Faculty

Each training programme starting in autumn 2009 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   Faculty leader for all UK programmes & Lead Tutor, London programme 

Nicola is from South Africa, and has been based in the UK since 2001. She lived and worked at The Findhorn Foundation for three years, where she was a member of the central management team, and at the same time trained as an interfaith minister, being ordained in 2004. In 2005 she "began the journey of parenthood" by giving birth to her son, and six months later joined the Seminary's teaching faculty. She was appointed overall faculty leader in spring of 2008.   Nicola has always combined a deep sense of spirituality with a passion for the challenges of management and leadership. A qualified social worker and MBA in her native South Africa she was involved in projects to empower women, and ran a management development programme at the University of Cape Town in the late 1990s for emerging black and women leaders. 

"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.

 Kathryn Wallace-Holmes   Lead Tutor, London programme  

Kathryn's aim in all of her work is "to assist people in connecting with the sacred within themselves, and with others."  She was ordained as an interfaith minister in 2002, and is a very experienced spiritual counsellor and celebrant, with a deep love of conducting personalised weddings, funerals, naming and other ceremonies. Kathryn joined the Seminary's teaching faculty in 2006.   She grew up in Canada, has a BSc in psychology and a BA in education, and worked in teaching, sales and marketing before moving to the UK in 1988. Here, at first, her career as a trainer, coach and facilitator was located mainly in the corporate world. Her focus then steadily moved into facilitating spiritual growth and empowerment.   Student feedback, July 2008:

"Kathryn is a model of openness, radiance and sensitivity - helping and challenging me to allow/bring the formless into form." Sandra G.  

"Kathryn, your capacity to step out and meet me so consistently is really inspiring to me." Francis B

Elaine Walker   Co-tutor, West of England

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 theUK in 2009.  Student testimonial:

 Fay Barratt   Co-tutor, Manchester and West of England

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   Co-tutor, Manchester  

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."

Natasha Hood   Lead-tutor, Edinburgh programme   

Natasha is an active interfaith minister, combining a busy schedule of weddings and funerals with leading taize singing groups and teaching her own workshops on folk traditions, which she describes as "honouring life's cycles and rhythms". She was ordained in 2004, appointed to the teaching faculty in 2006, and jointly led the Seminary's first two-year training programme in Scotland.   Natasha is known for her vibrant 'a cappella' singing and her love of ceremonies - and her ability to engage even the most tentative students in both. She has recorded several CDs with compilations of songs and chants from many diverse traditions, marking the seasons of the year and the cycles of life.   Student feedback, July 2008:

"Her open mind and loving heart shone on all of us.  She gives care and attention to beauty and detail."  

"I learned so much from Natasha about being 'in charge of the group' and being a member of the group at the same time."

  Gillian Paschkes-Bell   Lead-tutor, Edinburgh programme   

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." 

Christopher Marcus  Co-tutor, London

 Details to follow

Jackie Amos Wilkinson  Co-tutor, London

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. 

 

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 October and November 2008, 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 
  • Amaranatho, 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