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Certificate Program

Certificate Program Graduate Highlight: Ashley Haggard

When I signed up for Forma’s Certificate in Youth and Family Ministry program in 2016, I was a little over a year into my full-time calling as a youth minister. Youth ministry was something I’d felt called to for years, but like many of you I’m sure, turning that into a career was a bit of a challenge. I registered for the program with a desire to grow in the area of biblical theology. I got that and so much more.

From the very beginning, I realized that I was going to learn so much from not only my instructors, but also from my fellow students. As we learned the history of the Christian faith and how it intertwines with our Episcopal heritage through the Book of Common Prayer, my faith came alive in a new way. I started to examine my own faith journey in a different light, one which connected the ancient words of the disciples to the mentors I treasure in the present.

When we gathered at the Claggett Center in Maryland, our community had been learning and growing together for several months; it felt like being reunited with old friends, although most of us had only met together online.

I received my certificate at Forma’s annual conference in January 2018 and came back to my parish ready to grow my ministry in ways that I hadn’t thought possible before the program. Every participant undertakes a ministry plan as a final part of the program; mine was moving our parish from a transactional model of formation to a relational one. The tools I gained in the certificate program have helped me to create a relational ministry for our young people. I use those tools every single day in my work.

Ashley Haggard

Youth and Young Adult Minister

Saint Mark's Episcopal Church, Little Rock, AR

Certificate Program Graduate Highlight: Jean Heffernan

I’m the Children and Youth Missioner at Christ Church Episcopal in Whitefish Bay, WI. I joined the staff at my church in 2017, bringing a background in elementary education and non-profit leadership. My past experiences gave me enough confidence to accept the job and a fair amount of terror about all the tools I knew I did not have. Some examples of what I was lacking: resources to help me connect scripture to children’s literature, advice about tackling volunteerism in the church, and knowing how early I should start planning for Advent. I was fortunate to have two clergy friends who suggested I find the Forma Facebook page and group. Soon after, I joined Forma’s children’s ministry certificate program where the reading list and online discussions were thought-provoking. I was thrilled to discover the many tools at our fingertips as Christian educators.

The cohort retreat at the end of the program was my favorite part of the experience. It’s where I connected to the larger Episcopal Church for the first time. Hearing from a remarkably diverse group of educators – fellow cohort learners and faculty leader – was simply the best! Two years out of the program, I’m still using the tools I received and have found so many more because of the foundation I was given through the Forma certificate program.

Jean Heffernan, Children and Youth Missioner

Christ Episcopal Church, Whitefish Bay, WI


Certificate Program Graduate Highlight - MiaLisa Millares

Do you love your job as a youth minister, but feel like you are missing some of the tools to do the best that you can? That is how I felt a few years ago. Having fallen into youth ministry by responding to an advertisement on Craigslist (true story), I jumped into what I thought, at the time, would be a "side job." More than a decade later, I am still a youth minister at Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church after realizing that turn of events actually fulfilled a call for me.

I’m a wife and mother of three small children. I have been a yoga teacher, lawyer, mediator, elementary school teacher, trainer, professional storyteller, resort activity host, actress, and now youth minister. I live in a three-generation household with my husband, parents, and three spirited children. I came to youth ministry without a traditional youth ministry background. Yes, I had lots of organizational skills and experience with children and churches. I was good at my job but lacked the religious training of some of my colleagues. For me, the Forma Certificate Program provided an opportunity to take the time to fill in some of the gaps that could strengthen my work and ministry.

Drawing from all over the United States, the program is designed for children and youth ministers with all levels of training and a variety of expertise. My cohort was filled both with formation ministers with decades of experience to newbies who were just about to start in the field. Some were looking to better organize their church year or strengthen their pastoral care. Others were looking for new ways to engage with families or youth, how to market across different platforms, and how to leverage technology to better meet the needs of their faith community. Whether experienced or novice, all of us benefited from the guidance, teaching, and collaboration provided by the certificate program and its staff.

After some online classes and group collaboration, our cohort joined together for a week of intense learning. Nestled in a retreat center each year provides space and time that is so sorely needed by those whose profession is about serving others. The best part of the program was networking with like-minded professionals. That community has continued beyond the program, and I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to share my experience with others. If you are considering the Forma Certificate program, I cannot speak highly enough about it. Indulge yourself in the learning and space you need to better serve your community and follow your call.

MiaLisa Millares, Children’s & Youth Minister

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, St. Paul, MN


Certificate Program Graduate Highlight: Chase Monson

When you work in ministry it can be hard to find the time to take another class or read another book. Let's face it, we’re all busy working super hard to improve our ministries, leaving little time for things that aren't worthwhile. The Forma Certificate for Youth and Children’s Ministries program is a program that is worth your time. It isn’t just for someone who is new to ministry, it is also for veterans and everyone in between. The diversity in participants’ experience truly makes this program phenomenal. I was still fairly new to youth ministry when I participated in the program four years ago. Having the opportunity to learn from some of the best in their fields was truly an incredible experience. My favorite part of the class was the week-long in-person intensive. Not only can you build incredible relationships and connections during this week, you also build a support group. We all know relationships and support groups are some of the most important things you need to build a great ministry. It is these relationships that make the program so spectacular and worthwhile. Working side-by-side with your peers and class instructors is not only fun but also provides a foundation to create and improve your ministry in your home context. The final project involves a ministry plan that you build with the instructors to implement in your parish. My project had a positive impact on my ministry area. As a very new youth director (at the time), I can confidently say that the certification program helped shape me into the youth director I am today.

Chase Monson, Assistant Director of Youth Ministries

St. Michael and All Episcopal Church, Dallas, TX


Certificate Program Graduate Highlight: Christina Rutland

In June of 2018, I began my job as youth minister at Saint John’s Cathedral in Denver, CO. I was a recent college grad with a year of experience in youth ministry. Needless to say, I was looking for guidance on where to begin in youth ministry at Saint John’s. I kept asking myself, “How will I build a program? What will I teach? Who will help?” My supervisor, Tina Clark, gave me incredible guidance and wisdom, but to learn more, she suggested I apply for the Certificate in Youth Ministry program, which she had completed in 2017. I expected to learn the answers to all my questions (which I did), but the mentors focused on a question I was ignoring: Why is youth ministry important for church communities?

During the week-long intensive at Camp Allen in Texas, the “why” of youth ministry became more apparent as I formed relationships with other participants and program mentors. At the first meeting, we asked one another, “How did you fall into youth ministry?” Then we told our own stories about why we were youth ministers. While each story was different, they all pointed to our desire that youth know that they are valued and loved by God and that their stories matter.

When I completed the certificate program, I realized that the “why” question was the most important question for me to explore. Knowing why youth ministry is important inspired me to figure out the “what” and the “how.” When I find myself getting caught up in tasks rather than focusing on the mission, I turn to the team of people in my certificate program, who remind me of our common goal for the youth of the Episcopal Church.

Christina Rutland, Youth Minister and Formation Assistant, Saint John’s Cathedral, Denver


Certificate Program Graduate Highlight: Kate Riley

I began my career as a twenty-three-year-old intern through the Episcopal Service Corp in Baltimore, MD. I thought it would just be a year of my dream job working as a full-time diocesan youth minister and then I would have to find a secular career to follow. Luckily for me, my predecessor and mentor had other plans. After my year of service had concluded I continued to work at the Diocese of Maryland. The first thing diocesan youth leader Wes Wubbenhorst suggested to me was the Forma Certification in Family Ministry. I was unsure of being part of the pioneer class, but he was adamant that it was going to be a fantastic opportunity.

That fall I began taking courses online with a dozen other people who were diverse in a multitude of ways. We emailed about the different videos we watched, the readings we were covering, and the lessons presented to us by our professors. The emails led to a sense of community that transferred to fast friendships when we all met in Chicago for our week-long intensive. That week was spent learning, praying, and singing karaoke together, which solidified our tribe.

Our course material covered basics to complex theologies. Our professors were seasoned and passionate about the work they did. The different levels of experience and opinions gave new perspective to old challenges. I would love to cite a few things that I learned that year for a quick tag line. But I cannot. So much of what we learned over the course of six months is so engrained in my ministry that I honestly cannot separate it out. I am forever grateful to my mentor for giving me a push. Now I have a full ministry toolbox, a tribe of educators and peers to turn to, and a shiny piece of paper on my office wall that says I know what I am doing.

Kate Riley, Baltimore, Maryland


The Forma Certificate Program is designed for those who are actively engaged in the practice of youth, children’s and/or family ministry and feel called to deepen their own understanding of the practice of that ministry. This hybrid program is designed to provide an overview of core biblical, theological, Episcopal, and practical knowledge that will be applied directly to the ministry in the student’s context. Whether you are a novice or a veteran, the certificate program offers an opportunity to engage with colleagues around the country online and in person throughout your vocation in the church.

Note: For the remainder of 2020, the certificate in children’s and youth ministries program has been put on hiatus. The Episcopal Church Foundation, the Forma Council, the certificate faculty, and the Office of Lifelong Formation will consider options for a 2021 certificate program. Click here for more information.

Lisa Perez, Youth Minister Lisa Perez and Director of Family Ministries Catherine LaGrone of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas are two recent graduates of the certificate program. They share, “The Forma certificate program gave us concrete tools for evaluating and enhancing our current offerings and sparked ideas for new endeavors. One of the greatest benefits of this program was becoming a team with the other lay formation ministers and the faculty. Our relationships have lasted long after the program’s end and our cohort continues to be a place to share ideas and receive feedback. For us, participating in this program as ministry partners has especially heightened the impact for our ministries. We are grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow!”

Meet the Faculty

Victoria Garvey
Bio
Jenifer Gamber
Bio
Meredith Scott
Bio
Jamie Martin-Currie
Bio

Victoria Garvey

An educator for most of her life -- a perspicacious 1st grade teacher had her coaching others when she was 6 -- Victoria Garvey has a passion for learning and teaching, and unsurprisingly, for the Church. In her professional career she has taught at nearly every level from 2nd graders through graduate school, but she has spent most of that teaching time at one of our seminaries [Seabury-Western in Evanston, IL] where she taught biblical languages and biblical theology, her doctoral area. Most recently, those passions for learning/teaching/Church were fed in her position as Bishop’s Associate for Lifelong Christian Formation in the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago where she even got paid for doing what she loves. These days, she serves on two faculties for the wider church, consults with a couple of dioceses concerning congregational vitality and she continues to speak locally, nationally and occasionally, internationally, facilitates workshops, leads retreats and in her spare time, serves the wider church as board member and committee member of several churchwide commissions and here at home as four-time deputy to General Convention.

Jenifer Gamber

Jenifer serves as Associate Rector and Day School Chaplain at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Washington, DC, where she shares her love for Jesus and invites all people to life in Christ. Mother of two adult children, Jenifer and her husband, Ed, share a home with a feisty West Highland Terrier. She is the author of several book including My Faith, My Life, Call on Me: A Prayer Book for Young People, and Common Prayer for Children in Families. In her free time, she leads evensong at the Washington National Cathedral, reads, and walks city streets in search of friendly dog parks.

Meredith Scott

Meredith is Director of Youth Ministry, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Greensboro, North Carolina. She specializes in building “Volunteer Hearts.” By leading youth through volunteer/leadership programs, she walks with them on their spiritual journey as they create a foundation that finds great joy and peace in serving others, living as Christ lived.

Leads annual pilgrimage for both youth and adults, Camino de Santiago, Spain & St. Cuthbert’s Way, Scotland, as well as annual mission trip,Glory Ridge, providing unique experiences to love the gift of the present and to strengthen spiritual formation.While serving others and making work worship.

Mother to son Jack (15) and daughter, Grace (13) and to multiple youth members in the EYC program, ranging in age from 10 to 18. Wife of the wonderful J. Scott, married 21 years. Caretaker for two precious Boston Terriers, Bruno and Daisy. Loves to travel, paint, read and spend time with family and friends. She owns MBScott Fine Art, painting in mixed mediums, specializing in angels. She is a life-long learner open to discovery and adventure through spiritual journey and conscious appreciation of God's gift of life.

Jamie Martin-Currie

Meet Jamie Martin Currie (she/her/hers), a seventh generation Texan who grew up in Houston and its suburbs before attending University of North Texas in Denton. As soon as she graduated with a degree in theater and dance, she moved to Manhattan to study at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater. There she performed in numerous off-Broadway musicals, and starred in an “Unsolved Mysteries “episode that was nominated for an Emmy.

Jamie’s first memory of church is wearing a required white doily on her head, her mother serving as the Sunday school musician, and older sisters working in the nursery. Jamie has deep Episcopal roots: her grandparents were married at Christ Church Cathedral, Houston and the cross on top of Palmer Memorial, Houston is in honor of her grandfather.

While pursuing an M.S.Ed. in NYC, Jamie taught two-year-olds and their caregivers at private schools, a museum, and a reformed synagogue on the upper west side. She was church shopping when an Episcopal colleague invited her to Evensong at St. Bartholomew’s on Park and 50th and her ministry began. After a brief tour and brunch with the new associate with four young children, she was hired to take over the nursery, run the singles group, and create a summer camp. When rector Bill Tully and associate Jay Sidebotham hired Jamie to serve as the Director of Religious Education, thankfully she stumbled upon the National Association of Episcopal Christian Education Directors (NAECED), which later became Forma. That was over twenty years ago.

In 2005 Jamie moved back to Houston to serve as the Lay Minister for Christian Education at St. Martin’s (the largest Episcopal parish in the country) where she directed three hours of year- round Sunday morning formation for toddlers through twelfth grade. She worked closely with Jerome Berryman (who created Godly Play), his wife Thea, and daughter Colleen as they led Godly Play classes every Sunday morning. In 2008, Jamie started The Family Table service at St. Martin’s, which has now grown out of two sanctuaries.

The Diocese of Texas called Jamie as the Missioner for Christian Formation in 2011 where she supported the formation ministries of 155 parishes. During that time she served as the president of Forma and after completing the Youth Certificate Program, created the children’s track. After nine years on Bishop Doyle’s staff, she is now partnering with Episcopal Relief and Development on the ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE campaign, coaching graduate students for the Center of Youth Ministry Training (CYMT), assisting parishes with a “Review and Restart” process, and loves working from home.



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January 26-28, 2021

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Service Times

Roger Hutchison
Council Chair
| Bio
Wallace Benton
Bio
April Caballero
Bio
Kate Huston
Bio
Patrick Kangrga
Bio
Dorothy Linthicum
Bio
Marvin McLennon
Bio
Cathlena Plummer
Bio
Erin Redden
Bio
Melina Smith
Bio
The Rev. Chris Yaw
Bio
Bronwyn Skov, Liaison from TEC - Ex-Officio
Bio
Melissa Rau, Episcopal Church Foundation
(215)872-7532
| Bio

Roger Hutchison

Council Chair

Roger is the Director of Christian Formation and Parish Life at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church in Houston. An artist who paints with children and adults in a variety of contexts, he is the author of five books including Jesus: God Among Us, The Painting Table, and The Very Best Day. Roger serves as the chair of the Forma Council and is a member of the National Association of Grieving Children and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. He lives with his family outside of Houston, Texas.

Board Term ends: Jan. 2021 - is able to extend to 2024

Wallace Benton

Meet Wallace Benton, who grew up at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church outside of Atlanta, Georgia as a precocious, loud, and mischievous child. When he graduated high school, he continued his education at Georgia Institute of Technology (the one true college in the state of Georgia) and studied International Affairs with the expectation that international law was in his future. After graduating and a stint working for a law firm, Wallace found himself volunteering and then, employed, as the Youth Minister at St. Edward’s Episcopal Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Currently, Wallace serves as the Youth Director at St. David’s in Roswell.

You may recognize Wallace as a member of Forma’s Council of Advice. He is also highly involved with EYCDIOATL (Episcopal Youth Community of the Diocese of Atlanta). Listen to him as one of the hosts on their podcast about youth ministry.

Wallace felt a call to serve others while serving as a high school team member at the middle school retreat weekend, New Beginnings. It was one of the few opportunities where he got to choose to serve, instead of being told to serve others or the Church. New Beginnings served to be a jumping off place for his relationship with God and the Church, and it also kept him connected to the church during his college years.

Wallace offers one piece of advice for new Christian formation people: “Connect as much as possible. I would not have had success in youth ministry without remembering the people who supported, challenged, and taught me along the way. Even if there aren’t people in your area or diocese you can talk to about your ministry, reach out to other local formation people from other denominations for advice about what works and what doesn’t. Forma has been a phenomenal outlet for me to learn and observe formation people from around the country who have been doing ministry longer than I have been alive.”

Wallace Benton enjoys spending time with his wife and rival youth minister, Sally; playing hide-and-go-seek with his dog, Bishop; hiking; and reading. He believes that relationships are the most important aspect of his ministry with youth and their families and puts diocesan ministry as a cornerstone of his own ministry.

April Caballero

Meet April Caballero, a young-ish adult with a passion for curating relevant and meaningful experiences of Christ through liturgy and creative expression. She has been a “proud” member of Forma for a little over two years now. It has been a primary source of inspiration to her, noting that “Forma is a network of absolutely dedicated Christian practitioners, and I have come away from each conference, each Council meeting, and each interaction with a renewed sense of purpose for the work of the Church and Christian formation.” For those new to Christian formation (in any capacity), April advises that you “sleep on any decision” before committing to a new endeavor. “There is so much exciting work to be done in Christian formation, and it is tempting to offer to do it all. This can lead to over-worked and over-burdened leaders; it can take the joy out of something we thought would be exciting. By taking a pause before committing, we allow our excitement some space to mingle with the rest of our work and our lives and we can make commitments that we are truly enthusiastic about.”

Currently April is the Executive Assistant for the Office of the Bishop at the Diocese of Olympia, serving the Episcopal Church in Western Washington state. Prior to her work at the diocese, April served as the Ministry Coordinator for Church of the Apostles (COTA), a Lutheran-Episcopal Mission Station in the Fremont neighborhood in Seattle, while taking on freelance design and marketing projects as well as event planning. It was here that she found the Episcopal Church; a space for her to grow as a lay leader that embraced her passion for creative liturgy.

April has the habit of sitting on her west-facing deck for one hour each evening after the workday has ended. Sometimes she reads (right now it is Terry Tempest Williams who weaves faith, family, and life/death with the natural rhythms of creation), sometimes she has a Zoom happy hour with a friend, and sometimes she just sits and watches the sun go down through the trees. While this started during the stay-at-home order, it is a practice she intends on keeping.

April holds a BA in communications and religion from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She is passionate about liturgy, cetaceans, and backpacking. While loving her life in the Pacific Northwest since 2008, April will always be a Texan at heart (as you can tell). She offers her favorite piece of scripture: Simon Peter’s plea to Jesus: ‘Lord, to whom shall we go?’ (John 6:68) along with this “lovely little song” from Poor Clare.

Kate Huston

Kate is the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries for the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma.

Kate first felt a call to professional lay ministry in the Episcopal Church while in college and serving as a counselor at St. Crispin’s Camp and Conference Center before going on to work as the youth minister at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Kate grew up in SW Oklahoma City and attended the University of Oklahoma where she received her BA and MA in Political Science. In 2015, Kate received a Certificate in Leadership in Lifelong Formation from FORMA (the network for Christian Formation in the Episcopal Church) and Virginia Theological Seminary. Kate has also served as the Assistant Secretary of Convention for the Diocese of Oklahoma, Secretary of Province VII, and as a Deputy to General Convention in 2012, 2015, and 2018. Kate is passionate about forming disciples and working with young people in the church.

Kate has one daughter, Brigid, and you can usually find them cooking together in the kitchen, reading a book, or watching a movie. Their family also includes Sully, a rescue Great Pyrenees/Anatolian Shepherd mix, and Oliver, the tabby cat.

Board Term ends: Jan. 2021 - is able to extend to 2024

Patrick Kangrga

Meet Patrick Christopher Kangrga (he/him/his), whose start in ministry was through the Episcopal Service Corps (ESC) in the dioceses of Maryland and Massachusetts. For two years he had the opportunity to “try on” youth ministry and found it to be “the most challenging and craziest thing I ever did. I absolutely loved it.” Born and raised in Arkansas, he has lived and worked in ministry in Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, California, and Mississippi. He currently resides in Jackson, MS where he ministers with 6th-12th graders as Director of Youth Ministries at St. James’ Episcopal Church. Most of his free time is spent with his partner, Laura, their dog, Sunday, and recent rescue cat, Jackson.

Patrick didn’t grow up going to church and didn’t really participate in a faith community until his young adult years. However, an early memory that sticks with him is from late in elementary school or middle school when he attended a neighborhood friend’s church around Christmas time when everyone sang “Go Tell It On the Mountain” around a piano.

During his second year with ESC in 2014, his host site supported the cost of his attending his first Forma conference. Since then, Forma “has given me a network of colleagues who I look to for inspiration and trust and whom I respect immensely – not to mention a group of people whose friendship and partnership I find invaluable.” Patrick has been an integral part of Forma in recent years as part of the conference planning team and was appointed to the Council in January 2020. His words of wisdom to anyone in the formation field: “You are not alone. You don’t have to do it alone. Reach out and connect to people. Reach out and connect with lay people and colleagues in your congregation. Reach out and connect with other ministers of all kinds and orders in your city and diocese or region. And reach out to the wider network of ministers available to you through the whole of your denomination. For me, Forma has been the best place to do that and the start to being able to find connections and networks other ways as well.”

At the moment Patrick is listening to a lot of Christmas music, including Mariah Carey’s “Joy to the World,” and one or possibly a dozen too many Hallmark movies. When the world is not in the midst of a pandemic, Patrick loves to travel domestically and internationally. Asked what his claim to fame might be, he shared that he learned to scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef. But then came this caveat: “Honestly, I don’t know that I want a ‘claim to fame.’ Don’t get me wrong, I want to live a unique and adventurous life. I am ambitious in my work and ministry. If people remember anything about me after my time on this world, I hope that it is that I was a loving and faithful person, I constantly strived to be better, and I failed miserably at it – but I got up each day and tried again and prayed to God for help. I hope I would be seen as one who was a fierce advocate for youth and other people, as well as a half-decent manifestation of God’s love. I really think that would suffice. But it’s also really hard work. The hardest work I know. “

Dorothy Linthicum

Author and speaker Dorothy Linthicum is a catechist for the Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) Baptized for Life initiative. As an adjunct instructor at VTS, she has studied and taught courses and workshops about older adult spirituality and ministry throughout the country. She co-authored Redeeming Dementia: Spirituality, Theology, and Science, with Janice Hicks, for caregivers and people facing dementia. She is currently working with a cohort of small churches in Arkansas to better understand their ministry needs.

Marvin McLennon

Meet Marvin McLennon (he/him/his), a “cradle” Episcopalian born and raised in Little Rock, AR where he grew up attending St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. After high school, he went to Hendrix College, a liberal arts school in Conway, AR where he studied communications with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. After graduating in 2013, he joined the Episcopal Service Corps in Baton Rouge, LA. Moving back to Little Rock in 2016, Marvin began working at Christ Episcopal Church where he is today, serving as the Director of Children’s and Youth Ministries. The favorite parts of his ministry are the surprising deep conversations that occur in youth group. Seeing the gears turn in young people’s heads and watching them connect the dots months later is very rewarding.

In his free time, you’ll find Marvin playing “Dungeons and Dragons” and other board games along with spending time with friends. He plays guitar and also nerds out over video games and comics. While he enjoys reading, he has a bad habit of starting one book and then another, and then another without finishing any of them. While currently watching season 2 of The Umbrella Academy, he claims his (unfinished?) reading stack includes How to Ruin Everything (a collection of essays by musician and poet George Watsky), The Art of Gathering by Prya Parker, and Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff.

Marvin has been a member of Forma since 2016. He shares, “Forma has been an invaluable

resource that has given me so many wonderful ideas and has helped me form so many wonderful friendships that I am grateful for. I come back from every Forma meeting feeling rejuvenated, reminding me that I am a part of a large, wonderful Episcopal family.” He encourages others who are new to their formation ministries to spend their first year building relationships with your youth, children, and their families.

Some of Marvin’s earliest memories of church include sitting with his family during worship, playing in the pews with his friends, and hearing the choir sing while watching the organ director’s hand frantically conducting just above the back wall of the altar. He regularly attended youth group as soon as he was old enough, was a member of the youth council in the Diocese of Arkansas while in high school, and during his college summers worked as a counselor at Camp Mitchell. You can understand why Marvin might say the Episcopal Church has always been a part of his life.

One of Marvin’s favorite Bible stories is from 1 Kings 19. After strong winds and an earthquake, Elijah hears God in the silence. It reminds him to strive to slow down and try to be truly present in quiet moments. One way that helps him is an app (1 Second Every Day ) he discovered in 2019 that encourages you to record one second a day. He has been doing it ever since. Continuing this practice in 2020 has helped him look back at all the special occurrences that do happen every day.

If you ever get a chance to meet Marvin in person, ask him about the cookbook he published with three college buddies - The College Guide to Smoothies. Turns out he is a wiz at combining unusual items from a campus cafeteria and turning them into pretty good smoothies.

Cathlena Plummer

Rev. Cathlena was ordained into the Transitional Diaconate in June of 2014. Later, she was ordained to the Priesthood in November of 2015. She attended the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California receiving her Master of Divinity Degree. Her title is Reverend Canon for Spiritual Formation, she assists in developing programs for both clergy and laity in the formation of spiritual discernment and practices.

She serves on the Economic Development Board, and is the current Vicar of Good Shepherd Mission in Fort Defiance, AZ. The vision and mission Rev. Cathlena would desire to achieve at Good Shepherd, echo the faint legacy of her father our former Bishop of Navajoland, the late Rt. Rev. Steven T. Plummer Sr. His vision and legacy of a Navajo led laity and clergy with the teachings and spirituality of Navajo and Christianity combined, echoed in ECN’s Hooghan Learning Circle formation.

In her downtime, Rev. Cathlena is very much a music enthusiast she plays the traditional and wood flutes, and can often be found enjoying a Bollywood film starring famous Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.

Erin Redden

Erin Redden, serves as the Christian Formation Director at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Columbus, Georgia. She also teaches music at Beauregard Elementary in Opelika, Alabama where she holds several leadership positions including writing and being awarded the first state funded grant to implement a PreK class in the school system and developing a school system safety plan that was recognized by the State of Alabama and adopted by schools across the country. Music brought her to the Episcopal Church and the opportunity to live into her baptismal covenant by sharing the good news of Jesus for all people is why she stayed. Erin recently served as the 2019 Conference Coordinator for the Christian Formation Conference, Gather at the Table - Answering Christ’s Call to Radical Hospitality at Kanuga. She remains on the Lifelong Christian Formation Planning Team for Kanuga Conferences. Erin lives on the Alabama side of the Chattahoochee River with her husband Roger, children Maddie and Hugh and furbabies, Coconut and Bella. Erin has a knack for creating a warm, inviting and inclusive environment and strives to build intentional relationships. Erin looks forward to bringing a positive attitude, go-getter mentality, creative mind, and collaborative approach to the Forma Council.

Melina Smith

Melina Luna Smith is the founder of StoryMakers NYC.

I enjoy mixing together ministry, creativity, and imagination with the hope of creating Gospel content for niños.

Over the last 10 years, I have dabbled in interiors, and floral design, with the constant backdrop of children’s ministry at Calvary St. George’s Church. Over the years, I have loved gathering and working with artists with the intention of retelling the stories of the Bible. I have thought over the years, why hasn’t design, beauty, and imagination been maximized when sharing the greatest stories ever told.

Together with a team of writers, artists, and jacks-of-all-trades, we are humbly approaching the Bible with the intent to create content to foster connection and more fun. Our team believes that when we play, imagine, and create together, learning takes deep roots.

The Rev. Chris Yaw

Meet Chris Yaw (he, him, his) who always seems to have a smile on his face. New ideas wake him up in the middle of the night and he looks forward to each day to whatever surprises await him. You may already be familiar with Chris as the founder of ChurchNext, an online education company which produces many learning experiences for individuals and congregations, including Forma’s free program, This is NOT Sunday School. Born in Detroit, he is the rector of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Southfield, MI (since 2007) and serves in many roles in the Detroit-metro community: president of Oakland Housing, an $11 million non-profit that provides middle-income families with better housing; a trustee for the Diocese of Michigan which oversees $30 million of diocesan investments; dean in the McGehee Deanery; and convenor of a local interfaith group called “Lift Up Southfield!”

After discerning a call to the priesthood, Chris attended Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, CA where he discovered the Episcopal Church. He says he’s been a member of Forma “forever” and the organization has given him community, contact, inspiration, and hope for a renewed and healthy church. Chris was a Forma board member and made the transition to what is now the Forma Council. His words of wisdom to anyone involved in Christian formation (especially those new to this vocation) is to “seek the Lord first. Never allow the dance with the institution to take you from your first love.”

When Chris isn’t pastoring in his congregation or creating new programming for ChurchNext, you’ll find him with his wife and young children, running, or reading. The books in his current stack include Sapiens by Yuval Harari, Slavery By Another Name by Douglas Blackmon, Rediscovering Life by Anthony DeMello, and American Prison by Shane Bauer. If you’re so inclined, check out the video “American Woman” by Lenny Kravitz; look closely to see Chris riding a Harley!

Bronwyn Skov, Liaison from TEC - Ex-Officio

Bronwyn Clark Skov serves as the Officer for Youth Ministries for The Episcopal Church. She is passionate about lay leadership, mentoring young people in their Christian journey, and empowering adults who work with youth. Currently she is the primary coordinator for the triennial Episcopal Youth Event and the General Convention Official Youth Presence. In her spare time she volunteers in her home parish and is an active member of the National Ski Patrol. She works from her rural southern Minnesota home where she lives with her recently retired spouse, a dog, a cat, two goats, and four fish.

Melissa Rau, Episcopal Church Foundation


(215)872-7532 |

Melissa Rau is the Staff Liaison to Forma at the Episcopal Church Foundation. Her primary roles include membership support and engagement, collaborating with the Forma Council, and managing the annual Forma conference. Prior to her current role, Melissa served as ECF’s Director of Partnerships and New Initiatives before accepting the position of Chief of Staff at Bexley Seabury Seminary.

Melissa has been a formation leader for more than twenty years. Prior to joining ECF, Melissa was very active as a Lead Consultant with Ministry Architects, an organization that provides consulting for churches in a number of different capacities. She’s currently earning an M.Div. at the General Theological Seminary. Living just outside of Philly, she is married to Mike, an Episcopal priest and rector. They have two daughters and a son. She loves to read and is particularly fond of giraffes and the color orange.

(212) 870-2847

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