Faculty

FACULTY

Meet Our Faculty

Learn more about the people that make up our teaching staff. Get to know our full-time staff and the backgrounds which led them here.

(*) Indicates Current Members of Metagem Institute's Board of Directors

The Rev. Mary Catherine Allan*

is the Executive Director of Metagem Institute in Alabama. She
received an M.Div. from Sewanee: The School of Theology and a B.S. degree in Computer Science
from the University of North Alabama. Prior to seminary, Mary Catherine was responsible for a
corporate division that delivered large scale software systems. She brings an interest in technology
integration, science & religion coherence, and leadership development to her role in the church. She
practices Centering Prayer and various forms of Christian Meditation; engages in dreamwork; and
enjoys regular exercise, including hiking. She is a Spiritual Director, trained in Jungian practices at
the Haden Institute in NC. Mary Catherine is a gifted teacher who is frequently invited to lead prayer
retreats and workshops on integrative and spiritual practices. She completed a two-year program
under spiritual master teachers—Richard Rohr, Cynthia Bourgeault, and James Finley—at the Living School for Action
and Contemplation in NM. Forests, mountains, and trails are Mary Catherine’s current teachers. She led a pilgrimage in
Italy on The Way of St. Francis in 2023.

The Rev. Monica A. Carlson*

is the Rector of The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Leeds, AL.
She received an M.Div. from Sewanee: The School of Theology, where she earned the honors prize
for Practical Theology. She received a B.A. from Duke University with a double-major in History and
English. Prior to attending seminary, Monica lived in Nashville, TN where she worked for many years
as a real estate paralegal. For several months after seminary, Monica lived with the nuns of the
Community of St. Mary, where she deepened her experiential knowledge of Benedictine Spirituality.
She continues to live by a Rule of Life, to pray the Daily Office, and to practice Centering Prayer.
Monica has led several workshops on spirituality. She enjoys long walks and cheering for the Duke
basketball team, the New Orleans Saints, and the Tennessee Titans. Now living in Alabama, she has
become a fan of local sports teams, as well.

Mr. Jeff Akamatsu, AOJN*

is an active lay minister with an interest in integrative health. He
is trained in The Living Compass wellness program as a Congregational Wellness Advocate.
Jeff is also a Stephen Minister, an associate member of the Order of St. Luke (healing
ministry), a teacher of integrative and spiritual practices, Prior of the Associates of the Order
of Julian of Norwich, and a Haden Institute certified Spiritual Director. Jeff retired from a
career with the federal government in human resources and from the Army as a Colonel. He
is a former paratrooper, Army Ranger, Green Beret, and scuba diver. He received an
undergraduate degree from West Point and a master’s in business from Boston University.
Jeff is a former competitive runner who now practices yoga, bikes, hikes, and roller skates. His morning ritual includes a
workout at the gym and praying the Daily Office (Morning Prayer).

Ms. Beth Cook is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)*

in private practice who has over 20 years of experience
in psychotherapy. She has an interest in the interweaving of spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of health. In 1987
after reading John Sanford’s Healing and Wholeness, Beth began what would become a life-long study of Jungian
psychology, creation spirituality, mythology, feminist theology, and Christian mysticism. In 2010, Beth became a certified Spiritual Director after completing the two-year Haden Institute training program. Beth has a
particular interest in working with members of the LGBTQ community and others who have
experienced marginalization from traditional religious groups. A member of the Episcopal
Church, Beth is drawn to practices ancient and modern from many faith and spiritual
traditions including dreamwork, mindfulness, meditation, the Enneagram, Celtic spirituality,
poetry, fairy tales, and the labyrinth. Beth leads Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
(MBSR) training programs and is a co-founder of the Alabama Institute for Mindfulness
(AIM). She maintains a daily meditation practice.

The Rev. Danielle Thompson

is an Episcopal priest currently serving as Rector of Grace
Episcopal Church in Sheffield, AL. Danielle received an M.Div. from Vanderbilt Divinity School
and a Diploma in Anglican Studies from The School of Theology at The University of the
South (Sewanee). Her interests include integrating group spiritual practices in congregational
ministry, as well as learning about best practices for spiritual direction with special life issues
and social contexts. She is a gifted spiritual leader and insightful connector.

Elizabeth Gregory, PhD

completed her training as a
Spiritual Director through Metagem Institute in February 2019. She is also a
Licensed Professional Counselor recently retired from private practice (Gregory
Counseling & Consulting LLC) in Leeds. She worked many years as a psychiatric
clinical nurse specialist in hospital, addictions treatment, and home health settings,
mostly in program development and administrative positions. Elizabeth provides
training related to health, mental/emotional health, and spiritual formation in
community settings, churches, business organizations, police departments, and
professional conferences. She has worked as a freelance writer and wrote a weekly column, Get a Grip..., for the Leeds
Tribune. She is the author of the non-fiction book, Seeking Simplicity: A Woman’s Guide to a Balanced Life and a short
novel, Innocence Lost. Elizabeth is a Companion in the Order of St. Francis.

The Rev. Dr. B. Eric Rieger

is a graduate of the Metagem Institute Spiritual Direction
Training Program, a certified spiritual director endorsed by the United Methodist General
Board of Higher Education and Ministry, and also a certified Life & Health Coach appointed
to an extension ministry, Sacred Quest. Eric’s D.Min. from Northern Baptist Theological
Seminary is in Spiritual Transformation with Ruth Haley Barton as his major professor. Eric
received a Certificate in Spiritual Transformation upon completing nine quarterly retreats
with the Transforming Center of Chicago, Transforming Community #6. Prior to Eric’s 24
years in pastoral ministry, Eric worked as a counselor and also as a family coordinator at the
Detoxification Rehabilitation Institute (DRI) in Knoxville, TN. Eric has a particular interest in working with “ex-vangelicals”,
religious “nones and dones”, and those “deconstructing and reconstructing” their faith. He continues with his own spiritual
direction and continues to live by a Rule of Life. Eric is a life-long learner and explorer who also enjoys travel,
backpacking, snorkeling, canoeing, and camping with his family.

Renae Rickles Perry

is a graduate of Metagem Institute’s Spiritual Direction
Certification Program and a United Methodist pastor currently serving at Cahaba
United Methodist Church in Birmingham, AL. She is also serving as
Communications and Administrative Assistant for Metagem Institute. Renae
received a M.A. in Pastoral Counseling from Asbury Theological Seminary in
Wilmore, Kentucky, where she concentrated her work in Marriage and Family
Therapy. She also studied and received her B.S. in Human Development from the
University of Alabama, working primarily with children and their families as they
faced chronic and critical illness. Renae lived as a clergy spouse for 20 years and finds joy in serving other clergy spouses through spiritual direction. Working from a trauma-informed perspective, she has a particular interest in working
with people who have been wounded in traditional religious settings. As a parent of an LGBTQ young person, she also
cares deeply for issues surrounding families and young people who are navigating this journey. As a widow, she is
especially attuned to issues of grief and loss. Renae is a freelance writer, and shares stories and thoughts about finding
grace in everyday life on her blog Traces of Grace. She enjoys daily lectio divina, meditation, Centering Prayer, and
finding God through art and beauty. She is a lifelong learner, a self-proclaimed nerd, and a lover of books, nature, and
color. Renae lives in Moody, AL.

Beth Chamberlain

is a licensed school counselor who worked in community mental health and
secondary schools for over 31 years. She is a Metagem Institute graduate, a cradle Episcopalian,
and an active layperson, currently serving a second stint on the vestry at St. Mark and St. Paul
(formerly Otey Memorial) in Sewanee, TN. Beth is a founding member (1998) of her
congregation’s Monday night Centering Prayer support group that continues to meet to this day.
She participates in two other Centering Prayer groups, as well. She has served as staff for several
Centering Prayer retreats at St. Mary’s Sewanee Conference Center. She was admitted to the
Society for the Companions of the Holy Cross in 2012. Following her retirement from Volunteer
Behavioral Health Care Systems, she and her husband, George, moved to Lookout Mountain, TN, for eight years to care
for his mother, before returning to Sewanee in 2017. Beth and George together have three adult children. Beth is excited
to have recently completed building a tiny hermitage on the bluff in Sewanee where she practices spiritual direction.

FACULTY

Guest Speakers

Learn about the guest speakers who bring new perspectives and subject-matter expertise. This list is likely to grow, as we are continually incorporating new speakers for our two year programs (Spiritual Direction Formation, and Holy, Whole, and Bold: The Contemplative Path).

The Rt. Rev. Glenda S. Curry, Ph.D.

is the 12th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of
Alabama. She was consecrated as bishop coadjutor on June 27, 2020, and was recognized
and invested as bishop diocesan on January 9, 2021, at the Cathedral Church of the
Advent. Prior to her election, Curry served as the rector of All Saints’ Episcopal Church,
Birmingham. Following her ordination to the priesthood she served as the Rector of
Epiphany Episcopal Church in Leeds, AL. Prior to her ordination, Curry served as the
president of Troy State University in Montgomery, AL. She received her M.Div from the
University of the South, Sewanee, in 2002. Curry is married to Dr. William Curry, a professor
of medicine at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, AL and they are the parents of two
adult children.

The Rt. Rev. John McKee Sloan

was the 11th Bishop of
the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. Kee graduated from Mississippi State University
before going to seminary at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. He was
ordained a priest in 1982 and bishop suffragan in 2008. He became the diocesan bishop
in 2012. Kee has participated in nearly twenty medical mission trips to Honduras. He has
served as Director of Special Sessions for people with mental and physical disabilities at
diocesan camps in Mississippi and Alabama. He founded the Special Session program in
the Diocese of Alabama. Kee teaches through storytelling illustrating that our story is
sacred story. Kee grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi; his wife, Tina, grew up in Leland in the Mississippi Delta. They now
live in Birmingham, Alabama, and have two children, McKee and Mary Nell.

Mirabai Starr

writes creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature. She taught Philosophy and
World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now teaches and speaks internationally on
contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialog. A certified bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the
transformational power of loss. She has received critical acclaim for her revolutionary new translations of the mystics,
John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila and Julian of Norwich. She is the award-winning author of God of Love: A Guide to the
Heart of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Caravan of No Despair: A Memoir of Loss and Transformation, and Mother of God Similar to Fire, a collaboration with iconographer, William Hart McNichols. Her latest book,
Wild Mercy: Living the Fierce & Tender Wisdom of the Women Mystics, was published in Spring
2019. She lives with her extended family in the mountains of northern New Mexico.

Thomas Moore

author of the #1 New York Times Best Seller Care of
the Soul, answered questions during an intimate fireside chat with
program participants and then spoke on “Co-Creativity” at the Metagem
Institute graduation of the 2018 class of spiritual directors. His latest
book is Ageless Soul: The Lifelong Journey Toward Meaning and Joy.

Sybil MacBeth

is a doodler, a dancer, and a former community college
mathematics professor. She is the author of seven books including Praying
in Color: Drawing a New Path to God (2007) and Praying in Color: Kid’s
Edition (2009). Praying in Color is a visual, kinesthetic, and meditative
prayer practice, especially useful for the antsy, distracted, and word-weary pray-er. Sybil has a
B.S. in Mathematics from Randolph-Macon College and an M.S. in Mathematics from the College
of William and Mary. She lives in Memphis, Tennessee and is married to Andy MacBeth, an
Episcopal priest.

The Rev. Bude Van Dyke

is an ordained Episcopal Priest and Spiritual Director for Bradford
Health Services, a provider of addiction treatment throughout the Southeastern United States.
Bude is one of 18 persons who was invited by Paula D’Arcy to attend a Think Tank Summit
sponsored by the Red Bird Foundation to inform the Womenspeak Conference, a widely attended
international event. For Metagem Institute’s spiritual direction program, Bude teaches on the topic
of “Spiritual Direction and Recovery,” offering brilliant insights into the inner life and spiritual growth
of those in recovery from addiction. He is also a singer-songwriter; his 2016 Album, Visible Rust, is
a collection of Native Americana music. Bude’s grown children, Lily and Herschel, perform on the
album with him. Bude lives in Sewanee, TN with his beloved wife Pam.

Pastor Ted Drewson

is a recently retired pastor of Pilgrim United Church of Christ in
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He graduated from Pacific School of Religion with an M.Div.
Later he graduated from Creighton University with an M.A. in Christian Spirituality
and a certificate in “Spiritual Direction and Directed Retreats.” Starting with his time
living in Tokyo Japan, Ted has been influenced by Zen Buddhism and Christian
Mysticism. He recently completed the Living School through the Center for Action
and Contemplation. Ted teaches on the topic of Ignatian Spirituality. He is blessed
with the experience of twice praying through Ignatian Spiritual Exercises on a 30-day
silent retreat. He is currently expanding his ministry in the areas of spiritual formation through Mindfulness. Ted is married
to Deb; they are the parents of two grown children, Johnathan and Elise.

The Rev. Dr. Basye Holland-Shuey

is a retired priest. She received an M.Div from Vanderbilt
Divinity School and a D.Min. from Sewanee: The School of Theology. Her professional background
includes over 15 years teaching in Religious Studies, Interfaith Relations, and Spiritual
Development. She served as an educator providing language training and development for NATO
and the German Language Institute in Europe. She was an Instructor at the University of Alabama
Huntsville’s Community Medicine Department. Basye is frequently invited to lead quiet days and
retreats. She lives by an intentional rhythm of life that includes daily contemplative practices.
Basye and her husband, Ralph, live in Huntsville, AL.

Ms. Mary Foster

is a Fellow and the Newsletter Editor at the University of the South’s Center for
Religion and Environment. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill and an M.T.S. from Duke Divinity School. Mary is a member of the Episcopal
Diocese of Alabama’s Task Force for the Stewardship of Creation and has led programs on
simpler living, contemplative practice, and creation care. She is particularly gifted in writing about
and developing programs on creation care, Sabbath practice, and human creativity as a response
to God’s presence and gifts manifested in the natural world. She enjoys hiking, lives in
Birmingham, AL, and is the mother of four.

The Rev. Dr. Malcolm Lewis Marler

is the Director of Pastoral Care at UAB Hospital in Birmingham, AL and is a Board Certified Chaplain. He oversees a department that cares for persons in the hospital, outpatient clinic, and community. Prior to coming to UAB Hospital, he was the first full-time Chaplain for HIV/AIDS patients in the United States. Malcolm began “The Support Team Network” in 1994 to support persons with HIV disease and then expanded it into a national program for persons with any healthcare need. Malcolm has taught thousands of people how to offer practical, emotional, and spiritual support to others who are sick, grieving, or healing. Malcolm played football for the Clemson Tigers and graduated from Clemson University with a B.A. in Psychology. He received an M.Div. and D.Min. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1978, and later was ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church. Malcolm’s mission in life is to embody grace and compassion in all relationships. Malcolm lives in Birmingham, AL and is married to the Rev. Mary Bea Sullivan. They have two grown children, Brendan and Kristin (Kiki).

The Rev. Mary Bea Sullivan

recently served as Interim Rector at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Homewood, AL. She received an M.Div. from the Virginia Theological Seminary. Mary Bea is a spiritual director, retreat leader, and author. Her most recent book is Living the Way of Love, a 40 day devotional curriculum based on Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry’s “Way of Love” material. Prior to her work in spiritual formation, Mary Bea founded the end-of- life care non-profit Project Compassion which is based out of Chapel Hill, NC. A practitioner of contemplative prayer, Mary Bea is passionate about spiritual practice and how it informs our being, and bringing the Good News to a world seeking Shalom. Grounded in Christianity, she has been exposed to many different faith traditions, most notably Tibetan Buddhism. Mary Bea is interested in interfaith dialogue and inter-spiritual practice. She is thrilled to be a part of the Metagem Institute because it offers an opportunity to participate in a learning community which is committed to bringing people closer to God, themselves, and others. Mary Bea is married to the Rev. Malcolm Marler and is the mother of Brendan and Kristin (Kiki).

The Rev. Kathryn Mary (Kammy) Young, AOJN*

is the Canon Missioner for Development: Evangelism and Mission Engagement for the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast. She is the former Director of Contextual Education on the faculty of the School of Theology, Sewanee. Prior to teaching at Sewanee, she served for three years as Associate Rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL where she directed the church’s mission in the pursuit of deeper spirituality and justice. This calling followed ten grace-filled years of ministry with St. George Episcopal Church in Jacksonville, FL where she had been called in 1998 to serve as the first woman rector in the Diocese of Florida. While there she founded a silent retreat ministry center on Ft. George Island, partnering with the Order of Julian of Norwich, with which she is a vowed associate member. Kammy has been a proactive diocesan and congregational leader in implementing creative ministry development, continuing education and formation for clergy and laity, through innovative programs that deepen spiritual practices. Kammy received an M.Div. from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary and a B.A. in Religion from Florida State University. She is married to the Rt. Rev. George Young and they have two grown children, George and Lucy. Currently, they all live in Pensacola, FL.