Plenary Speaker
Phil C. Zylla
Dr. Zylla is the VP Academic for McMaster Divinity College and a faculty member in the area of pastoral theology. Dr. Zylla has served as Senior Pastor in three congregations over seventeen years in three regions of Canada and has been involved in theological education for over eighteen years. His interests are in the theology of suffering, theology of ministry, spirituality, and pastoral care. He is married to Melodie and lives in Ancaster, Ontario.
Practical Ministry Experience:
Dr. Zylla was Lead Pastor at First Baptist, Arnprior, ON (1984-89); Lead Pastor at Greenfield Baptist Church (1990-95); Field Director at Mustard Seed Street Church, Edmonton, AB (1995-1996; and Lead Pastor at Sunshine Ridge Baptist Church, Surrey, BC (1996-2001). He was Principal of ACTS Seminaries of Trinity Western University (2001-2007) and is currently VP Academic at McMaster Divinity College (2007-present)
Research Interests:
Dr. Zylla is an active member of the Society of Pastoral Theology and the British and Irish Association of Practical Theology. His current research is on the topic of spiritual formation in congregational life. He also has research interests in pastoral theology, pastoral care, theology of suffering, and theopoetics.
Publications:
Virtue as Consent to Being: A Pastoral-Theological Perspective on Jonathan Edwards’s Construct of Virtue. Eugene, Oregon: Pickwick Publications with McMaster Divinity College Press.
The Roots of Sorrow: A Pastoral Theology of Suffering. Waco, Texas: Baylor University Press.
Accreditations:
DTh – University of South Africa Pretoria, South Africa
ThM – Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ
MDiv – North American Baptist Seminary, Sioux Falls, SD
BA Rel – North American Baptist College Edmonton, AB
Workshop Leaders
Rev. Dr. J. Livingston
Workshop title: Preaching Wisely in Times of Suffering and Sorrow
Kevin is Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministry at Tyndale Seminary and Pastor of Clairlea Park Presbyterian Church, Toronto. He has previously served congregations in Seattle, Scotland, Vancouver, Cambridge, and Knox Presbyterian Church in Toronto. He has degrees from Seattle University (BA), Fuller Theological Seminary (MDiv) and the University of Aberdeen in Scotland (PhD). He enjoys strong coffee, used bookstores and travel. He is married to Irene, a nutritionist and spiritual director. They have three adult children and one grandchild.
Dr. David Beach
Workshop title: Following the Man of Sorrows
Dr. Dave Beach, DMin, a 60-something therapist and writer, serves as the mental health director at the Johnson-Brower Foundation. There he provides trauma counseling for combat veterans and first responders and co-leads SheWillStay, a program for wives/partners of combat veterans and first responders. Dave developed a college-level psychology program through Cornerstone University and taught courses such as psychopathology, research and statistics, and spiritual formation. His perennial interests are the intersections of theology, psychology, sociology, and what it means to be human. He also authored the award-winning Following the Man of Sorrows: A Theology of Suffering for Spiritual Formation, co-authored The Essential Bible Companion to the Psalms, and contributed to the Hope in the Mourning Bible.
Rev. Peter W. Cusick
Workshop title: Soul Care: Our Journey of Suffering
Highly motivated by purpose, destiny and leaving of a legacy, Peter is creative, funny, energetic, and visionary. Peter has been in pastoral ministry for 43 years. He is the founder and director of Beside Peaceful Streams a ministry dedicated to prayer and Spiritual Direction. Having a passion to assist people in their personal spiritual journey he conducts Church and/or Staff prayer retreats regularly. Peter writes, teaches, and is involved in overseas missions.
Rev. Clare Loughrige
Workshop title: The Dark/Obscure Night and Personality
Clare is a church planter, pastor, and social activist. She is a formally trained Spiritual Director, author of three Enneagram Books and President of the International Enneagram Association (IEA) Great Lakes Chapter. As a credentialed Professional and Teacher with the IEA she has developed a program that certifies Enneagram instructors in the Harmony Triads. Clare is also cited as a recommended Instructor with First Analysis Institute of Integrative Studies, Loyola University Chicago. In addition to Clare’s work with Spiritual Communities, she currently serves on boards for Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force, and Sexual Assault Services Calhoun County Advisory Board.
Wayne MacQueen
Workshop title: Suffering, Formation and Companioning
Developing deep, empathetic connections with all people is the foundation of everything Wayne does, both professionally and personally. Wayne MacQueen is a Sustainable Faith Teacher with the School of Spiritual Direction, and the School of Contemplative Life. Wayne and his wife Sabrina have been in pastoral ministry for 30 years as church planters, pastors, and served their denomination as Ontario Regional Leaders. This fall Wayne and Sabrina celebrate 47 years of marriage and love to dote on their 6 grandchildren. Wayne loves to explore the local rivers near his home in Port Burwell Ontario with either his kayak or his fly-fishing rod.
Jan Woltman, MA
Workshop title: Self Care: Being. Alone. Together.
Jan is an author and practitioner of spiritual direction, responding to the call when her young adult son was recovering from brain cancer. Completing her MA in Christian Studies, Jan worked as a communications writer for the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. She is passionate about exploring spiritual themes through writing, and recently authored a book about her experience of searching for the shape of mercy in her family’s suffering season. Jan is an educator, who spent more than a decade working as a children’s ministry music director at The Meeting Place, a Mennonite Brethren Church in downtown Winnipeg. She takes great delight in her growing bunch of grandchildren.
Mary Reimer, BEd, MA
Workshop title: Self Care: Being. Alone. Together.
Mary is a church planter, pastor, author, retreat leader and spiritual director, based in Winnipeg Manitoba. Her vocational pathway began as a teacher, moved to church planting within the Mennonite Brethren Conference (FaithWorks) and flowed into current ministry as a Retreat Leader and Spiritual Director. Mary serves on the Board of the Canadian Fellowship of Christian Spiritual Directors. A motivated entrepreneur, Mary and her daughter, Heidi, established Botanical PaperWorks, a manufacturer of plantable handmade paper. Together they have written 3 books including, “The Encyclopedia of Papermaking and Bookbinding” and “300 Papermaking Recipes.” Companioning people on their spiritual journey is Mary’s passion. Her great joy is being called “Grandma.”
Janet Monks
Workshop title: Self Care: Being. Alone. Together.
In 1996, Janet had a faith encounter with Jesus Christ that changed the course of her life. She is a Christian Therapist, in private practice for 20 plus years. Helping others live a life of faith has been a rewarding and meaningful pursuit for Janet. Her deepest personal desire is for all to experience more of God and thus in 2015, began a journey with spiritual formation. Today, along with her therapy practice Janet has a thriving spiritual direction ministry.