Connect with a Director

Certified from Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction, North Park Seminary, Chicago, IL

I am a Covenant pastor who has found spiritual direction to be a significant help in my own journey. I’ve walked in spiritual companionship with people for over 20 years and still marvel at the privilege of helping them notice God’s movement in their lives. As a director, I pledge to listen with you for God’s voice in both everyday and momentous events. I am especially attuned to the impact of grief and loss in the faith journey.

Certified from St. Placid Priory

My own journey into spiritual direction has been wondrously fulfilling and transformative, both for me and those I have the privilege to accompany. Bringing a blend of compassionate listening with a deep commitment to exploring the richness of human experience and divine connection, it’s beautiful to witness hearts and lives opening.

My dedication to inclusivity and understanding comes from my professional and personal experiences with diverse communities. My approach is to create sacred spaces where people can truly be seen and heard. An emphasis on contemplative practices in my leadership roles speaks to a dedicated commitment to fostering deeper relationships and awareness of the divine in everyday life.

Certified from Mars Hill Graduate School (Seattle School of Theology and Psychology), Seattle, WA

My education includes a Bachelor of Arts (Art History, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA), a Masters of Christian Studies in Applied Theology (Regent College, Vancouver, B. C., Canada), a Certificate in Spiritual Direction (Seattle School of Theology and Psychology [formerly Mars Hill Graduate School], Seattle, WA), and a Spiritual Direction Supervision Certificate (North Park Seminary, Chicago, IL). In 2013 I completed George Fox Evangelical Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry Program in Leadership and Spiritual Formation (Portland, OR) with a focus on congregational discernment and group decision making. I love walking along side individuals and groups to help them grow in Christ, hear more clearly the voice of God, and discern His work in their lives.

I am an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church, and before retirement served three churches in the Seattle area. I currently am the Church Chair at Newport Covenant Church. I also serve my denomination’s local conference by offering spiritual direction to pastors and staff. I am a “companion” of the contemplative community “The Selah Center” (www.selahcenter.org). I am married to Ron; mother to Emily, David, Andy and Rob; and grandmother to Mattea, Ethan, Samantha, Emma, Daniel, Jack, James, Kathleen and Danielle. My hobbies are gardening, family history research, music, watercolor painting, and doing puzzles!

Academy of Spiritual Formation/School of Spiritual Direction, Portland, OR

As a Spiritual Director, it is my desire, to offer the gift of hospitality and the gift of space, both physical and spiritual to those whose desire is to deepen their spiritual walk with God. I see myself as a companion, guide, and trusted listener as the directee explores and considers their own Spiritual journey.

It is both a pleasure and privilege to serve as ones Spiritual Director and I take this responsibility very seriously pledging to pray, listen, and guide with faithfulness and authenticity. My own Spiritual Tradition is rooted in the Evangelical church with a sincere affection towards all Spiritual pursuits and expressions. I have a heart for marginalized community members as well as the clergy and their families.

Having worked as a teacher, school counselor, family therapist, and parent educator for over 30 years, I have seen firsthand that everyone has a story to tell and a heart desire to be seen and known.

My training started with a Bachelor of Science in Education with an emphasis in Child Development then a Master’s in Counseling and Parent Education. My Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Direction training comes through the school of Soul Formation in Portland Oregon.

I practice Spiritual Direction out of my home in Tualatin, OR. I am available for weekly or monthly appointments. Session length: 60 min.

Certified from Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction, North Park Seminary, Chicago, IL

I am a pilgrim seeking the way of Jesus through the ancient paths and contemporary context. After receiving my M.Div from Regent College in 2008, I planted Lettered Streets Covenant Church in Bellingham, WA as a community parish rooted in a particular place with the purpose of learning to live out our faith in Jesus together. Facilitating a weekly contemplative prayer group continues to be a rich source of joy in ministry.

I have been the beneficiary of ongoing spiritual direction in my own life for over 20 years and one of my hopes is to make direction available and accessible to others. As a spiritual director, I seek to reflect the warm and welcoming hospitality of God to others with the hope that they can more clearly see God’s presence in their life and their place in God’s story. I see my role as bearing witness to your story and I offer myself not as one who has arrived, but as a fellow pilgrim on the journey learning to trust God.

I have been married to Cory for over 25 years and have three amazing daughters. I enjoy camping, skiing, and biking with my family or watching my girls play soccer. I also enjoy getting my hands dirty in the garden and exploring the beauty of God’s creation.

Certified from Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction, North Park Seminary, Chiccago, IL

It is a joy to companion with people in this beautiful work of the Holy Spirit where we together discern what, where, and how God is moving. Listening to my directees fills me with wonder and awe at how our mighty, creative, and loving triune God the Father, the Spirit, and our Lord Jesus personally engage with us.

The professions that have crafted me before becoming a spiritual director including thirty years as a master’s prepared registered nurse and fifteen years working with multi-national software development teams. I completed a two-year graduate certificate program at the C. John Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction at North Park Theological Seminary. My undergraduate was completed at North Park University and my master’s degree was from the University of Washington. I am a native of Minnesota and have made the Pacific Northwest my home for almost four decades.

I’ve been married for more than thirty-five years to Jim, and we have two sons, one living nearby, and one in heaven. I was privileged to be involved in leadership with Bible Study Fellowship for ten years. I volunteer at my church where I currently serve on the Elder Board. I have a strong creative streak and love to write music and lyrics for musical theater. I’ve also experienced the personal heartbreak and grief of a loved one’s mental illness, addiction, and incarceration. It was this heartbreak that eventually opened the door for me to enter the ministry of spiritual direction.

Certified from Listening with the Spirit – St. Placid Priory

I believe that listening deeply to the essence of another’s story has the power to be transformative and creative. For me, spiritual direction entails becoming more deeply aware of God’s movements in the every day — ultimately bringing a sense of joy and rest. I live in Bellingham, Washington, and enjoy feeling small in the shade of beautiful giant trees and in the shadows of towering mountains. I am happy to meet remotely by Zoom.

Certified from Franciscan Spiritual Center, Portland, OR

I have been a Covenant pastor for twenty-eight years, currently serving Wiley Heights Covenant Church in Yakima, Washington. Before coming to Yakima, I served for two years as a hospice chaplain. I was trained as a spiritual director in the Franciscan Tradition, certified through the Franciscan Spiritual Center in Portland, Oregon. In my life before vocational ministry, I performed and taught as a classical musician. My heart for ministry has always been motivated by helping people to bask in the amazing love, acceptance, and grace of God and to thrive as the precious person God has made them to be. As a spiritual director, I am passionate about helping people in overcoming the burdens of shame and negative images of God. My home is blessed by my wonderful spouse, Cherlyn, a professional violinist, our son, Christian, and two lively Shih Tzus, Reuben and Henry.

Certified from Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction, North Park Seminary, Chicago, IL

I have been a Covenant Missionary since 1981. My husband and I have raised our family over various continents. We have church planted, started a Foundation for Family Development, and done just about everything in church life including cleaning the church! I have served in Congo, Mexico, and currently serve with my husband as Regional Coordinator for Serve Globally in Europe. I have been a Spiritual Companion to people for many years. I was certified in 2007. This is where I feel most at home in ministry. I love to hold space for people to listen to themselves and God, noticing the movement of God as they walk. Spiritual direction is like being a spiritual Midwife, I am a gentle presence, helping them along when they get stuck, honoring their process and their work. I love watching the transformation process take place in each person I sit with.

Certified from Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction, North Park Seminary, Chicago, IL

I was born in raised in Seattle. I grew up as a Roman Catholic. I had a life-transforming encounter with Jesus at the age of 16 through the ministry of Young Life. At the age of 19, I traveled to Europe to study in Avignon, France. I lived, worked, and traveled throughout Europe until the age of 22. I returned to Western Washington University to complete my degree in French and in secondary education. I joined Bellingham Covenant Church and was mentored by Pastor Carleton Peterson. Letha and I married and left for the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) were we spent the first two years of our marriage. I graduated from North Park Seminary in 1988 with an M.Div. After seminary, we had the opportunity to study Spanish in Costa Rica for a year and then served in Mexico as Covenant missionaries from 1989 to 2007. In 2007 Letha and I moved to Lyon, France to serve as co-Regional Coordinators for Serve Globally. In July of 2020, we moved back to Bellingham for the care of Letha’s aging parents. I completed a D.Min from Fuller Theological Seminary in 2009. I graduated from the C. John Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction in 2014. Letha and I have three adult children and one grandson. I enjoy history and am a presidential buff. I love good food, wine, and rich conversations.

Certified from Renovare, Denver, CO

Jedidiah is passionate about the deep spiritual journey of becoming fully alive and walking in intimacy with the Trinity. He cares deeply about the intersection between Christian spirituality and the pursuit of justice and reconciliation.

Certified from Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction, North Park Seminary, Chicago, IL

I have recently retired from a 40-year corporate finance career and retooling my energies into spiritual direction. I have been a contributing member to a start-up Covenant church plant in the Boise Idaho area. All my life I have enjoyed engaging others in spiritual conversations by listening carefully and deeply. I love receiving spiritual direction and have loved participating from the listener’s seat. Areas of personal experience include the addiction journey, dynamics of family life, struggling with secularism, and long-distance running. I also love travel as education, and connecting with others outside our American culture.

Certified from CFDM Christian Formation and Direction Ministries NW

Bethlyn Miller currently lives in Issaquah, WA. She has served as a spiritual director for 10 years, receiving her training and certification through CFDM (Christian Formation and Direction Ministries). She has also been a pastor’s wife for the last 30 years, serving in various capacities within a variety of churches and denominations as she and her husband minister in churches in transition. She has served as Support Teams Manager in a housing ministry she and her husband founded for women coming out of domestic violence and also oversaw the Marriage Encounter ministry in the northwest for over 20 years as the co-executive director. An avid gardener with the King County Master Gardeners, Bethlyn has a passion for seeing all things grow and become healthy—both plants and people! She and her husband, Mark, have four children and 4 grandchildren.

Certified from Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction, North Park Seminary, Chicago, IL

I am a lifelong Covenanter, and a veteran ECC pastor, denominational administrator and spiritual director who finds great joy in companioning others in their personal attentiveness to the Holy Spirit’s presence in every aspect of their lives. My areas of interest and extensive experience include pastoral ministry transitions of all kinds; pastoral self-care and family life; Covenant issues and ethos; spiritual practices; spiritual health; church vitality; church planting; ‘second half of life’ issues; and racial righteousness discipleship. I am also an avid outdoorsman, naturalist and blogger on nature as a spiritual pathway. My blog can be found at http://www.rickmylander.com. I live with my wife Gail in Coupeville, Washington. Enjoying quiet, holy and winsome yet serious conversation, I am open to spiritual direction in person when that is possible, but have many directees with whom I meet electronically.

Certified from San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Anselmo, CA

“Like craftsmen working on a great cathedral, we have each been given instruction about the particular stone we are going to spend our lives carving, without knowing or being able to guess where it will take its place within the grand design.”  (N.T. Wright, Surprised by Scripture)

As an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church, I have served its 800+ churches in the area of Christian Formation, leading the denomination toward a more whole-istic head, heart, and hands approach to education.  The classic spiritual disciplines, including spiritual direction and contemplative prayer, have been key in making that shift.  I’ve now entered the season that some call retirement and I live in Bellingham, WA.  The ministry of spiritual direction as well as introducing others to ancient and newer forms of contemplative prayer continues to be at the heart of what it means to ‘carve my particular stone’ faithfully and well.  I’ve also found joy in serving on the board of a non-profit called PlayFull, whose mission is to help people and organizations play from the inside out.  A timely and needed focus in our world.  I’m grateful to be part of the network of spiritual directors in the Pacific Northwest Conference.  I believe that what we offer contributes beautifully to God’s grand design, bringing a quiet, focused strength to the world.

Certified from SEEL (Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life) Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA.

I have been married for 40 years and have three beautiful adult children and two grandchildren. I have been directing for 10 years. I see Spiritual Direction as a holding space for others’ stories and finding God in those stories. I companion with those who desire to deepen their relationship with God and their experience of God’s presence in their day to day life, noticing the road signs along the way of God being active, alive and present. Some of my areas of interest are: the creative arts, dream work, social justice, contemplative prayer and the joy of being a dog owner.

Certified Spiritual Director, 2021, from Benet Hill Monastery, Colorado Springs, CO, Global Spiritual Direction Certification Program.

I am David Robinson, an ordained ECC pastor, and retired pastor emeritus at Cannon Beach Community Church (a Covenant Church). I was first ordained as a pastor in 1984. I became a Benedictine Oblate of Mount Angel Benedictine Abbey in 2006 and make regular retreats to this abbey. I completed my Doctor of Ministry with Fuller Theological Seminary in Christian Spiritual Formation in 2009, and my Master of Divinity from Fuller in 1984. My wife Trina and I live in Cannon Beach, just a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean. I enjoy writing, hiking in national parks, playing jazz piano, and spending time in nature. We also enjoy three grown sons and their wives, along with three grandchildren. I’ve written 7 published books, all on Christian Spiritual Formation, including Cloud Devotion: Through the Year with The Cloud of Unknowing (Paraclete Press, 2019); The Sacred Art of Marriage: 52 Creative Ways to Grow Your Married Life (Cascade, 2016); Soul Mentoring: Discover the Ancient Art of Caring for Others (Cascade, 2015); and Ancient Paths: Discover Christian Formation the Benedictine Way (Paraclete, 2010).  

Certified from Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction, North Park Seminary, Chicago, IL

I am Don Robinson, a retired, ordained ECC pastor. During my nearly 40 year vocational ministry I have served two churches; an established church in Greeley, CO; and as a church planter at Pine Lake Covenant, Sammamish, WA. I served on the staff of the Pacific Northwest Conference as associate superintendent for 23 years. During that time I also taught Vocational Excellence and other workshops for the ECC. Since retiring I have served as an Interim/Transitional Pastor for two churches. My wife Judy and I live on my childhood farm, near La Conner, WA, which is located 60 miles north of Seattle, WA and 60 miles south of Vancouver, BC. We are also live near two of our three children and our grandchildren. I enjoy working on our small farm.

Certified D.Min in Spiritual Direction | Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA

I currently serve as the Lead Pastor at Bellingham Covenant Church. I have a M.Div from Regent College and D.Min in Spiritual Direction from Fuller Seminary. My doctoral project focused on the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises as an avenue for holistic spiritual formation. It is a privilege to be a contemplative listener and companion with others as they seek to discern God’s leading in their life and ministry. Outside of ministry, you’ll find me out playing with my three young boys or out in the woods on a bike or a snowboard.

Certified from Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction, North Park Seminary, Chicago, IL

I earned my MDiv from Regent College (Vancouver, BC) and am ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church. I am a recently retired pastor having served Bellingham Covenant Church overseeing adult spiritual formation ministries. One of my greatest joys was developing and leading a year-long cohort called “Cultivating a Listening Life: Learning to Listen to God, Self, and Others.”

In the rush of our everyday life, our sense of the holy can become blunted. It takes intentionality to grow our attentiveness to God’s invitations and embrace his presence and movement in the joys and challenges we face. Spiritual direction offers a unique opportunity for this to happen. It is a gift and privilege to provide a safe, welcoming space to explore what God may be doing in the ordinary, the beauty and the chaos of our lives.

I have been married for over 40 years, have three children and five amazing grandchildren. My happy places are on the trails, in or on water swimming and paddling, around the table with family and friends, or by the fire with a good book and a hot cup of tea.

Certified from Institute for Spiritual Formation at Talbot Theological Seminary, La Mirada, CA

Hello! My name is Renee Shaeffer, and I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 21 years, and we have 2 boys. I have been on a journey of faith for about 30 years now and graduated from the Institution for Spiritual Formation at Talbot Theological Seminary with a Masters in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care in 2011 after resigning as a high school teacher and head volleyball coach. I am forever changed by the rhythms that God settled into my heart and mind during that time and am on a mission to find God in all things – in my life and in others’.

I count it a privilege to walk alongside others in their faith journeys and have had particular experience with deconstruction, racial reconciliation, parenting, adoption and foster care, attachment, God image, Ignatian prayer retreat, women’s spirituality, creativity, body-spirit connection, enneagram, rule of life, dark night of the soul. I received training to be a Spiritual Director, which means I’ve had hours and days of practicing the art of listening and discernment. I don’t have magic powers – just skills to sit with others and listen to God with them and on their behalf. Before, during, and after every session I am completely and utterly dependent on the Holy Spirit to ultimately direct while we desire to respond in faithfulness and obedience.

In addition to my slight obsession with finding God in all things, I also love and truly enjoy travel, travel planning, R&B, Motown + Soul, Bed & Breakfasts, going on walks, picnics, dancing, fresh squeezed orange juice, listening to vinyls on my record player, and Christmas.

Certified from School of Theology and Ministry, Seattle University, Seattle, WA

Spiritual direction with clergy, and their family members, provides a welcoming, safe, confidential space set aside to listen deeply to you. Together we will listen to your life, for the inner stirrings and invitations of the Spirit within you. Being able to talk with another, as we both listen for how God may be moving in your life, may help you recognize needs, patterns, fears, longings, hopes and possibilities in ways that can be transformative. I will provide deep listening, experienced companionship, prayerfulness, reflection, gentle questions and training in the Enneagram and Immanuel Prayer. I have ministered in spiritual direction since 2006 and have an affinity for working with people on the margins. I also have experience with inner-healing, transitions, chronic illness, parenting, care-giving, grief and loss, mental health/depression.

The loves of my life include my husband, Bill, two grown sons, their wives, and our grandchildren, and participating in and facilitating Peacemaking Circles, as a restorative justice alternative in juvenile justice, and as a process of deep listening in diverse community or conflict contexts.

Certified from Christian Formation and Direction Ministries (CFDM) Northwest, Seattle, WA

I received my Spiritual Director certification after completing a 4-year program through Christian Formation and Direction Ministries Northwest. I have been offering contemplative spiritual direction since 2017 and am active in my own faith community facilitating several Contemplative Prayer groups. In the words of Dr. Gerald May, “My prayers are for God’s will to be done in you and for your constant deepening in God. During the time we are together I give myself, my awareness and attention and hopes and heart to God for you.”

Certified from Fuller Seminary and Archdioceses of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA

Rev. Dawn Taloyo serves as the Associate Superintendent of the Pacific Northwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC). She is Ordained to Word and Sacrament in the ECC and completed a Master of Divinity degree at Fuller Theological Seminary with a specialization in spirituality and spiritual direction.

Dawn is committed to the health and well-being of pastors, chaplains and their families. She does this by way of providing pastoral care, spiritual direction, coaching, and spaces for connection and retreat.

Dawn considers herself a lifelong learner and a contemplative at heart. In recent years, she received training in Centering Prayer, the Enneagram, and Bowen Family Systems Theory.

Certified from C. John Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction, North Park Seminary, Chicago, IL

I am both a second generation Covenant pastor and a trained classical musician. After over 30 years of ministry—leading both traditional and contemporary worship, directing choirs, and filling other pastoral roles—I’ve been delighted to discover the new calling of spiritual direction. Through spiritual direction I have discovered the voice of God speaking to me in ways I had not previously realized. My desire as a director is to help others discover God’s voice in their lives as well.

Certified from George Fox Seminary (now Portland Seminary), Portland, OR

I have served as a transitional lead pastor for 20 years having received my Doctorate of Ministry and spiritual direction certification from Portland Seminary. I have three children who have blessed me with nine grandchildren. I currently serve a small rural church in Oregon half time as well as enjoy being a Realtor. My passion is loving God and serving people. My personal mission statement “To be a catalyst to encourage, empower and equip people to take one step further along their journey towards God”. I look forward to coming alongside others on this spiritual journey.

Certified from Selah Center, Gig Harbor, WA

Ted loves to provide space for others to notice God’s presence in their everyday lives, especially amidst the unique rigors of pastoral and intercultural ministry. Ted is also a husband, father of two, pastor, musician, and lifelong Cubs fan.