School of the Spirit
Leadership
Rev. Dr. Jody Seymour
Jody Seymour is the co-founder, Senior Advisor, and contributor to the School of the Spirit. He is a spiritual director and works with Davidson Clergy Center on Clergy renewal. Jody is the author of eight books, a prolific poet, and a certified Enneagram instructor with a rich history of service. He is also a retired United Methodist minister who served as a pastor for fifty-two years in the Western North Carolina Conference. His diverse experiences have shaped his understanding of spiritual guidance. He and his wife, Betsy, have two daughters.
Jody's passion is palpable. He shares, "My passion is to take the old story and make it come alive. I love to help people formulate questions of faith before we ever get to the answers. The spiritual pilgrimage is not only about 'having arrived,' but about experiencing the journey and seeking to understand the challenges that come with such a journey." His words inspire and motivate others to join him on this profound journey. Contact him at drjodyseymour@gmail.com.
Don Carroll
Don Carroll is a retired spiritual director, Enneagram teacher and writer. He is a member of Davidson United Methodist Church where he assists in providing opportunities for people to develop an understanding and experience of Contemplative Christianity. He is a former long time teacher and leader in the School of the Spirit. He has extensive background in counseling, coaching and the 12-steps from his work in the mental health and addiction field as Director of the North Carolina Lawyer Assistance Program. He is a co-founder of the Wesleyan Contemplative Order and an active participant in its ministry. He and his wife Cristy live in Davidson where they lead a weekly Centering Prayer gathering. Details at www.doncarroll.com. Contact him at carroll.williamdon@gmail.com.
Nicole Greer
Nicole Greer is the Vibrant Coach. In 2007, Nicole, a spirited entrepreneur, developed Vibrant Coaching. Over the last 20 years, she has embraced her ‘wind’ to help individuals, corporations and churches become the people they were created to be through defining and fulfilling a mission, to work better in teams, understand how personality types interact, get motivated, chart a direction, uncover ambitions, blind spots, hidden strengths thorough 360 work and exemplify excellent leadership. Ultimately, she longs to see people fully alive, alert, and awake! She is on a mission to energize, impact, and influence people to live vibrant lives through engaging the possibilities. Nicole works to learn, is a life long student of business practices and she loves to travel. Her traveling companions are David, her “earthy” husband of 25+ years, and two adult children. Contact Nicole through her website or email nicole@vibrantcoaching.com.
Roxanne Morgan
Roxanne Morgan is a founding member and elder at Warehouse 242 (a Presbyterian congregation), where she leads contemplative spiritual formation classes. She has a God-given artistic bent that delights in fostering creativity and helping others discover and live out sacred rhythms in their lives. A practicing spiritual director, Roxanne has served as a facilitator for the Trust Circle for Discernment ministry at Davidson UMC, is a graduate of School of the Spirit, and now serves with The Lydia Group, LLC, for School of the Spirit and The Sacred Invitation retreats. She has also served as a professor with the Lórien Academy of the Arts, which provides art education and experiences for West Charlotte youth, and as a tutor with Augustine Literacy Project. Contact Roxanne at WayfaringAnamcara@gmail.com
Ann Starrette
Ann Starrette and her late husband, Tom, spent forty years in the printing industry before selling their well-known business. The sale allowed Ann time to commit to the work that fulfilled her soul. In 1998, she founded The Lydia Group, LLC, a retreat ministry anchored at Starrette Farm Retreat. She joyfully served seventeen years as the director of spiritual formation at Davidson United Methodist Church in Davidson, NC.
Ann is a co-founder and a faculty member of School of the Spirit, a one-year spiritual formation retreat program for clergy and leaders. Ann holds a business degree from the University of North Carolina, a graduate degree in Spiritual Formation and Contemplative Direction from Richmont Graduate University, and studied at Shalem Institute. In addition to leading retreats, she offers individual and group spiritual direction. Ann sees her role as quietly sowing inner seeds of freedom, growth, and change toward wholeness.Contact Ann at Starrette@mindspring.com.
Craig Sefa
Craig Sefa serves as an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church and a Board Member of the Wesleyan Contemplative Order (WCO). He regularly assists with spiritual formation retreats, contemplative chapel services, and School of the Spirit. Craig earned his Doctor of Ministry (D.Min) from Duke Divinity School and holds a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Asbury Theological Seminary. He is the author of “I Arise Today: A 40-Day Journey through St. Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer” and “When Every Space is Sacred: Cultivating an Awareness of God’s Presence in Everyday Life.” With a passion for Spiritual Formation and Discipleship, Craig seeks to use his gifts to echo the still small voice of the Holy Spirit in our noisy world. Contact Craig through his website, “Echo,” at https://craigsefa.org or by email at sefacj@gmail.com.
Diane Browder-Boswell
Dr. Diane Browder-Boswell is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she led the doctoral program in special education. In her retirement, she teaches online courses for East Carolina University. She is a member of Forest Hill United Methodist Church and a graduate of the Renovare Institute for Spiritual Formation. Diane is blessed to be part of both a Centering Prayer group and a Wesley Contemplative Order band. She completed The Sacred Invitation (Cohort #1) and School of the Spirit (Cohort # 10, #11). Her love of learning led her to develop the monthly book discussions for School of the Spirit. You can contact Diane at dianebrowbos@gmail.com.
Group Spiritual Direction
The purpose of a trust circle for Group Spiritual Direction is to be companions and co-listeners to God's voice in each individual's life story. We help each other recognize and be more responsive to God’s movement and invitations. Our trust circles use the Group Spiritual Direction model (used internationally) created by Rose Mary Dougherty, S.S.N.D., through her work at Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation.