences, both Protestant and Catholic. My journey into God’s heart has led me more recently into contemplative spirituality and training as a spiritual director through Center Quest’s School of Spiritual Direction. Since completing my training I’ve experienced the tremendous privilege of companioning people who want to hear God’s voice. There is nothing quite like this gift of sacred spiritual companionship and shared spiritual discovery! I still serve as a Presbyterian pastor while also providing direction in my home office in Pasadena, CA—in person, online or by phone.
Daniel Ethan Harris
After years in full-time ministry roles, I was depleted from giving in to the deception that the demands of ministry kept me from living the kind of life with God that I really wanted. Desperation helped me finally make some deeply-needed lifestyle rearrangements, which included meeting regularly with a spiritual director. After experiencing the benefit of spiritual direction over a number of years, I was eager to pursue training. My background in spiritual direction and spiritual formation comes from completing the CenterQuest School of Spiritual Direction, a certificate in Spiritual Transformation from the Transforming Center, a Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation from Northwest Nazarene University, and a Professional Certification in Spiritual Formation in the United Methodist Church. I mainly meet with directees either by phone or video calls, and I particularly enjoy looking for opportunities to utilize written reflections as a means of deepening spiritual direction conversations. Information on my involvement in spiritual direction, writing, and retreats is found at www.salvationlife.com.
Rick Hatem
I am in my late 50s, single, and Catholic. My training as a spiritual director was with the Spiritual Renewal Center in Syracuse, New York. Today I work as a spiritual director through the Spirituality Network in Columbus, Ohio, and am a supervisor in Wellstreams, an ecumenical program of spiritual formation and training in the art of spiritual direction. I lived in Jerusalem between 1986 and 1991 and was active in dialogue with Jews, Muslims, and Christians. In 1987, I joined L’Arche Bethany, the first L’Arche community in the Middle East. Daily Bible reading, centering prayer, experiences with the three Abrahamic religions, and 12 years in L’Arche influence my spirituality. I lead retreats using Scripture stories to explore life. Beginning in 2001, I helped my parents for nearly a decade in the challenges of aging and with my mother’s Alzheimer’s. They were able to remain in the rural home they built until shortly before their deaths, five months apart.
Jan Johnson
I’ve been a spiritual director since 1995, having graduated from Stillpoint. I hold a D.Min. in Ignatian spirituality and spiritual direction. My specialization is in doing direction with clergy as well as people of various ethnicities. You can call me a Christian “mutt”—you name a denomination, and I’ve been there and loved it. I have participated in a 12-step program since 1985; I’m not sure if I “use” it in direction, but it’s a big part of whom I am. I do direction in person and live in Simi Valley (Los Angeles area) with my husband (www.JanJohnson.org). I’m also the author of 20 books, including When the Soul Listens and Abundant Simplicity, as well as truckloads of magazine articles and Bible studies, such as the Spiritual Disciplines Companion. The focus of my work lies in spiritual formation, social justice, and recovery. I speak worldwide at retreats and conferences and am an adjunct professor at Azusa Pacific University, Hope International University, and Denver Seminary.
Kevin Martin O.F.S., M.S.
After seeing a spiritual director on a regular basis for over 20 years, I felt called to become one. I received an M.S. in Spiritual Direction from Neumann University in Aston, PA. in May of 2010 and have been an active spiritual director ever since. I am Roman Catholic and a member of the Secular Franciscan Order (O.F.S.) but have had numerous opportunities to direct people of various faith traditions. I also work with the homeless and am involved at the Malvern Retreat Center in Malvern, PA in a program called “Men Without Homes.” I am happily married with five grown children and two grandchildren. My greatest joy as a spiritual director is seeing people realizing that God’s love for them is not based on what they have done or what they have failed to do but is totally given to them unconditionally.
Joann Nesser
I am a graduate of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and have an M.A. in pastoral theology and ministry from Luther Seminary and a D.Min. in spiritual direction. I am the founder and retired executive director of the Christos Center for Spiritual Formation outside St. Paul, Minnesota. Since retiring, I continue to teach in the spiritual direction program, do occasional retreats, write, and do email spiritual direction with the Henri Nouwen Society. I have taught contemplative prayer and spiritual formation at retreats, churches, and conferences in the U.S., Europe, and Africa. I have authored several books and articles on related topics, such as Contemplative Prayer: Attending to Prayer When the Well Runs Dry and Journey Into Reality: Through Prayer and God-Centeredness. I also have a CD called Praying with Scripture. I am available for email and telephone spiritual direction.
Greg Richardson
Having spent time in most Christian denominations, I have explored a wide variety of spiritual arenas on my journey. From a theologically conservative church background, my faith has since developed in a much more contemplative direction. A recovering lawyer and university professor, I completed my formational training as a spiritual director in 2005. I was also trained as a spiritual mentor/supervisor and served as the chair of the board of directors of the organization where I did my training. Received as a lay oblate at New Camaldoli, a Benedictine hermitage and monastery in Big Sur, California, I do workshops introducing people to Benedictine life and contemplative practices, aside from facilitating spiritual direction groups, retreats, and quiet days. As a spiritual life mentor, I meet with people around the world using a wide variety of technological tools, as well as in person.
Carol Swanson
I became a spiritual director along with my husband, Jay, in 2008, receiving my training at Mercy Center in Burlingame, California. I have had the privilege of serving as a spiritual director in Malaysia and Nairobi, Kenya, facilitating contemplative practices. I hold a master’s degree in spiritual formation and leadership from Spring Arbor University in Michigan. Delight in seeing growth in people’s intimacy with God continues to fuel my growing passion for the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. I am also a trained centering prayer presenter. With a longtime friend, I share a ministry called For the Care of Your Soul, in which I do retreat work and direction. My greatest joy comes when I see people experience God in their everyday lives, and companioning others through such an experience is a sacred time for me. Although my grounding is in the Christian tradition, I am open to walking with people from other faith traditions.