Center for Ministry Staff
Paige Swaim-Presley (Director) is an elder in the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church and has served as a pastor, as executive director of the Seashore Mission, and on various planning teams and committees in the Mississippi Annual Conference. Paige is a 2015 graduate of the Journey Partners program in spiritual direction, and a 2010 graduate of Candler School of Theology.
Paige is passionate about ministries of spiritual formation, discernment, lifelong education, worship-as-formation, and community-building. She also loves to read, travel, soak in sunshine, and spend time with her husband, Lance, also a United Methodist elder.
"I am deeply humbled, grateful and excited to be serving the Center for Ministry as its newest director. I look forward to building on the beautiful legacy of those who have gone before me as we move into this new season of the Center's life. May we find grace and joy on this journey together!"
Betty Wheat is the Center’s Program Coordinator, managing myriad details for the Course of Study School, Continuing Education events, and overall office administration. She is the voice of hospitality at 601-974-1488.
A graduate of Mississippi University for Women with a B.S. in speech pathology and a minor in psychology, Betty is a lifelong United Methodist. She and her husband Gerald have been members of St. Mark’s UMC at the Reservoir since 1981. Prior to joining the staff of CFM in 2001, Betty was employed for 20 years with Ear, Nose and Throat Surgical Group. She has two children and two grandchildren. She enjoys reading mysteries, beach trips, and collecting flamingos.
Becky Youngblood brings 36 years of experience in ministry to the Center for Ministry, Becky retired as director in June 2016, but continues to work with the Journey Partners program. She is an elder in the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church and has served as a pastor, a district superintendent, and in many leadership roles at the general church level.
Becky began her tenure as director in February 2005. Immediately prior to joining the CFM staff as Associate Director in September 2004, Becky spent three years as director of The Iliff Institute for Continuing Education at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. She is a graduate of Millsaps College (B.A. in sociology, 1973) and Candler School of Theology, Emory University (M.Div., 1979). She has pursued further training in family systems theory at the Center for Family Process in Bethesda, Maryland, and in Appreciative Inquiry. She is a practicing spiritual director, having completed training in the Center's Journey Partners program. Her active memberships include the Fellowship of United Methodist Spiritual Directors and Retreat Leaders, Spiritual Directors International, the Association of Leaders of Lifelong Learning for Ministry (ALLLM) , and the Mississippi chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
"One of my abiding interests in ministry is the nature of leadership. How is leadership defined in religious communities? How is it encouraged and developed? In what contexts does leadership flourish; where does it flounder? How are leadership and stewardship related, in that we are called to be stewards of the various gifts God bestows on each of us? The work of the Center for Ministry-lifelong learning for clergy and laity, spiritual formation, and sustaining pastoral excellence-allows for both the creative exploration and disciplined practice of effective leadership. It is work best done in a diverse community of peers and best realized when the whole person-heart and mind and soul and strength-is engaged. It is work that expresses and stretches my own call and I count it as privilege to be part of the Center's staff."
An avid reader of fiction, Becky also enjoys gardening, travel, antiquing, music, and cooking. Sunday mornings find her at Broadmeadow UMC in Jackson, where she sings in the choir.
Richard Robbins became the Director of the Mississippi Course of Study in July 2010 after retiring from 41 years of pastoral ministry in the Mississippi Conference. He brings 18 years of experience on the Mississippi Course of Study faculty to his work as director. In the spring of 2012 he also assumed responsibility for directing Journey Partners, the Center's training program in spiritual direction. He was a member of the group that launched Journey Partners in 2004 and has served as a small group leader until taking the role of director. Richard works closely with the Mississippi Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and has facilitated the restructuring and administration of the Licensing School for those entering ministry in the United Methodist Church.
Richard is a graduate of Millsaps College and Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. He is certified in the area of Spiritual Formation. He is an avid reader and is partial to cats bearing the names of archangels.
Jane Watts, a commissioned Deacon in the UMC, is the Center's consultant for Spiritual Formation Programs.
She directs The Covenant Community of Spiritual Directors, a collaborative work of Shepherds guiding the community life of Spiritual Directors in regional groups around the country. The work of the Shepherds of the Covenant Communities includes online continuing education opportunities being offered in partnership with Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary's Life Long Learning program and a 3 year immersion training in the art of supervision of spiritual directors and spiritual formation ministries. In addition to her training in Spiritual Direction, Jane holds Certification in Spiritual Formation through the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church and a Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation and Evangelism from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary.
She leads contemplative retreats, small group experiences and offers individual spiritual direction. She guides the planting of spiritual direction training programs as well as sustaining programs for existing communities of spiritual directors. Her ministry reaches across several Christian faith traditions.
Most recently Jane's ministry path has turned in a new direction of guiding the community life of the Ross Lynn Charitable Foundation.
When asked about her call to the ministry of spiritual formation, Jane said, "I invite persons to the contemplative journey. Expanding the ministry of spiritual guidance in the church is greatly needed in these days of deep hunger for God. My passion is to invite, encourage and hold hospitable space for the life-giving deeper journey, especially for those called to offer spiritual guidance for others.”
Jane is a member of the Fellowship of United Methodist Spiritual Directors and Retreat Leaders and of Spiritual Directors International.
Paige is passionate about ministries of spiritual formation, discernment, lifelong education, worship-as-formation, and community-building. She also loves to read, travel, soak in sunshine, and spend time with her husband, Lance, also a United Methodist elder.
"I am deeply humbled, grateful and excited to be serving the Center for Ministry as its newest director. I look forward to building on the beautiful legacy of those who have gone before me as we move into this new season of the Center's life. May we find grace and joy on this journey together!"
Betty Wheat is the Center’s Program Coordinator, managing myriad details for the Course of Study School, Continuing Education events, and overall office administration. She is the voice of hospitality at 601-974-1488.
A graduate of Mississippi University for Women with a B.S. in speech pathology and a minor in psychology, Betty is a lifelong United Methodist. She and her husband Gerald have been members of St. Mark’s UMC at the Reservoir since 1981. Prior to joining the staff of CFM in 2001, Betty was employed for 20 years with Ear, Nose and Throat Surgical Group. She has two children and two grandchildren. She enjoys reading mysteries, beach trips, and collecting flamingos.
Becky Youngblood brings 36 years of experience in ministry to the Center for Ministry, Becky retired as director in June 2016, but continues to work with the Journey Partners program. She is an elder in the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church and has served as a pastor, a district superintendent, and in many leadership roles at the general church level.
Becky began her tenure as director in February 2005. Immediately prior to joining the CFM staff as Associate Director in September 2004, Becky spent three years as director of The Iliff Institute for Continuing Education at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. She is a graduate of Millsaps College (B.A. in sociology, 1973) and Candler School of Theology, Emory University (M.Div., 1979). She has pursued further training in family systems theory at the Center for Family Process in Bethesda, Maryland, and in Appreciative Inquiry. She is a practicing spiritual director, having completed training in the Center's Journey Partners program. Her active memberships include the Fellowship of United Methodist Spiritual Directors and Retreat Leaders, Spiritual Directors International, the Association of Leaders of Lifelong Learning for Ministry (ALLLM) , and the Mississippi chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
"One of my abiding interests in ministry is the nature of leadership. How is leadership defined in religious communities? How is it encouraged and developed? In what contexts does leadership flourish; where does it flounder? How are leadership and stewardship related, in that we are called to be stewards of the various gifts God bestows on each of us? The work of the Center for Ministry-lifelong learning for clergy and laity, spiritual formation, and sustaining pastoral excellence-allows for both the creative exploration and disciplined practice of effective leadership. It is work best done in a diverse community of peers and best realized when the whole person-heart and mind and soul and strength-is engaged. It is work that expresses and stretches my own call and I count it as privilege to be part of the Center's staff."
An avid reader of fiction, Becky also enjoys gardening, travel, antiquing, music, and cooking. Sunday mornings find her at Broadmeadow UMC in Jackson, where she sings in the choir.
Richard Robbins became the Director of the Mississippi Course of Study in July 2010 after retiring from 41 years of pastoral ministry in the Mississippi Conference. He brings 18 years of experience on the Mississippi Course of Study faculty to his work as director. In the spring of 2012 he also assumed responsibility for directing Journey Partners, the Center's training program in spiritual direction. He was a member of the group that launched Journey Partners in 2004 and has served as a small group leader until taking the role of director. Richard works closely with the Mississippi Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and has facilitated the restructuring and administration of the Licensing School for those entering ministry in the United Methodist Church.
Richard is a graduate of Millsaps College and Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. He is certified in the area of Spiritual Formation. He is an avid reader and is partial to cats bearing the names of archangels.
Jane Watts, a commissioned Deacon in the UMC, is the Center's consultant for Spiritual Formation Programs.
She directs The Covenant Community of Spiritual Directors, a collaborative work of Shepherds guiding the community life of Spiritual Directors in regional groups around the country. The work of the Shepherds of the Covenant Communities includes online continuing education opportunities being offered in partnership with Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary's Life Long Learning program and a 3 year immersion training in the art of supervision of spiritual directors and spiritual formation ministries. In addition to her training in Spiritual Direction, Jane holds Certification in Spiritual Formation through the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church and a Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation and Evangelism from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary.
She leads contemplative retreats, small group experiences and offers individual spiritual direction. She guides the planting of spiritual direction training programs as well as sustaining programs for existing communities of spiritual directors. Her ministry reaches across several Christian faith traditions.
Most recently Jane's ministry path has turned in a new direction of guiding the community life of the Ross Lynn Charitable Foundation.
When asked about her call to the ministry of spiritual formation, Jane said, "I invite persons to the contemplative journey. Expanding the ministry of spiritual guidance in the church is greatly needed in these days of deep hunger for God. My passion is to invite, encourage and hold hospitable space for the life-giving deeper journey, especially for those called to offer spiritual guidance for others.”
Jane is a member of the Fellowship of United Methodist Spiritual Directors and Retreat Leaders and of Spiritual Directors International.
