{"id":10158,"date":"2019-01-14T09:49:30","date_gmt":"2019-01-14T15:49:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/?page_id=10158"},"modified":"2026-02-05T16:40:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T22:40:28","slug":"staff-ministry-team","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/transformingcenter.org\/staff-ministry-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Staff and Ministry team"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\t\t\tOur mission is to strengthen the souls of pastors, spiritual leaders, and the congregations and organizations they serve.\t<\/h1>\n\tThe Transforming Center is communities of men and women who gather around the presence of Christ for the purpose of spiritual transformation so we can discern and do the will of God.\nEach person who serves in a staff role with the Transforming Center has completed one or more of the two-year Transforming Community\u00ae<\/em> experiences. We are committed to carrying out our mission through a process of ongoing transformation so we can discern and do the will of God. Our leadership together is shaped by a covenant commitment to the Transforming Center\u00a0Guiding Values and Principles<\/em>.\n

The leadership of the Transforming Center is made up of the Community for Leadership Discernment (Board of Directors)<\/a> and\u00a0other ministry leaders.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tStaff\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"FullSizeRender\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\tDr. Ruth Haley Barton\t<\/h4>\n

\n\t\t\tFounding President\/CEO\t<\/h5>\n\tRuth has been a student, practitioner, and thought leader in the area of Christian spirituality and formation for over 20 years. When she founded the Transforming Center with a few like-minded souls in December of 2002 it was based purely on a shared desire to experience deeper levels of transformation in Christ’s presence so they could discern and do the will of God. What has happened since then surprises her every day! A seasoned spiritual director, teacher, and retreat leader, Ruth was trained at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and the Loyola University Chicago Institute for Pastoral Studies and holds a doctor of divinity from Northern Seminary. She has served on the pastoral staff of several churches and is the author of numerous books and resources on the spiritual life.
\nFor more information or to inquire about Ruth speaking at your event, visit Ruth’s website<\/a><\/strong>.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Cole\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\tCole Griffin (TC2)\t<\/h4>\n

\n\t\t\tExecutive Director\t<\/h5>\n\t

Cole Griffin has served over 27 years in full-time ministry and 25 years on staff at Grace Church in Racine, Wisconsin where he most recently served as Executive Pastor.\u00a0 He holds a Masters degree in Counseling\/Psychology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.\u00a0 Cole worked as a professional mental health provider for several years as part of his Master’s level training. He is also a trained and certified Christian Conciliator\u2122 through the Institute for Christian Conciliation. He has worked with CrossRoads Resolution Group, a Christian-based firm that helps churches and organizations throughout the United States resolve conflict. With certifications in Christian conciliation and spiritual direction, he has a passion to see reconciliation and heart transformation within the church, especially among church leaders.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"FullSizeRender\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\tTina L. Harris (TC15)\t<\/h4>\n
\n\t\t\tCultivator of Community and Connection\t<\/h5>\n\t

Tina is ordained in the United Methodist Church and holds a Master of Divinity from St. Paul School of Theology. She has served the church in a variety of roles, including Lead Pastor of Grand Avenue Temple UMC and Director of Mission, Service and Justice Ministries in the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church. Tina is passionate about community engagement and has served and\/or actively supported several civic organizations and ministries. As an attorney and diversity leader, a common thread in her work is to gather individuals into communities, challenge comfort zones and invite those whom society has overlooked to take their place at the table. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"FullSizeRender\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\tCharity Barton McClure (TC12)\t<\/h4>\n
\n\t\t\tDirector of Strategy and Programs\t<\/h5>\n\t

Charity has served in a variety of roles in the TC over the years, including brand manager and creative\u00a0director. Charity provides leadership for strategic initiatives that focus on envisioning and executing ministry offerings that are accessible in both online and in person gatherings. She also brings passion for reaching out to a younger and more diverse audience.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"FullSizeRender\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\tColleen Powell (TC14)\t<\/h4>\n
\n\t\t\tPodcast Producer and Ministry Associate\t<\/h5>\n\t

Colleen has worked in almost all aspects of podcasting, both in front of and behind the microphone, from content creation to editing to production and everything in between. A TC14 alum, she is thrilled to help the Transforming Center use the podcast medium to serve and support a wider audience of leaders in their own growth and transformation.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Adrienne\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\tAdrienne Stricker (TC20)\t<\/h4>\n
\n\t\t\tMinistry and Office Administrator\t<\/h5>\n\t

Adrienne\u00a0has served in ministries in Christian Education and administration in the Chicagoland area in The Presbyterian Church (USA), The United Methodist Church, and The United Church of Christ. As an ordained Deacon in the Northern Illinois Conference of The United Methodist Church, her call is to ministries of word, service, compassion, and justice.\u00a0Adrienne graduated from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in 2009 and most recently served at First Congregational Church of La Grange.\u00a0Adrienne\u00a0is an enrolled member of the Port Gamble S’Klallam tribe of Kingston, Washington, and has been an advocate and leader in Native American ministries for over ten years. She lives in Addison with her husband and son.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"FullSizeRender\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\tDalene Strieff (TC2)\t<\/h4>\n
\n\t\t\tExecutive Associate\t<\/h5>\n\t

Dalene serves as executive associate\u00a0to CEO Ruth Haley Barton and also brings managerial leadership to our Transforming Communities and to the\u00a0Transforming Church<\/em> Initiative. With\u00a0more than 25 years of corporate experience, she has served in a variety of staff roles in the Transforming Center since joining over fifteen years ago.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMinistry Partners\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"FullSizeRender\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\tJeffery James (TC6)\t<\/h4>\n

\n\t\t\tMarketing and Communications\t<\/h5>\n\t

Jeff is a marketing and communications partner for Transforming Center. He is the principle of Spire2 Communications and has 30 years of experience in branding and marketing for local, regional, and global accounts. Jeff graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design from Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida and also studied at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"IMG_7952-2\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\tRev. Dr. David Hughes (TC3)\t<\/h4>\n
\n\t\t\tResident Theologian and Academic Liaison\t<\/h5>\n\t

David has served in many roles in the Transforming Center, including board member and executive director. Although he has officially retired, David continues to represent the Transforming Center as an ambassador and as our resident theologian. With\u00a0a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Philosophy from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, David continues to oversee our academic partnerships, field difficult questions and connect with our key partners. Previously, he spent 36 years in ordained pastoral ministry-22 of which were spent at First Baptist Church of Winston-Salem, NC.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Marla\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\t\tMarla Hartman (TC9)\t<\/h4>\n
\n\t\t\tSpiritual Direction Ministries\t<\/h5>\n\t

Marla has discovered that when you follow God’s invitations in your life, things change-sometimes a lot. From 16 years as a small business owner, to a returning college student, to nonprofit board leadership, to years as Director of ministries in a local church, to life as a Spiritual Director and soul in God’s presence. And now she is delighted to be in the coordinator roll with the Transforming Center’s spiritual direction ministry. When she’s not working she loves spending time in the Sierra Nevadas hiking and camping with her husband and two dogs or hanging out with one – or all- of her six grandchildren. She strongly believes that when we’re attentive to God’s Spirit we begin to notice we are surrounded by invitations large and small to a life of abundance.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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