Leadership
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Sandra Broadus
Helping Christians to grow in Christ was a burden I carried, even as I graduated from UofT, hoping to launch a counseling practice. I was led, by the Spirit, to Tyndale Seminary in 1998 to begin an MDiv. in counseling—graduating with a Spiritual Direction diploma as well in 2003. After 7 years of teaching spiritual formation and spiritual direction at Tyndale, I went on to graduate with a DMin. in Leadership and Spiritual Formation from George Fox Seminary in Oregon. Since then—and with much prayer and discernment with trusted leaders, God has clearly invited me to collaborate in this work: Emmaus Formation Centre. As I continue to lead Emmaus, I am challenged to ensure all ministry, is offered with grace and excellence. I am not only blessed to witness lives transformed and deepened in Christ, but also blessed to witness the movement of the ministry of spiritual direction—within the Evangelical Church.
COURSE INSTRUCTORS
Sandy Broadus
Sandra has teaching experience in a variety of settings, most pertinent, at Tyndale Seminary.Her intimate knowledge of the practice of spiritual direction over 13 years, coupled with her teaching experience of Spiritual Direction over 7 years, affords a rich experience for students in the Emmaus Spiritual Direction Practicum.
Jim Horsthuis
Jim is Emmaus Formation Centre’s Director of Education. In this role Jim directs the educational aspects of our certificate program in spiritual formation and direction. Jim has been active in ministry as a pastor and as a theological educator for much of his adult life. In college, seminary, and denominational contexts he has been involved in developing others for ministry and teaching pastoral theology at a variety of levels and contexts. His joy is to serve others by integrating theological wisdom into life and ministry.
As our education director and instructor with Emmaus Formation Centre, Jim brings his passion for spiritual formation and direction into this role. Jim is ordained with the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada and completed his PhD in Christian Theology from McMaster Divinity College. His research interests continue to be in Trinitarian theology, Spiritual Formation and Direction, Pastoral Theology, and Contemplative Spirituality. Jim is married to Laura, and they have two adult children, Josh and Jenna.
Marc Gauvreau
Marc is an ordained minister with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada and has been a congregational pastor for 25 years in Mississauga and Oakville, and is an experienced spiritual director.
For 10 years, he has been developing and delivering a discipleship-based approach to spiritual formation within the local church.
Marc enjoys his wife of 19 years and their 4 young boys.
Freda Ng
Freda is a pastor at Logos Baptist Church (York Region) and a trained spiritual director. She has a Bachelors in Statistics and Masters in Business Administration from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a Master of Divinity (Chinese Pastoral Ministry & Christian Education) and in the last stage of a Doctor of Ministry (Spiritual Formation) from Tyndale Seminary, Toronto.
Freda treasures the Scriptures and takes joy in helping people engage with the Word of God and to live it out in daily life.
She enjoys silence, reading, hiking, journaling and spending quality time with husband Frederick, and their two daughters.
Ouida Pihulyk
Ouida is currently a Pastor, spiritual director supervisor, and expressive arts practitioner. She is a graduate of York University, Tyndale Seminary, and the Haliburton School of the Arts. Ouida also holds a teacher’s certificate in adult education from George Brown College and recently retired from private practice as a RP – registered psychotherapist.
As an active contemplative, she believes we are spiritually transformed by the word of God holistically – body, mind, and spirit. From this focus she brings many years of experience in teaching a wide variety of spiritual formation courses, leading retreats, and facilitating workshops where she includes creative and imaginative ways to discern God’s heart in our everyday lives.
SUPERVISORS
Maria (Chan) Kon
Maria (Chan) Kon has been a spiritual director from 2008 to present, and a supervisor to the spiritual direction practicum from 2011-2018 at Tyndale Seminary. She has recently completed her Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Formation, where her research focused on the spiritual direction and supervision of spiritual directors within the fullness of trinitarian life. Maria is passionate about ongoing ministry development and continuing education for graduate spiritual directors. Maria is one of the spiritual direction supervisors for this course and can be contacted here: mariakoncsds@gmail.com or 416 275 4989.
Rick Wukasch
Rick Wukasch has recently retired from pastoral ministry at both Spring Garden Church, North York, and The Meeting House, Oakville, where he supported small group community, spiritual formation, prayer, care, and relationship ministry teams. He has a BSc and MSc (University of Guelph) and MDiv in Pastoral Counselling (Ontario Theological Seminary). He trained in spiritual direction and supervision at Tyndale Seminary and has provided spiritual direction to a broad variety of people for many years. Rick is one of the spiritual direction supervisors for this course. rt.wukasch@gmail.com
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND SENIOR STAFF
As founder and Executive Director of Emmaus Formation Centre, Sandra is committed to building up the laity of the Christian Church. After completing an undergraduate degree at U of T, she continued with an MDiv. at Tyndale Seminary, after which she began teaching Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Direction at Tyndale, lasting 7 years. These areas became central to Sandra’s call and ministry, which led to her Doctoral Degree: Leadership and Spiritual Formation, at George Fox Seminary (Oregon).
“Spiritual formation is that which connects our head knowledge of God to our heart knowledge of God. Help from another through the spiritual direction relationship can bring the head and heart closer than ever.”
Jim is Emmaus Formation Centre’s Director of Education. In this role Jim directs the educational aspects of our certificate program in spiritual formation and direction. Jim has been active in ministry as a pastor and as a theological educator for much of his adult life. In college, seminary, and denominational contexts he has been involved in developing others for ministry and teaching pastoral theology at a variety of levels and contexts. His joy is to serve others by integrating theological wisdom into life and ministry.
As our education director and instructor with Emmaus Formation Centre, Jim brings his passion for spiritual formation and direction into this role. Jim is ordained with the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada and completed his PhD in Christian Theology from McMaster Divinity College. His research interests continue to be in Trinitarian theology, Spiritual Formation and Direction, Pastoral Theology, and Contemplative Spirituality. Jim is married to Laura, and they have two adult children, Josh and Jenna.
Jim brings 40 years of non-profit leadership in the international development sector, including World Vision and Children Believe, to the Emmaus Board of Directors. Jim is a resident of Mississauga, and attends Clarkson Community Church with his wife, Dorothy
Chair
Steve Read has worked for 20 years in the field of Research and Development at IMAX, where he has applied his engineering and science degrees to find novel ways to control light. As an adult, Steve came to place his faith in a different light: the light of truth found in the person of Jesus Christ.
“Spiritual direction is invaluable to the journey, shining light into the darkness, enabling us to see and connect with our good and loving Creator—and each other—in purposeful ways that bring life, hope and freedom.”
Carol VanRavenstein’s passion is listening prayer and the healing and change that Jesus brings when we hear Him speak. She attends Clearview Christian Reformed Church in Oakville, where she has been an elder for the past 5 years and part of a prayer team for much longer than that. She has been using her spiritual direction training, both in ministry and individually, at the church. Carol recently acquired her own bookkeeping business and is looking forward to seeing how God will use her spiritual direction training in this. She has been married to her husband John for 33 years and they have one married daughter and two grandchildren.
