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 retired as Executive Director of the Center in June 2016 after twelve years in that role. She continues on the staff of the Journey Partners program as co-director and worship coordinator. She is an elder in the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church and served as a pastor, a district superintendent, and in many leadership roles at the general church level during 37 years of active ministry.
Immediately prior to joining the CFM staff 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 and Spiritual Directors International.
In retirement, Becky continues her lifelong love for reading and enjoys gardening, travel with her husband, the writer Robert Benson, antiquing, music, and cooking. Sunday mornings find her at Broadmeadow UMC in Jackson, where she sings in the choir.
Richard Robbins also retired from the CFM staff in June 2016 after serving as the Director of the Mississippi Course of Study since July of 2010. His wealth of experience includes 41 years of pastoral ministry in the Mississippi Conference, during which he taught on the Mississippi Course of Study faculty for 18 years. 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, is a peer group leader for those in the first year of their Residency in Ministry (RIM) and 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. A practicing spiritual director, he is certified in the area of Spiritual Formation through the UMC Board of Discipleship. He is an avid reader and is partial to cats bearing the names of archangels.
Jane Watts, a commissioned Deacon in the UMC, formerly the Center's consultant for Spiritual Formation Programs,
continues her relationship with the Center as director of 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 remains involved in sustaining programs for existing communities of spiritual directors. Her ministry reaches across several Christian faith traditions. In her current ministry, based in Ruston, Louisiana, Jane is the Director 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 retired as Executive Director of the Center in June 2016 after twelve years in that role. She continues on the staff of the Journey Partners program as co-director and worship coordinator. She is an elder in the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church and served as a pastor, a district superintendent, and in many leadership roles at the general church level during 37 years of active ministry.
Immediately prior to joining the CFM staff 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 and Spiritual Directors International.
In retirement, Becky continues her lifelong love for reading and enjoys gardening, travel with her husband, the writer Robert Benson, antiquing, music, and cooking. Sunday mornings find her at Broadmeadow UMC in Jackson, where she sings in the choir.
Richard Robbins also retired from the CFM staff in June 2016 after serving as the Director of the Mississippi Course of Study since July of 2010. His wealth of experience includes 41 years of pastoral ministry in the Mississippi Conference, during which he taught on the Mississippi Course of Study faculty for 18 years. 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, is a peer group leader for those in the first year of their Residency in Ministry (RIM) and 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. A practicing spiritual director, he is certified in the area of Spiritual Formation through the UMC Board of Discipleship. He is an avid reader and is partial to cats bearing the names of archangels.
Jane Watts, a commissioned Deacon in the UMC, formerly the Center's consultant for Spiritual Formation Programs,
continues her relationship with the Center as director of 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 remains involved in sustaining programs for existing communities of spiritual directors. Her ministry reaches across several Christian faith traditions. In her current ministry, based in Ruston, Louisiana, Jane is the Director 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.
