Jeremy grew up outside of DC in Arlington Virginia and went to the University of Colorado where he majored in Advertising and worked for the women’s basketball team producing social media content. While in college, he attended a non-denominational church where he taught Sunday School and helped with communications. Jeremy moved back to Arlington during the pandemic was and started attending St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, where he was involved with St. Mary’s Wilderness Church ministry and Centering Prayer group. He was the Parish Administrator of Saint Andrews Episcopal Church August of 2023-November 2024. Jeremy is currently living in an Episcopal Benedictine Monastry in New York. You can follow his journy on Substack here:

Dr. Shannon Cline is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education at Appalachian State University. The recipient of 3 university teaching awards, Shannon teaches both recreation planning courses and outdoor PE classes such as hiking, geocaching, backpacking, and mountain biking. As a Wilderness First Responder and specialist in outdoor education, she is equipped and experienced in bringing students into wilderness settings to connect with themselves and have meaningful experiences in nature.  Although raised in the church, her deepest spiritual moments have taken place in nature, akin to John Muir who said “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” Shannon is at the halfway point of section hiking the Appalachian Trail (with hopes to thru-hike it someday) and when she isn’t hiking, mountain biking, or spending time at the beach, you can find her bleeding orange and blue as she cheers on her beleaguered Florida Gators.

Maria Kane (she/her) currently serves as the rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Waldorf, Maryland. A proud native of Dallas, Texas, Maria is a historian, priest, editor, and spiritual director. She sees her primary call as curating spaces for people to encounter the holy amidst the ordinary and empowering communities into a deepened sense of purpose and joy for the sake of the world’s healing and renewal. She loves living in the questions and accompanying people in the midst of sorrow to places of hope and abundance. Maria earned her B.A. in history and classical civilization at Howard University; her M.Div. from Duke University; and her Ph.D. in history at The College of William and Mary. In her free time she loves kayaking, hiking, reading, and spending time with her godchildren.

Sarah Frinks Morgan is a Cognitive Scientist and habitual Spirit-listener. she sees no conflict between the two.

Her research in motivation and emotional intelligence informs her work as an Executive Function Coach to professionals, spiritual leaders, and young adults trying to find their way. Most of her clients have ADHD (diagnosed or not!). Sarah celebrates neurodiversity, helping people lean into their strengths. www.gameplan.com

Sarah brings professional experience in strategic planning, needs assessment, and project management. At St. John’s Episcopal Church, Sarah is a parishioner, former vestry member, diocesan convention delegate, LEM, and head of the Contemporary Worship Leadership Team. She holds graduate degrees in Interdisciplinary Studies and Cognitive Science from UNC Charlotte.

Kristen Thompson is a lifelong Episcopalian stepping outdoors to combine traditional practices with a new way of living in concert with all of creation. She lives with her family in Dover, Delaware, and works in the wellness field as a National Board Certified Coach and Forest Therapy Guide.

In seeing God’s presence in all beings and their interconnections, Kristen believes that this precious earth can be rescued by remembering that we don’t return to nature, we are nature. It is a joy and an honor for her to walk alongside people who are exploring their aliveness through wilderness. Kristen enjoys volunteering at church and as an adult literacy tutor, hiking with her dog, running, reading, meditating, and playing through all things nature (especially the snow!).

Derrick Weston is a writer, filmmaker, podcaster, speaker, and educator whose most recent work has focused on the intersection of food and faith. He is the co-host of the Food and Faith podcast and producer of Spoon, Spade, and Soul, a podcast highlighting food and land-based ministries in the Episcopal church. Additionally, he is the producer of the short film series “A Wilderness Like Eden” highlighting the work of churches engaged in food justice work. After two decades of being a pastor and community organizer, Derrick is a strong believer in the potential of local congregations to enact change in their communities. Derrick received his B.A. in film studies from the University of Pittsburgh and his Masters of Divinity from San Francisco Theological Seminary. He also has a certification in health ministry from Wesleyan Theological Seminary and was a part of the Re:Generate fellowship on food, faith, and ecology through Wake Forest Divinity School. Derrick is the co-author of the book The Just Kitchen: Invitations to Sustainability, Cooking, Connection, and Celebration and has written numerous articles for several publications. He and his wife Shannon have four children and live outside of Baltimore, Maryland.

A native of Falls Church, VA and graduate of George Mason University (‘13), Joel has served in a variety of administration and communication positions at parishes in the Diocese of Virginia and The Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C. Recently, Joel was appointed by The Rt. Rev’d E. Mark Stevenson, Bishop Diocesan of Virginia, to serve on the Diocesan Committee on Music and Liturgy. An enthusiast for traditional and nontraditional worship, Joel is also a member of the Center for Spirituality in Nature Episcopal Cohort, a nationwide program that encourages environmental justice by exploring God’s presence in the natural world. In recent years Joel has formed a particular passion in exploring the interconnectedness of faith and nature and believes that in times of such great division we should build upon and promote the unifying factors which outdoors experiences provide.

Melanie Mullen serves as Episcopal Church’s Director of Reconciliation, Justice & Creation Care – charged with bringing the Jesus Movement to the concerns of the world. Prior to joining the Presiding Bishop’s staff she was the Downtown Missioner at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, leading a historic southern congregation’s missional, civic, and reconciliation ministries.  Before receiving her Masters in Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary, she studied history as an undergrad at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, with a Bachelors and graduate program in Africana Women’s Studies at Clark Atlanta University.  Melanie worked in campaign fundraising and development, raising more than $10 million for leadership PACs, the Congressional Black Caucus, and US Congressional and gubernatorial races from Louisiana to Connecticut; and she served as Development Associate for the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, with a focus on poverty advocacy.