EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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.

EDUCATION DIRECTOR

Michelle Bodle is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and runs Abide in the Spirit, a ministry focused on creating sacred spaces for holy listening through spiritual direction, supervision, and particular seasons of need. She graduated in 2023 from Fordham with the Advanced Certificate in the Supervision of Spiritual Directors, where her capstone project explored making meaning in grief and spiritual direction. She graduated in 2022 with her DMin from Wesley Theological Seminary in Church Leadership, where her project paper focused on the impact of group spiritual direction on young clergy women. She additionally holds a certification in Spiritual Formation from Drew Theological School (2012), an MDiv from Drew Theological School (2011), and a BA from Houghton College in religion and psychology (2007). Her Spiritual Direction Training was through the Center for Spiritual Formation (2013). Michelle can be reached at:michelle@emmausformation.ca.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATOR

Ann is a graduate of the Emmaus Spiritual Direction program. She brings with her a wealth of experience from 22 years as an Executive Director with Youth for Christ, and the rich mentoring relationships she has fostered with many young women. She now practices Spiritual Direction from her home in Tottenham, ON and is the Administrative Assistant at Emmaus. Ann is also the author of the Bible Study “Holy Calling: Becoming a Godly Wife”. Ann has been married to Keith McCallum for 40 years, has 3 adult children and 10 grandchildren. Ann loves leading guided Spiritual Retreats for individuals and groups, and Meditative Hikes.

FUND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Erwin is a high-achieving leader in the fund development world having served with numerous faith-based ministries with a successful business and operational toolset. He manages day-to-day activities with strategic vision and tactical approaches built on sound industry knowledge and expert business acumen. He brings a servant's heart as he considers what is necessary to bring continuous improvement and stewardship in order to make a lasting impact. To that end, he brings a unique fund development philosophy along with a philosophy of ministry that invites the Holy Spirit into relationships. These tools he brings with him from a world of discipleship, pastoral leadership, and a love for walking with people and introducing them to the grace of the Gospel. Erwin served with Tyndale University& Seminary for three years as the VP of Development where he participated in watching the launch of the Spiritual Formation initiative and was able to raise funds to make that happen. It was a joy to watch the team grow, flourish and accomplish what they were meant to be and do.Erwin and his wife Ann-Marie have two children and five grandchildren. They live in New Tecumseth and are part of thechurch community there.

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.

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.

Pilar Gateman, Ven. Dr. has a BA and a BEd in Music Education and French, an MDiv in Theology, a DMin in Spiritual Formation, a certificate in Spiritual Direction, a certificate in Pastoral Coaching and is ordained in the Anglican Church. She has taught at all levels of education. She has led retreats, workshops and seminars on Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Disciplines. Pilar works as the Executive Officer for the Anglican Diocese of Calgary. Pilar’s husband is a medevac pilot and they have 3 adult children. She enjoys kayaking, reading and traveling with her husband and kids.

Michelle Bodle is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and runs Abide in the Spirit, a ministry focused on creating sacred spaces for holy listening through spiritual direction, supervision, and particular seasons of need. She graduated in 2023 from Fordham with the Advanced Certificate in the Supervision of Spiritual Directors, where her capstone project explored making meaning in grief and spiritual direction. She graduated in 2022 with her DMin from Wesley Theological Seminary in Church Leadership, where her project paper focused on the impact of group spiritual direction on young clergy women. She additionally holds a certification in Spiritual Formation from Drew Theological School (2012), an MDiv from Drew Theological School (2011), and a BA from Houghton College in religion and psychology (2007). Her Spiritual Direction Training was through the Center for Spiritual Formation (2013). Michelle can be reached at: michelle@emmausformation.ca.

Lisa Brewitt is a pastor with the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec who also coaches churches in revitalization. She is also a spiritual director. Her Master of Divinity degree in Pastoral Studies is from Tyndale Seminary (OTS 96). She received her training in spiritual direction from Emmaus. Lisa considers herself to be a “Bapti-costal” and in her ministry as a pastor she has always drawn on the rich breadth of Christian Traditions and holds a deep awareness of the need for spiritual formation and spiritual direction in the life of the congregation.

Vanessa Caruso is a spiritual director and supervisor based on Vancouver Island in Canada. She received a Master's degree in Spiritual Formation and Leadership and was part of CenterQuest’s School of Spiritual Direction inaugural cohort, and now works for CenterQuest as the Executive Assistant and a co-facilitator of their Introduction to Spiritual Direction course. After completing the Advanced Certificate in Supervision from Fordham University, Vanessa became the teaching assistant for the program, as well as a co-director of Together in the Mystery, a supervision training community, and co-host of the podcast Three Association. She loves poetry, imaginative play with children, cold water and hot tub dips, store-bought cherry pie, and road trips to her hometown of Santa Barbara, California, with her husband, Steven, and their son, Leo.

David MacDonald is the Executive Director of the Osage Forest of Peace, an interspiritual contemplative retreat center in Sand Springs, Oklahoma. He is an ordained elder in the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church, and graduated in 2014 with a Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Direction from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. His dissertation focused on group spiritual direction among emerging adults. David also holds an M.Div. from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, and a B.A. in Communications from Mount Union College. When he is not engaged in the day-to-day operation of the Forest of Peace or in spiritual direction, David is an avid knitter, hiker, and bagpiper. He can be reached at: macdonde@gmail.com

Mee Yun Kim is a registered social worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers & Social Service Workers and a certified spiritual director. She currently practices with Vision Counselling & Consulting and her own private practice. As well, she serves as a pastor at a local church and teaches at Emmaus Formation Centre.Mee Yun is a lifelong learner, pulling from Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), the Gottman method, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and grounding herself in theo anthropology. Mee Yun's passion is to see people released to live from the uniqueness of who God created them to be.

Jane Sider, is the Director of Soul Intent, an international Coaching and Spiritual Direction practice. She helps leaders, change-makers, and those in the trenches of life and work serving others, to cultivate a deepening awareness of where God is present and active in their life and story, and how they are responding. She is passionate about Spiritual Formation as both contemplation and compassionate action, and brings years of experience in individual &group Spiritual Direction, SD Supervision, as well as Leadership Development. Jane holds a Master of Ministry and a Diploma in Conflict Mediation. She has worked for several years in Chaplaincy at a regional Children’s Hospital, journeying with families through tragic losses, and finding new hope. With her husband Mark, and 5 children, Jane lived for 11years in SE Asia & Africa serving in Community Development, Peace building, and Emergency Food Relief.

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 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.

Michelle Shockness, MSW, PhD is a non-profit organizational specialist and consultant with NP Org Worx Inc in Toronto, Canada. She brings over 30 years of experience to her role with Emmaus, including previous roles as a social worker, therapist, and program director, and more recently, as an assistant professor, sessional instructor, and lecturer in the human/social sciences and leadership studies. She continues to volunteer and to remain involved with academic committees and research initiatives.
Michelle’s interest in participating on the Emmaus board stems from her own contemplative journey in stumbling into a whole other way of being present with God.

She continues to learn what this means daily and seasonally, and from many wise and surprising sources.

Michelle counts it a privilege to join such a special gathering of people at Emmaus and looks forward to the journey ahead, and to all the learning and community this will entail.

TREASURER

Pearl has over 30 years’ experience in Finance and Accounting including 13 years in the charitable sector in senior roles.  Her last 8 years before retiring were spent as the Director of Finance at HeartHouse Hospice.  She has an MBA from York University and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto.

Pearl first learned of Hospice care when a friend spent the last month of her life in Carpenter House Hospice in Burlington.  Pearl was pleasantly surprised to find the Hospice was a home-like and welcoming environment.  Pearl was excited to join The Healing Cycle Foundation as the Treasurer as a way of supporting the Hospice community