Board Members
- John Blinn
- Glynden Bode
- Scottie Brafford, Treasurer
- Rev. Dr. Brenda Buckwell, Chair
- Rev. Karen Covey Moore
- Dr. Greg Davis
- Juan Huertas
- Cherri Johnson, Secretary
- Rev. Im Jung
- Beverly Shouse Maguffee
- Staff: Rev. Jerry Haas
- Contact Us
Bios
Here are short biographies of some of our board members.
John Blinn
John Blinn lives in Pueblo, Colorado. He works under the name CompanionSpirit as a Spiritual Director and Spiritual Retreat Leader. He began this work after 36 years as a United Methodist Pastor, Conference Council Director and District Superintendent in the Rocky Mountain Conference. John uses music in his ministry, playing the guitar and the Native American flute in addition to singing. He has produced three musical CDs. He received his Master's of Divinity from St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City and was trained in Spiritual Direction at the Shalem Institute, Bethesda, Maryland. He was instrumental in organizing the "United Methodist Spiritual Directors within the Rocky Mountain Conference". He is also a member of Spiritual Directors International. He shares his life journey with his wife, Elaine, a licensed clinical social worker who is a faculty member of a Family Medicine Residency Program.
Glynden Bode
Glynden Bode is an ordained permanent deacon, serving in the Texas Annual Conference as Director of Spirit’s Call Ministries. She completed her spiritual direction training at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. She travels with her canvas labyrinth, leads retreats and workshops, companions folks on their spiritual journeys, and is involved in local and statewide advocacy and justice ministries. Glynden currently serves as board chair and faculty member for Charis, the TX Conference UMC spiritual director training program. Glynden is married to Phil, the mother of three grown children, and grandmother of five. She enjoys nature, poetry, reading, knitting, crocheting, cooking, and contemplative practices.
Scottie Brafford, Treasurer
Scottie Brafford is a United Methodist deacon, developing a ministry of spiritual formation for her district. She brings to the FUMSDRL Board years of experience offering spiritual formation in local church settings as well as skills in non-profit management. Scottie’s a graduate of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation’s program in contemplative prayer and retreat leadership, and is currently enrolled in the Academy for Spiritual Formation. As chair of the Order of Deacons for the Memphis Annual Conference, she’s involved with formation and discernment for clergy. Husband Wayne, three sons, and a (female) golden retriever offer balance, abundant humor and grace. She enjoys working out at a gym, fly fishing and floating around in any kind of boat.
Rev. Dr. Brenda Buckwell, Chair
Brenda Buckland is an ordained elder within the UMC and has additionally trained as a spiritual director and supervisor of spiritual directors at Mercy Center in Burlingame, California. She received her UM Certification in Spiritual Formation through Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Brenda is a member of Spiritual Directors International and an associate of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation.
Brenda is a spiritual director for lay and clergy persons, a national retreat leader, co-founder and current chair of the National Fellowship of United Methodist Spiritual Directors and Retreat Leaders and serves as pastor of Westgate UMC in the West Ohio Conference Area.
She obtained her Master’s of Divinity from Boston University School of Theology and completed her Doctorate in Theology and Leadership from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Brenda has served as a congregational pastor for twenty years in the West Ohio Conference and has taught at United Theological Seminary. She has two grown children. She enjoys reading, writing and ball room dancing.
Rev. Karen Covey Moore
Karen Covey Moore has been an ordained United Methodist minister since 1985. She has served churches throughout the Peninsula-Delaware Conference of The United Methodist Church as a pastor and served two years as the pediatric chaplain of the Medical Center of Delaware. She is currently appointed to Chabereth Ministries, Inc. as Founder and Spiritual Director. Karen also contracts with Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Wilmington where she serves as the Director of Congregational Care and serves as the Chairperson of the Conference Spiritual Formation and Discipleship Team for the Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference. She is also employed as a Bereavement Counselor by Delaware Hospice, Inc., and facilitates GriefShare Support Groups and a Survivors of Suicide Support Group. Karen is the co-founder of the Fellowship of United Methodist Spiritual Directors and Retreat Leaders and of Healing Hearts Ministries: Ministry to Survivors of Suicide. She is the mother of three and the proud grandmother of six. Her education includes M. Div and D. Min from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC and Masters in Pastoral Care and Spiritual Direction from Neumann University in Aston, PA. She has completed the Academy of Spiritual Formation #21, has received UM Certification in Spiritual Formation from the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, and is a member of Spiritual Directors International.
Dr. Greg Davis
Greg Davis is an elder serving a wonderful congregation in Zachary, Louisiana. Together with his daughters Kathryn and Claire, along with wife Cynthia, the Davis family shares responsibilities for Zeke the wonderdog. Greg enjoyed undergraduate work at the University of Texas, survived seminary at Emory, and completed his D.Min in spiritual formation at SMU-Perkins. He participated in a two-year Academy for Spiritual Formation at Sumatanga and was in the inaugural spiritual director certification group led by Norm Shawchuck and Bob Doherty under the auspices of the Louisiana annual conference’s Academy for Spiritual Leadership, shepherded by Carole Cotton-Winn. He provides spiritual direction and has led retreats in spiritual formation for men, women, and mixed groups.
“Come my Way, my Truth, my Life:
Such a Way as gives us breath:
Such a Truth as ends all strife:
Such a Life as endeth death.”
Juan Huertas
Juan Huertas is an elder in the Louisiana conference serving as pastor of Squyres UMC in Ragley, LA. He is a graduate of Candler School of Theology-Emory University and completed his spiritual direction training through the Louisiana Conference Academy for Spiritual Leadership. As a 30 year old, he brings a passion for the need for spiritual formation in young adults. He and his wife Shannon have two children. In his down times he enjoys reading, listening to music, and spending time with his family.
Cherri Johnson, Secretary
Cherri Johnson lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She completed her spiritual direction training through the Academy of Spiritual Leadership, Louisiana Conference and through Garret Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. Cherri serves as Director of Spiritual Formation at First United Methodist Church in Baton Rouge.
Cherri serves as a supervisor for the Spiritual Direction Training program in the Louisiana Conference. She also serves as an advisor to the Louisiana Board of Spiritual Directors, Inc. In the past, she has served as a regional coordinator for Spiritual Director’s International. Cherri enjoys liturgical dance, yoga, hiking, contemplative practices and Louisiana Cajun food shared and celebrated with good friends.
Beverly Shouse Maguffee
Beverly Shouse Maguffee is an ordained deacon in full connection of the Kentucky Annual Conference and serves on the conference staff as executive director for Kavanaugh Life Enrichment Center, a retreat center of the annual conference. She has also served as development director of Bellewood Presbyterian Homes for Children and Youth and part-time rural pastorates. She continues to lead Bible studies and preach whenever possible.
Beverly earned her Masters of Arts in Spirituality from Bellarmine University (a joint program with Louisville Seminary), and her Masters of Arts in Religion from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Her undergraduate work was done at Kentucky Wesleyan College. She enjoys writing, especially devotional materials to promote the spiritual formation practices of children.
Beverly lives in Louisville, KY with her husband, Rev. Dr. Gary E Maguffee, and they have two adult children and three amazing grandchildren.
