Spiritual Director, Pastor, Teacher
Hi! I’m Bev, and I am looking forward to connecting with you.
In June 2018, I moved from Iowa to the Atlanta area to be closer to my children and grandchildren, and to pursue my passion for spiritual direction and spiritual formation. Now I meet with individuals and small groups to help people discover and understand how God is active in their lives.
Background
I am a learning junkie who is constantly looking for new ideas and new ways of being. I have always been interested in big questions about the world and our place in it. It took me many years to understand that when I was pursing physics, philosophy, and psychology in college, I was really interested in the questions of meaning and purpose that I later discovered in theology.
I served as pastor at small, medium and large local churches, for twenty years. During that time, I led workshops and retreats for youth and adults focusing on leadership development, stewardship, spiritual formation, and more. I have also served as a facilitator for children, youth and adults at the United Methodist Women’s mission u in the Iowa Annual Conference UMC, the Upper Room Walk to Emmaus weekends and Face to Face encounters, and the Ignatian Spirituality Project Overnight Retreat and Day Apart for homeless women in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.
In 1999, I took vows to join the Order of Saint Luke, a dispersed ecumenical religious order dedicated to sacramental and liturgical scholarship and practice, and ongoing spiritual formation guided by the Rule of Life and Service. I am also a member of Spiritual Directors International and Hearts on Fire Fellowship of United Methodist Spiritual Directors and Retreat Leaders.
Prior to starting Compassionate Direction Services, I worked as a research psychologist and directed a program promoting the participation of women in science and engineering at The University of Iowa.
Education
Florida State University
B.S. in Physics and Philosophy with minors in Mathematics and Psychology, 1974
M.S. in Experimental Psychology, 1976
Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology, 1979
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
M.Div. 2001
Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center and Sophia Center at Mount St. Scholastica
PrairieFire Training and Practicum in Spiritual Direction, 2017
New Skills Academy
MIndfulness Certification, 2020
Spiritual Directors International
Spiritual Direction Supervision Training with Lucy Abbott Tucker, 2022
Business Talk Radio Interview
July 6, 2020