Faculty
Each training programme starts in the autumn and will have a lead tutor who will be with the class throughout the two-year programme, from induction to ordination. That person will be assisted by:
- Other members of the faculty team.
- A panel of visiting tutors, who have particular experience in teaching specialist parts of the curriculum, for example spiritual counselling.
- A team of mentors, who will be dedicated to supporting your training programme for the two years. Students on each programme will be divided into study groups with 5 - 6 participants, and one mentor will work closely with each study group. Mentors are all graduate interfaith ministers, selected for their capacity for inspired service and their subtle skills, and will be working with you as part of their own postgraduate training in spiritual direction and group facilitation skills.
Members of Faculty
Nicola Coombe Seminary leader for all UK programmes & Lead Tutor, London programme
Nicola's work is deeply influenced by her experience of being both South African and British and the socio-political, spiritual, and natural landscapes that these interweave. Her underlying impulse, which has taken many guises, seeks to bring into connection that which underpins and makes life sacred. Her educational background scans degrees in
Social Work; in Psychology and English; an MBA in which her thesis, awarded with honours, explored the inner process of change; and her ordination as an interfaith minister in 2004. Nicola's work life has included key roles in Life Line in South Africa (Samaritans UK equivalent); in directing an extended executive programme with the University of Cape Town's busines school (AIM) for five years from 1994; in the activism surrounding the ordination of women in the Anglican church in South Africa; in leading consulting projects for Gemini Consulting in South Africa in the late 1990's; and in strategic development within the Findhorn Foundation's management team in Scotland for three years from 2001. Nicola is now a Fellow of the Findhorn Foundation. She is currently leader of the Interfaith Seminary within the Interfaith Foundation in the UK. Nicola's greatest treasures are her communities of both blood and soul, most directly located in her marriage to Elmer Postle and in being the mother of their son.
"I value Nicola's ease with sharing power, giving power. She is brilliant at holding group energy and ensuring all is dealt with. A truly brilliant teacher." Suzanne C.
"Nicola, I needed to see, hear and feel your 'sword of truth', your challenges to the group, your commitment to what is real." John D.
Elaine Walker Co-tutor, London First Year Programme
Elaine was ordained in 2000 and was invited to join founder, Miranda Holden (now McPherson), as one of the first tutors of second year students. During this time, Elaine continued with her established spiritual counselling practice working with people affected by cancer and supporting those in the final stages of their lives. At the end of 2002 Elaine moved to Southern Spain. There she completed a further two years training by distance learning, in the Foundation of Buddhist Thought with the London Jamyang centre. In Spain she led workshops, meditation and spiritual awareness groups and officiated at several ceremonies and rites of passage. She is a writer and a painter and uses creativity as a tool for teaching. Elaine returned to the UK in 2009. Student testimonial:
"Elaine brought her remarkable skills - balancing group process with individual personality - to bear many times during the training. She was universally appreciated for her wisdom, patience, and the impeccable timing of her interventions. Her tactful, but grounded, plain speaking helped many of us find terra firma when we most needed it!" Graham W.
Christopher Marcus Co-tutor, London First Year Programme
Christopher's ministry is built on the foundation of 34 years of research into and the practice of Spiritual Theatre based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner. As a director and teacher he has taken performers from all walks of life and diverse disciplines on a path of spiritual development through the Mystery of the spoken Word. This work has led him to the borders of what can be called entertainment, and to the core question of what it means to be ones true Self. Going through the portal of ordination at the Interfaith Seminary has been the answer to his search for authenticity, enabling him to help others come closer to themselves through the discipline of Spiritual Counselling. This process creates the container for deepening one's relation to The Divine through ritual and ceremony as well as nurturing the wonder of human interaction in the intense group work offered by the seminary’s curriculum. Christopher is married with three children and lives in the Forest of Dean.
Jackie Amos Wilkinson Co-tutor, London Second Year Programme
Jackie was ordained in 2004 and since then has continued her involvement with both the Seminary and Foundation. She was a mentor for two years, seeing the class of 2006 through to ordination. She then joined the Trustee board, became interim Seminary manager for 6 months before going on to oversee the Foundation of the IMA. In 2009 she joined the London Faculty as well as running her post grad course, Deepening our Truth. Jackie grow up in Egypt, Aden and Singapore, has an BA in philosophy, BA(Hons) in psychology and an MBA. She worked mostly in the charity sector developing organisations, training programmes and services to reach those at most risk in society. Most recently Jackie was the National Director of Services for the Samaritans, sat on various Charity boards and Governmental steering committees (Childline, Suicide Prevention, NHS Direct) before meeting her hearts calling of setting up In Truth - One Spirit and becoming a self employed minister. Jackie says, "Being an Interfaith Minister enables me to honour and journey through the diverse aspects of spirituality holding each for the light it sheds on the awareness of the whole."
"You are a woman of profound wisdom and compassion Jackie, and I am so grateful to have had two years of learning and growing together." Miranda - Founder of the Interfaith Seminary
Associate Faculty
Fay was ordained in 2001, and immediately joined the teaching faculty, working alongside the Seminary's founder Miranda Holden for five years. Her ministry includes offering ceremonies and rituals, and she has built up a thriving spiritual counselling practice, first in London, and since 2004 in Manchester. She has been directly involved in training more than 200 interfaith ministers, and in 2006 led the launch of our first training programme in Manchester. Previously, with a background in theatre, Fay had specialised as a workshop leader and facilitator, using theatre and drama to empower vulnerable and volatile people â€" including offenders, people with mental health problems and refugees. Currently she also teaches A Course In Miracles, leads her own workshops for women on The Divine Feminine, and creates spiritually-inspired paintings. Student feedback, July 2008:
"Fay is a natural teacher who has vision, clarity in her observational skills and tremendous compassion. She is like a river of warm water." Christine J.
"Fay never ceased to give of her vast experience and expertise." Sian E.
Olivea Dewhurst-Maddock 
Olivea has been a spiritual seeker since childhood. A life-long Anglican and Quaker 'attender', she finds inspiration in the Christian Mysteries, Tibetan Buddhism and the ancient earth-based traditions, and has studied many other esoteric paths. All these interests were "united", she says, when she discovered The Interfaith Seminary. She was ordained in 2004 and joined the teaching faculty in 2006. Olivea had an earlier, successful career as an opera singer and professional musician. She now lives in the Lake District, is a Reiki Master, and holds qualifications in Colour Therapy and Reflexology. She is well known as a teacher of Voice Healing, and is author of Healing with Sound (Gaia Books). Student feedback, July 2008:
"Olivea is a font of knowledge, an inspiration; gentle, wise and beautiful."
"Her sense of humour is divine! She is strong like a mountain, and gentle like a breeze."
Gillian has a deep knowledge of the world's faith traditions. She has a degree in Divinity from London University and a Masters in Theology from Oxford. She is active in CANA (Christians Awakening to a New Awareness) and the author of a booklet on Christ Consciousness. Having lived at the Findhorn Foundation since 2002, she and her husband recently moved to a croft house in the north west Highlands. Gillian completed a two-year experiential training with the Order for Mystical Living in 2005. Such are her exceptional qualities as a teacher that she was invited onto the Seminary's faculty in 2006 to jointly lead the new programme in Scotland, while working towards her own ordination as an interfaith minister - which took place, alongside her students, in August 2008. Student feedback, July 2008:
"Gilllian is like the safe rock in the stormy ocean of emotions and puzzled minds. I could listen to her for ever."
"She is an intelligent, compassionate, wise, patient, effective teacher. Her own relationship with God is palpable."
Visiting speakers
In addition to The Interfaith Seminary's core tutors and visiting tutors (mentioned above), we are privileged to have contributions from visiting speakers representing the world's great religious and spiritual traditions. These speakers provide an insight into their faith background and practices, and enter into deep and open dialogue about aspects that particularly interest or trouble students. It is of course difficult to cover all the world's faith traditions in the training. For the programmes starting in the autumn, our emphasis will be less on breadth, and more on depth - focusing on key faith traditions, or groupings of traditions, and exploring these with approaches that, once learned, students can then apply elsewhere. Below we list some of the visiting speakers who have enriched our training programmes in recent years. We hope that many of them will continue to be involved in the coming year. When details of speakers are confirmed, these will be posted on the Seminary's website. Previous visiting speakers have included:
Buddhism
Christopher Titmuss, Gaia House, Devon
Denchen Pende, Samye Ling Monastery
Araranatho, Amaravati Monastery
Christianity
Rev Ray Gaston, Interfaith Studes tutor for Queen Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education
Rev Christopher Collingwood
Taoism
Jason Chan, The Light Foundation
Earth-based / Shamanistic traditions
Caitlin Matthews, HallowQuest and Ceremonial Ways
Eastern Traditions
Rev Martin Nathanael, The Awakening Foundation
Judaism
Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt, Aish HaTorah
Rabbi Warren Elf, Rabbi of Southend and District Reform Synagogue
Hinduism
Jay Lakhani, Hindu Council of the UK
Modern teachings
Rev Annie Blampied, Facilitator of the Forgiveness Network
Rev Rob MacLachlan, Psychotherapy
Islam
Imam Amar Hegedus, Chaplain, Lambeth Hospital and South London and Maudsley Foundation NHS Trust
Imam Vasilyyullah Bhayat, Islam Chaplain, University of Central Lancashire, Preston College of Education and the Royal Preston Hospital
Sufism
Aziz Dekulias, The Western Order of Sufism
Noah Nazire, Leader of Sufi Community, Sheffield and trustee of Sheffield Sufi Association Naqshabandi Sufi Tariquat
Western Mysticism
Rev Peter Dewey, Church of England rector
Sacred Masculine
Rev Tim Pickles, interfaith minister and gay spirituality
Mentors
Each seminary teaching group is accompanied over two years by a team of volunteer mentors. Each mentor is an experienced minister who is available to support the student minister on his or her journey of discovery. Click the names to read more from each mentor's profile:
(NB This list of mentors is under development; more names will be added shortly.)
