FACULTY and BOARD
FACULTY MEMBERS:
The following introduces you to our faculty team.
These are the primary participants who rotate in our leadership, teaching and supervision.
Care Crawford, Director of CFDM Southern California
Care is a trained Spiritual Director through CFDM and has a passion for people to grow deeper in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Through her years of involvement and leadership with CFDM, and in her passion for Christian formation & spiritual direction, she feels as if she has “come home.” Spiritual formation and spiritual direction is the ministry where she feel most effective and where she knows “God’s pleasure!” HERE she belongs.
She, herself continues in seeing a spiritual director and sees a spiritual director supervisor for her own growth and accountability.
She is married to Stephen Madaris and they live on the Westside of Los Angeles.
She also serves as Pastor of Soul Care at Bel Air Church.
She is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, where she hold both Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees. She has recently finished three years of a Doctor of Ministry degree program at Fuller Theological Seminary and is currently writing her dissertation on spiritual direction and short-term mission.
Care is a frequent speaker at retreats and events and leads training and equipping seminars with churches, Presbyteries, and other organizations in areas of pastoral care, grief and loss, and spiritual formation and spiritual disciplines.
Jeff Tacklind, Vice President
Jeff is the lead pastor of Church by the Sea in Laguna Beach, where he lives with his wife, Patty, and three kids, Gabe, Mia, and Lila. He is passionate about spiritual formation, surfing, and anything C.S. Lewis. He is a spiritual director and has a master’s degree in Philosophy and a Doctorate in Semiotics and Future Studies.
Steve Summerell, Emeritus
Steve earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from Azusa Pacific University, with an emphasis in spiritual formation, as well as a Master of Divinity from Talbot School of Theology. He was trained as a spiritual director through Christian Formation and Direction Ministries (CFDM), and for 11 years has been a part of the CFDM faculty team that trains spiritual directors. Steve served as a Vineyard pastor for 25 years and was the spiritual formation director for Vineyard Institute. He currently is the Los Angeles Regional director for “b” (www.b-ing.org), a ministry which serves pastors, ministry leaders, missionaries, seminary students, churches, and individuals in areas related to spiritual formation and spiritual direction.
Marilyn Crawford
Marilyn Crawford is an ordained Presbyterian Minister, a Spiritual Director (trained through CFDM) and a Supervisor (trained through the Mercy Center). She is the mother of two adult daughters, Mary and Ann who live in Portland, Oregon and Santa Monica, CA. Having served three Presbyterian Churches in New Jersey, Minnesota and Pennsylvania, she is now enjoying a ministry of Direction and Supervision and is delighted to be serving on this Faculty. "I am coming to understand the ancient Spiritual Direction Ministry as very current and helpful for each of us. In it we seek an ever closer union with God. In this one-on-one relationship the Director accompanies you in noticing God's Spirit at work as you tell your story and as you seek understanding and discernment."
Lynn Ziegenfuss
Lynn Ziegenfuss is a leadership development and spiritual formation specialist. Her passion is to encourage, equip and empower followers of Jesus, especially leaders and women, to move toward spiritual maturity, emotional wholeness and Kingdom effectiveness. Lynn is a 40 year veteran of Youth for Christ. She currently serves as a trainer in formation with YFC staff, is a consultant with the Looper Foundation in Houston and has her own spiritual direction ministry. One of the best ways Lynn gets to live into her passion is by serving on the CFDM faculty to train others in spiritual formation and direction. Sitting in the front row of watching God at work in others is an amazing privilege!
BOARD MEMBERS:
The current active Board is:
Rev. Dr. Care Crawford - President
Rev. Dr. Jeff Tacklind - Vice President
Gini Downing - Secretary
Rev. Stephen Madaris - Treasurer
Advisory Members serve on an ad hoc basis