Carolyn Arends oversees the Renovaré Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation as well as several other Renovaré initiatives, including the Book Club. She is also a recording artist, speaker, author, and college instructor. She lives near Vancouver, BC, with her husband Mark and their two children.

Jonathan Bailey is an advocate for a Christian spirituality that is rooted in the Christian tradition but also intensely practical for people living in our technological world. He is Co-founder at Dwell, an app that helps people reclaim the ancient practice of listening to Scripture. Jonathan also is the author of The Eternal Journey, a book­let of thir­ty dai­ly med­i­ta­tions that explore the com­mon expe­ri­ences we encounter along the Threefold Way. He also is the creator of The Inward Odyssey newsletter, which is sent out each week to people who long to deepen their life with God. He lives in North Dal­las with his wife Kori, son Gray, and daugh­ters Abi­gail and Liv.

Lacy Finn Borgo, DMin, is a member of the Renovaré Ministry Team. She teaches, provides spiritual direction and is the Student Care Coordinator for the Renovaré Institute for Spiritual Formation. Lacy also teaches courses on Children’s Spirituality and Spiritual Direction through the CompanioningCenter.org. She has a spiritual direction ministry for adults, and provides spiritual direction for children at Haven House, a transitional facility for families without housing. Her recent books are Faith Like a Child: Embracing Our Lives as Children of God, Spiritual Conversations with Children: Listening to God Together and the children’s picture book All Will Be Well. Lacy lives on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains and worships with a local Quaker Meeting. You can find her at www.GoodDirtMinistries.org.

Margaret is a graduate of Auburn University with a degree in Interior Design from the School of Architecture. Her work in the design profession included large commercial projects and residential projects. Margaret was the Coordinator for the 1997 Houston Regional Conference and the 1999 Renovaré International Conference. She joined the Ministry Team in 1999. She serves on the Renovaré Board of Trustees and is a past Chair and Treasurer. She serves on the advisory council for Juanita Rasmus’ ministry and is a Kintsugi instructor. Margaret and her husband, Justin, have two married children and six grandchildren.

During a career in commercial publishing, James worked with many of the authors most closely associated with Renovaré and he now chairs SPCK, the largest Christian publisher in the UK. After fourteen years leading the British Bible Society James also works with American Bible Society to support Christians in leadership around the world. He lives with his wife Sue in London. 

Read his full bio.

Jeremy is co-founder and director of Arise, a micro church network. He and Monica are on the ministry teams with Forge America and the Pando Collective (missional training networks). Jeremy has participated in launching movements that make disciples and networks of microchurches in over forty countries. Together, Jeremy and Monica have co-authored two books, The Art of Missional Spirituality: 31 Sacred Practices for Jesus Followers, and Kingdom Contours: Empowering Everyday People with the Tools to Shape Kingdom Movements. Jeremy has master’s degrees in both Missiology and The History of Christian Thought from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Prayer is of utmost importance in Jeremy’s life.

Linda received her call into the ministry while visiting the Holy Land in 1997 and upon returning to the United States, enrolled in Perkins School of Theology. After graduation from Perkins, Linda became an elder in the United Methodist Church and currently serves as the Senior Pastor at West University United Methodist Church in Houston. She received her Doctor of Ministry degree at Fuller Seminary in 2010. Linda is the author of the book, Creating Team Leadership: Theory, Theology, Strategic Plan. She is married to Doug and they have two teenagers, Zach and Emily.

Rebecca DeYoung (Ph.D., University of Notre Dame) is a professor of philosophy at Calvin University, where she has taught since 1998. Her work focuses on the seven deadly sins and the virtues in Thomas Aquinas’s work, as well as normative ethics and the history of ancient and medieval philosophy. She is the author of Glittering Vices (Brazos, 2009, 2^nd edition 2020), Vainglory (Eerdmans 2014), Aquinas’s Ethics (University of Notre Dame, 2009) and other essays on virtues and vices. Rebecca speaks widely and serves as a Senior Fellow of the Martin Institute. She and her husband Scot live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They have four adult children.

Calvin University Faculty webpage

Scholarly publications are listed and downloadable here.

Wendy is the Education Program Coordinator and is a graduate of Portland Seminary where she also completed her certification in Spiritual Direction. She and her husband live in Joplin, MO, near their three adult children.

Miriam (Mimi) Dixon began her ministry in 1979 serving as an associate pastor at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Seattle, Washington. From April of 1985 to May of 2019 she served as senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Golden, Colorado. She earned both her MDiv and DMin degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary. Mimi is on the Renovaré Board of Directors and teaches for the Renovaré Institute. She is faculty for Next Frontiers, a ministry to pastors in transition, and actively promotes Christian Spiritual Formation, crediting Richard Foster and Dallas Willard for their influence in her life and ministry. Mimi has authored Worth Celebrating: a biography of Richard J Foster’s Celebration of Discipline, available through Barclay Press.

Tina L. Dyer is the founder and principal of Grafted Together Consulting, which exists to support leaders, individuals, and teams in cultivating spaces where truth and authenticity are welcomed, creativity and innovation are unleashed, and equitable and inclusive practices are normalized to create a sense of belonging where all people can thrive.

Tina holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of California at Davis, and a Master of Arts in Christian Spiritual Formation and Leadership from Friends University, Wichita, KS. She is an alumna of the Renovaré Institute and serves on the Renovaré Board as Treasurer. Tina is a joyful Mom to two young adult children.

Nathan Foster is an author and host of Life With God, a Renovaré Podcast. Formerly, he was an Associate Professor of social work and served as the Andrews Chair in Spiritual Formation at Spring Arbor University. He was also a licensed clinical social worker and certified addictions counselor. Nathan has published two books, including The Making of an Ordinary Saint: My Journey from Frustration to Joy with the Spiritual Disciplines.

Richard J. Foster is the innovative pioneer who reintroduced ancient spiritual resources to contemporary Christians, especially among evangelicals and other Protestants. The author of several bestselling books, including Celebration of Discipline and Streams of Living Water, he is the founder of Renovaré, an infrachurch movement committed to the renewal of the Church in all her multifaceted expressions. Having studied at George Fox University and Fuller Theological Seminary, Foster has served as a pastor and taught worldwide on spiritual formation. He and his wife, Carolynn, have two grown children, many grandchildren, and live near Denver, Colorado.

Christopher A. Hall served as president of Renovaré from 2015 – 2022. Previously Chris was Director of Academic Spiritual Formation and Distinguished Professor of Theology at Eastern University. Chris is the author of a number of books, including The Mystery of God (with Steven D. Boyer; Baker Academic), The Trinity (with Roger Olson; Eerdmans), and Living Wisely with the Church Fathers (Intervarsity Press). His most recent book is A Different Way (HarperOne). Chris and his wife Debbie reside in Philadelphia. They have three grown children and three grandchildren.

Monty Harrington is a dedicated and experienced events coordinator who has worked with Renovare in various capacities for over two decades. In addition to his role at Renovaré, Monty has had a diverse career path, including positions as a missionary, technology coordinator, road manager, thrift store director, kindergarten teacher, and manager at a Christian night club. His deep connection to Renovaré and its history, as well as his strong interpersonal skills, make him a valuable asset to the team. 

In his personal life, Monty is married to Kelly. They have three daughters and one dog. Due to their love of reading, they have an unreasonably large number of books.

Ted Harro serves as President of Renovaré. He is a graduate of the Renovaré Institute and the founder of Noonday Ventures, a strategy and leadership development firm. Ted has studied and taught inside-out transformation for more than 20 years. He uses humor and creativity to make spiritual change accessible to people in a wide variety of marketplace and ministry contexts. He and his wife Gretchen have been married since 1988 and have been partners in marriage ministry for over 25 years. They have invested in hundreds of couples as mentors, teachers, retreat leaders, writers, and co-founders of a ministry for newlyweds.

Pastor Brian Kang, the Director of Renovaré Korea, is a dynamic spiritual leader. With a passion for spiritual formation, Brian embodies the role of a living link between East Asian and North American spiritual leaders. Brian organized gatherings throughout North America, from Hawaii to Canada. He also worked extensively in Asia; he directed the largest Renovaré conference in Seoul, taught workshops in Singapore, and led mentorship programs for pastors in China. He currently leads online spiritual meeting groups to foster deeper connections with God. Beyond his work, Brian enjoys walks with his wife Yoon beneath the greenery of Redwood trees.

Melody is the Community Life Program Manager and oversees our Drop-In, Short-Term, and 1‑Year Listening Groups. She previously worked in the private sector in Human Resources. She and her husband, David, live in Monument, Colorado, and have three adult children.

Kim is the Executive Assistant to the President and Coordinator of Operations at Renovaré. She also assists the Board of Directors as Board Secretary. She and her husband Tucker live in the Philadelphia area and have three young adult children.

Brian Morykon is Director of Communications and Special Projects at Renovaré, where he uses words, design, and technology to help connect people with Jesus and one another. He studied Spiritual Formation and Leadership at Spring Arbor University. Also a singer-songwriter, Brian has two albums and has led worship at churches across the denominational spectrum. He and his wife Joy live in Lynchburg, Virginia, and have three children. Hear his music at morykon.com.

Jean is a grad­u­ate of West­ern Evan­gel­i­cal Sem­i­nary and the Ren­o­varé Insti­tute. A listener, retreat leader, Spir­i­tu­al Direc­tor and Supervisor, she serves on the content development team at Conversatio.org and is a founding board member, instructor, and mentor at the Companioning Center. Northwest trees and terrain ground her in God’s creation; mar­riage and moth­er­ing, a fam­i­ly busi­ness and com­mu­ni­ty life are her are­nas for prac­tic­ing what she’s learn­ing regard­ing spir­i­tu­al trans­for­ma­tion, spir­i­tu­al prac­tices, and liv­ing life with God in a Jesus way. Learn more at jean​nevills​.com.

Kai is Senior Pastor of Incarnation Lutheran in Shoreview, Minnesota. Previously he served as lead pastor at Peace Lutheran Church in Columbus, Ohio, after having joined the staff in 1993. Beyond his pastoral work, Kai is on the Renovaré Ministry Team and teaches in the Renovaré Institute for Spiritual Formation. In 2009, Kai completed his Doctor of Ministry degree through Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, California. Kai’s book Renew Your Life: Discovering the Wellspring of God’s Energy was published in the fall of 2015. Kai and his wife Patty are parents of four children — Anders, Annika, Leif and Siri.

Monica is co-founder of Arise, a micro church network. She and Jeremy are on the ministry teams with Forge America and the Pando Collective (missional training networks). Monica is also a personal trainer, wellness and physical mobility coach, group fitness instructor, and an artist. Together, Monica and Jeremy have co-authored two books including The Art of Missional Spirituality: 31 Sacred Practices for Jesus Followers. You can find more of their resources and ministry at their website: www.jemochambers.com. Monica is Costa Rican and makes amazing gallo pinto! 

Richella is Chair of the Renovaré Board of Trustees. With a background in small business, education, and church leadership, Richella is a speaker and the author of Mythical Me (IVP) and A Spiritual Formation Primer. She is the mother of three young adult sons and lives with her husband Jack in Durham, North Carolina. Read her full bio and connect with Richella at richellajparham.com.

Karen is a Renovaré Institute graduate (Chicago Cohort) who has supported Renovaré since the 1990s. She credits Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster as a pivotal foundation in her Christian formation.

She served as a founding board member and collaborator of the curriculum of OneLife, a ministry through Vineyard Cincinnati, providing Christian formation and encouragement to business owners and leaders to live an integrated life in Christ. She serves as treasurer on the board of A Child’s Hope International, an organization serving vulnerable children.

Karen is the Director of Leadership Development for the small business she and her husband have stewarded for 18 years. She delights being with her three adult sons, their wives, and five grandchildren. She also enjoys hiking, cooking, gardening, and expressing her love of God’s beauty through photography and words @Anavoxx20 Instagram and Threads.

Grace creates and curates resources for spiritual formation as Renovaré’s Content Manager. She loves reading and sharing words of wisdom, and it is her great pleasure to help shape Renovaré’s contribution to ​“the great conversation of the soul” through podcasts, publishing projects, workshops, and in-person teaching. Also an author and professor, Grace’s favorite subjects to write and teach about are children’s spiritual formation and early Christian desert spirituality. Grace graduated from the Renovaré Institute, Erskine Theological Seminary, and Davidson College. She lives in South Carolina with her husband William and their two children.
 

Erich and his artist wife Jean live in Charlotte, and enjoy their involvement in the lives of their five adult children and growing number of grandchildren. After a family-owned business sold in 2005, he sought the Lord about continuing in the business world or becoming more active in Christian outreach. The outcome was his involvement with boards and volunteer opportunities at a number of missions organizations, a church planting movement in Africa and beyond, and the Deerfoot wilderness camp for boys.

Jim is Associate Professor in the Religion and Humanities Department at Friends University, and has written A Spiritual Formation Workbook, and The Apprentice Series (The Good and Beautiful Life, The Good and Beautiful God,The Good and Beautiful Community). Jim and Meghan, his wife, live in Wichita, Kansas.

Brandan serves as the Renovaré Director of Church Engagement. He’s a former ordained Pastor & Leadership Coach with almost two decades of experience in influencing people towards holistic growth and enhancing leader effectiveness. His passion is innovation and exploring what’s possible in the kingdom of God when people lead from a grounded character, not just performance. Brandan comes to Renovaré after spending nine years on staff at a gospel-centered, multiethnic, intergenerational church in Monrovia, CA. During his time there he held multiple roles that implemented a vision for transformation including small groups, local community engagement, spiritual formation & leadership, unleashing volunteers, and curating various discipleship resources. He’s been married to his best friend Tiana since 2005, and they have three daughters! He loves learning through taking things apart, Marvel comics, gravel bikes, and getting lost in the great outdoors of camping.

Siang-Yang is Professor of Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary and Senior Pastor at First Evangelical Church, Glendale, CA. He has published over 70 articles and authored several books including Full Service, Rest: Experiencing God’s Peace in a Restless World, and Disciplines of the Holy Spirit (with Douglas H. Gregg). Siang-Yang and his wife Angela live in Arcadia, California.