I was blessed to grow up in a progressive, liberal, and welcoming church—Main Street Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). My first teacher was a brilliant woman named Mrs. Stocksdale, who impressed upon me the only gospel we are truly called to follow: the gospel of Matthew 25. From her I learned that we are called to feed the hungry, care for the sick, house the unhoused, and visit those who are incarcerated. This became the foundation of my personal values and the intention behind all of my ministry.

Then I met a new babysitter who became so much a part of our lives that the only respectful name to call her was Grandma Kaufman. She embodied Mrs. Stocksdale’s teachings. Her church was the Church of God. While her little congregation in Saratoga, Indiana, was mostly white farmers, they were affiliated with the national Church of God (Anderson, Indiana), which had a large African American membership. She was my first teacher on the importance of embracing and engaging in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

I adopted what these two women—and my parents—taught me, developing a strong moral compass. Still, I sought more.

In early 1982, my BFF Gary invited me to accompany him to a lecture at the Marin Civic Center to hear Terry Cole-Whittaker speak. She was amazing. Suddenly everything I had been looking for was proven to exist. I wanted a place that accepted my Christian upbringing, embraced psychology and science, and understood that there are many paths to one universal God. That faith, philosophy, and way of living is known as the Science of Mind.

At Terry’s gathering she offered registration for her next series of classes, Mastery of Living I. As we exited the auditorium, Gary took my arm, looked me tearfully in the eye, and said, “I want to do this. I want to take this class. I want to grow spiritually, and I don’t want to do it without you.” No one had ever said anything so profound to me before. Needless to say, I said absolutely.

Then, in the most serendipitous moment of my life, Gary and I met Rev. Dr. Andriette Earl. She was not yet a practitioner or minister but she a very much edu-tainer. On the first night of our first class with Terry Cole-Whittaker, the only empty seats were next to beloved Andriette. We became fast friends. We took all the classes together, joined small study groups, and Andriette and I even drove back and forth between the Bay Area and San Diego for 10 weeks in a row. As our dear friend Harold would say, “That concretized our friendship.”

I was all in. I took all the classes, did all the homework, and was just weeks away from being named the last Practitioner with Terry Cole-Whittaker Ministries. Later I learned there were many of us who believed we were to be the last named Practitioners. Nevertheless, it all came to an abrupt end when Terry announced she was ending her ministry. At first, I was angry. But I turned my disappointment into action, knowing something bigger than my desires was unfolding.

 

I contacted the California Institute of Religious Science, where Sr. Minister Rev. Daniel Persuite agreed to honor all my classes and mentored me along the way. On October 25, 1985, I was ordained and licensed by the San Francisco Institute. Simultaneously, I founded Fellowship in Light Ministries and held my first services at the California Women’s Club on Clay Street in San Francisco. Many from Terry Cole-Whittaker’s classes—especially members of the LGBTQ community—joined us. I officiated weddings, taught new classes, wrote a newsletter, and dedicated my life to answering the call.

And then the AIDS pandemic hit. I found myself officiating more funerals than I could count. In six short years, I lost nearly every gay male friend I had come to know. This pastoral care work evolved into meeting Marsha Genard and Vera Ginsberg, co-founders of the Genard AIDS Foundation. For nearly 12 years we raised over a million dollars to support those living with AIDS in Contra Costa County. Later I created innovative “return to work” programs for survivors of HIV/AIDS, helping them tap into their God-given gifts to find new careers as artists, photographers, woodworkers, and teachers.

I began this work at the VA Medical Center in Palo Alto, then launched the Wellness Program Workcenter in Pleasant Hill, CA, thanks to a gift from the estate of my beloved friend Gary. He succumbed to AIDS on June 4, 1992—just six days short of his 41st birthday.

By 1998, I was exhausted. My mother passed away on September 21st of that year. Returning from her funeral, I received a call from Rev. Barbara Blaisdell, Sr. Minister for First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Concord, CA. She reached out as a courtesy to support me in my grief. We met for lunch, talked about our vocations, and she invited me to church. I agreed—on one condition: I was only going to be an attendee. I was burnt out. No sacred service for me.

Within months I was speaking on Sundays, consulting on HR matters, and soon became part of the ecclesiastical team. Rev. Barbara’s husband Chuck, the Regional President of the Disciples of Christ for Northern California, asked me in 2004 to consider starting a new church in Tracy, CA. Thus I founded my second spiritual community, Gateway Christian Church.

 

I gathered a board, filed our Articles of Incorporation, and got our IRS nonprofit exemption. (Even though I really didn’t need one how fortuitous spirit can be). Our goal was 75 members within three years. By 2008 we were close but not quite there. We merged with Hope Lutheran Church which I co-led Gateway to Hope with Rev. Alice O’Neil for another year. Then my beloved spiritual traveling companion shared she was starting her own ministry and asked if I would share my insights. Not only was I willing—I was going with her, and I even had a 501c(3) in case we needed it.

On November 4, 2009, I became the Founding President of Heart and Soul Center of Light (my third founding moment), along with Rev. Angelo Allen. Rev. Angelo Allen, Rev. Andriette Earl and I became Heart and Souls founding ministers.

I was back in the fold of the Science of Mind philosophy. As United Centers for Spiritual Living and Religious Science International evolved into the Centers for Spiritual Living, I was home again. I learned to awaken each day asking Spirit, “What is mine to do today?” Spirit never seems to be content with me resting on my laurels.

I renewed my licensure and became Sr. Minister of the Center for Spiritual Living Fresno, later renamed Central Valley Center for Spiritual Living. For over four years we grew, learned, and celebrated together—even as I continued my duties at Heart and Soul. Then the pandemic hit, and everything changed again.

In late 2019 I felt the call to embark on a new venture designed to serve elders in the LGBTQ community. I formed ElderPride, a CSL Focus Ministry, to help elders age forward with grace and ease using the principles of Science of Mind. We held our first official gathering in February 2020—a magnificent three-day conference—just before the world shut down.

We could have stopped, but not the folks at ElderPride. They regrouped, reimagined, and made it about community. ElderPride became fully virtual, with daily Zoom check-ins. For over four years—long after the pandemic ended—this amazing group has met every day for an hour of spiritual community. We’ve held two virtual conferences, offered many CSL-certified courses, and now have four dynamic souls about to complete Practitioner studies.

But wait—there’s more. One of our members serves as President of the Board at Center for Spiritual Living Visalia, CA. Not unlike Fresno, they were struggling to discern what was next. After some consultation and the encouragement of Rev. Dr. Andriette, I became their Spiritual Leader in June 2024.

Now, in my 40th year of ministry, I serve three dynamic spiritual communities—Heart and Soul Center of Light, ElderPride, and CSL Visalia. How do I do it? Step by step, day by day, blending it all together for the highest and best of each community. It has been an amazing ride.

 I am forever grateful for all the support, love, and collaboration that have made it possible. And as always, I can’t wait to see what’s down the road and around the next curve.

I remain your storyteller, spiritual coach, ally, advocate, and co-conspirator.

Thank you to all the teachers and co-conspirators I’ve mentioned above—and a very special shout-out to my spiritual traveling companion, Rev. Dr. Andriette Earl.