Renovaré Staff — The Spiritual Fruit of Pilgrimage
Three Renovaré staff members — Carolyn Arends, Monty Harrington, and Brandan Spencer — joined Nathan on Life with God to describe the team’s pilgrimage to Montgomery, Alabama for a time of observing the history of slavery, lynching, and mass incarceration of Black people in the United States, and to celebrate the resistance and resilience that God empowers.
Pilgrimage setting: The Legacy Museum and Sites
Pilgrimage guides: The Center for Restorative Justice
An essay from Brian Morykon on the pilgrimage experience
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Carolyn Arends
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.
Monty Harrington
Monty Harrington serves as the Event Coordinator for Renovaré, where he plans and oversees retreats, conferences, and gatherings that help people engage more deeply with God and with one another. He brings a wide range of experience — including roles in education, missions, and social service — and has a long history with Renovaré, serving in various capacities for more than two decades. He has twice been honored with innovation awards for his work in education. Monty and his wife, Kelly, live in Florida and have three young adult daughters.
Brandan Spencer
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.
Nathan Foster
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.