Who We Are.

Our Administration Team

Alyssa Bell 
Co-Executive Director
Alyssa Bell is a pastor at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Spokane, WA where she lives with her husband Matthew and daughters Theresa and Susie. While serving the church, which she loves, she pursues complimentary vocational avenues like teaching and spiritual direction.
She completed her Doctor of Ministry degree in Leadership and Spiritual Formation in 2021 (Portland Seminary) and the Spiritual Direction Training Program through the Companioning Center in 2022. 
Kathi Gatlin
Co-Executive Director
Kathi Gatlin co-founded the Companioning Center and founded Boldly Loved to bring together her two greatest passions: spiritual formation and teaching. Walking alongside others in their spiritual journey, whether individually or in groups, brings her immense joy. She loves sharing the contemplative life and exploring ways of understanding God with others.
Kathi is a trained spiritual director, supervisor, and educator. She holds a D.Min in Leadership and Spiritual Formation and an M.Ed. 
Melodie Scalf
Community Administrator
Melodie is passionate about creating compassionate listening environments and encouraging personal growth. Living in Colorado, she values nature and promotes its benefits. Being in nature reduces distractions, helping us better perceive God’s influence. Melodie is a Spiritual Director completing the Spiritual Direction Training Program through the Companioning Center and is working on her Master’s in Spiritual Formation.

Our Board

Kathi Gatlin

Board President
Kathi co-founded the Companioning Center in 2017 after bringing together a group that shared this vision of community in the work of spiritual formation and spiritual direction. Soul companioning can be a lonely vocation. Creating a space of community, both for those wanting more in their relationship with God and for those who walk alongside others, is a beautiful place to belong and be accompanied in this sacred ministry.

Teaching and walking alongside others in their spiritual journey, whether individually or in groups, brings Kathi immense joy. She loves sharing the contemplative life and exploring ways of understanding God with others.

Kathi is a trained spiritual director, supervisor, and educator. She holds a D.Min in Leadership and Spiritual Formation and an M.Ed.

Lynn Holt

Board Secretary
Lynn is gifted in preparing and supporting soul companions whose faithful response in these challenging times invites generous listening and a compassionate heart for the sake of the world. Her ministry is grounded in a contemplative posture of holy listening, surrendering to the Mystery with a sense of awe and curiosity, and the dynamic relationship of God's Presence.

Lynn is a Quaker and has received training as a spiritual director, supervisor, and educator. She holds an M.Div. from Portland Seminary.

Alaine Buchanan

Board Director
Alaine Buchanan is an ordained minister, spiritual director, an active duty Army chaplain's spouse and a mom. Alongside serving as the Dean of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies at North Central University in Minneapolis, MN, she finds great joy in coming alongside and offering spiritual direction for corporate, executive, military, entrepreneurial, and ministry leaders and spouses. Her specializations include discernment, inner healing, focusing, trauma-informed care, spiritual formation practices, sabbaticals, and group spiritual direction. These specialties are largely a result of the training she has received through the Companioning Center.

Alaine also holds a Ph.D. in Second Temple Jewish Literature and History from Regent University in Virginia Beach.

Lang Charters

Board Director
Lang’s passion is to help people ride the upward spiral of love. A deep love for yourself, others, life, and something greater. Nearly losing his life, becoming disabled, and losing his career as an air force officer as a result—as well as going through two divorces—taught him we tap into love’s flow by living into our belovedness, while companioning one another through all the twists and turns of life. He delights in journeying with others into greater freedom and wholeness via deep listening, embodiment practices, and connecting to the spark of the divine within each of us.

Lang is a certified spiritual director, life coach, and yoga instructor; and certifiably in love with life, the Seahawks, good wine, and his wife. He holds a D.Min in Leadership and Spiritual Formation and M.Div. You can connect with him, or learn more about the Companioning Center, at lightlovelang@gmail.com.

Sheryl Graves

Board Director
Sheryl Graves has a passion for spiritual formation and facilitated learning experiences. She delights in hosting open spaces, allowing people to awaken
to themselves and God’s deep, abiding presence with them. Prior to receiving her MA in Spiritual Formation and Certificate of Spiritual Direction from
Portland Seminary, Sheryl served on a church staff in adult discipleship, leadership development, and executive leadership. She also has experience working in mission, parachurch, and business organizations.

Sheryl is a spiritual director, trained Ignatian guide, sabbatical companion, small group facilitator, and retreat speaker or guide.

Lisa Keosababian

Board Director
Lisa is a spiritual director who believes in the importance of attentive listening. She is honored to listen to peoples’ stories, and to make space for people to listen to God. Her first career as a program evaluator also involved listening as she helped nonprofit and government leaders make informed decisions. She enjoys using both her listening and research skills to serve the Companioning Center. She holds an MA in Spiritual Formation and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction from Portland Seminary, and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington. Lisa lives in Woodinville WA with her husband. Besides listening to people and God, Lisa loves to listen to birds.

Jean Nevills

Board Director
Jean Nevills' desire for God has led to adventures in contemplative wisdom and solitude, as well as mission adventures as far away as Ethiopia, South Korea, and China. Marriage and mothering, a family business, and community life are the natural arenas for ongoing spiritual transformation, spiritual practices, and living life with God in a Jesus way.

A Spiritual Director and Supervisor with a Master’s degree in Christian Education and Certificate in Spiritual Formation from the Renovare Institute, Jean has served as a Spiritual Director and Supervisor at Portland Seminary and a praxis instructor for Fuller Seminary’s DMin in Spiritual Direction.

Jeff Savage

Board Director
Jeff Savage is a spiritual director, retreat guide, and couples facilitator shaped by over 30 years of pastoral ministry and contemplative practice. He also serves as a spiritual director and faculty advisor for Portland Seminary. In each expression of his calling, Jeff finds abundant joy in holding space for folks to pay attention to their life in God. The values that center him in his vocation include hopeful trust, hospitality, attentiveness, and integrity. 

Jeff is a trained spiritual director, supervisor, and educator with a D.Min. from Fuller Seminary.

Abby Sham

Board Director
Abby Sham is a spiritual director, contemplative curator, and Doctor of Spirituality student at Claremont School of Theology. Certified through the Companioning Center and grounded in the compassionate, evocative model of soul care, she companions people from all walks of life—welcoming faith, doubt, diverse spiritual paths, and the creative ways we make meaning. Her trauma-informed approach weaves together Ignatian spirituality, Internal Family Systems, contemplative practices, and creativity to help people notice God’s presence in the ordinary rhythms of life. Deeply impacted by the Companioning Center’s certificate program, Abby serves on its board with a hope to grow its reach and diversity, widening the welcome for those seeking formation and supporting a vibrant community for spiritual directors. She enjoys exploring Seattle’s parks and beaches with her two young children.

She holds an M.Div. from Seattle Pacific Seminary and an M.T.S. from Pentecostal Theological Seminary.

Katie Skurja

Board Director
Catherine “Katie” Skurja is the founder and director of Imago Dei Ministries. Her greatest passion is to accompany people in the journey of discovering who they are in their Imago Dei (image of God). Deeply rooted in and dedicated to Trinitarian principles, the ministry’s purpose is to help people everywhere engage in a Christ-centered healing process that transforms relationships with God, self, and others.

Katie has received training as a counselor, spiritual director, and in the work of inner healing prayer. She has received an MA in Counseling and an MA in Spiritual Direction.

Our 
Instructors

Our instructors are highly qualified spiritual formation professionals, who all create a spacious space in our virtual community.