Walking the Wild Edges

Rev. Daniel Wolpert

Daniel Wolpert, a healer and student of the spiritual life, worked as a research scientist, psychologist, farmer, and teacher, before earning his Masters of Divinity degree at San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS). Co-founder and former Executive Director of the Minnesota Institute of Contemplation and Healing, he has taught in the fields of psychology and spiritual formation in numerous settings around the world. A writer and a spiritual director, he has also played key roles in developing environments for contemplation and spiritual leadership, helping to build or restore monasteries, theological schools, and retreat centers across North America. Author of multiple books on the spiritual life, his most recent work is Looking Inward, Living Outward: The Spiritual Practice of Social Transformation (Upper Room 2024). When not on the road, he lives in Seattle spending as much time with his grandson as possible.

Justin Ferko

Rev. Eileen Gebbie

Eileen Gebbie's professional experience includes university-level teaching, serving as staff at a community organizing alliance, running a non-profit housing organization, and serving all that is holy as the first female and first queer senior pastor at two congregations in a non-creedal Christian denomination. Gebbie has trained as a forest therapy guide and works as a spiritual director and executive director of a regional sexual assault non-profit. Even in the midst of climate change and devastation, the more-than-human world continues to be her guide, mentor, and vibrant hope.

Rev. Ash Temin

Rev. Ash Temin is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) who serves as the Communications Manager at The BTS Center. She also offers spiritual direction through her independent practice in Portland, Maine.

Ash is a graduate of the University of Virginia (BA), the Irish School of Ecumenics at Trinity College Dublin (MPhil) and Harvard Divinity School (MDiv). Her time at both the ISE and HDS sparked a passion for ecological theology and prompted her to begin delving more deeply into the experience of ecological grief. Prior to moving to Portland, she served as an Acting Associate Pastor at Hope Central Church, a UCC/DOC congregation in Boston. Before answering the call to ordination, Ash worked in various administrative roles at Harvard University. She also has worked as a hospital and hospice chaplain, an adjunct professor, and a freelance editor.

After time spent living in Texas, Virginia, Colorado, Ireland, and Massachusetts, Ash is grateful to make her home in Maine, where she spends part of most days walking on the shores of Casco Bay. When not absorbed in work, she can be found cooking with friends, laying in her garden hammock, hiking in the woods, playing in the ocean, or attempting to learn the Irish language with a cat on her lap.

Rev. Wanda Stahl

Wanda Stahl is a spiritual guide, retreat leader, educator, and consultant who has worked in a variety of congregational, denominational, and academic settings. Until 2022, she served on the faculty and as Director of Contextual Education at Boston University School of Theology where her favorite moments were engaging with students exploring questions of meaning, purpose, and vocation. Wanda has completed programs in Individual Spiritual Guidance, Contemplative Prayer Group and Retreat Leadership, and Group Spiritual Direction through the Shalem Institute in Washington DC. In 2021, she completed the year-long Seminary of the Wild Earth EcoSpirituality Certificate, an experience which deepened her already strong connection to the Earth as a source of wisdom, guidance, and healing for navigating these challenging times. Wanda has been a follower of Jesus since she was a teenager, grounded especially in contemplative and Wesleyan streams of Christianity. While ordained in the Methodist tradition, she has guided and mentored people from a variety of faith traditions and spiritual expressions. Wanda is the mother of two young-adult daughters who are among her best teachers. She lives in Southern Maine where she is nurtured by time near the water and walks in the woods. Wanda also enjoys reading, cooking, solving puzzles of various kinds, and watching the birds at her feeders.

Chelsea MacMillan

Chelsea MacMillan is a climate justice organizer, spiritual director (Still Harbor), and ordained interspiritual minister (One Spirit Interfaith Seminary) based in Brooklyn, NY. She’s the founder of THE ALTER, a virtual community of spiritual changemakers, cofounder of Brooklyn Center for Sacred Activism, and co-host of The Rising: Spirituality for Revolution, a podcast for sacred activists. With a diverse background in contemplative practice, nonviolence, and the performing arts, Chelsea has spent the last 15+ years facilitating humans of all ages and backgrounds. Her writing has been published in Anchor Magazine, Reimagining Magazine, and Order of the Sacred Earth with Matthew Fox, and in her free time, you can find her strolling around Prospect Park, learning to play piano, or making crafts.

Hailey Mitsui

Hailey Mitsui (she/her) is a Spiritual Director and Somatic Practitioner. She works with individuals, groups and communities at the intersection of spirituality, identity, justice and healing and is looking forward to holding this particular space for ecological grief.

In addition to traditional contemplative practices, Hailey incorporates embodiment, ancestral healing and nature-based practices into her spiritual direction sessions. She desires to create a sacred space for questions, anger, grief, joy, resilience, exploration and healing.

Hailey is based on Duwamish land (also known as Seattle, WA). You can learn more about her practice and training at haileymitsui.com or on instagram @haileymitsui.