May 7, 2024
Nazarene Theological Seminary recently named Rev. Michaele LaVigne the new Director of the Spiritual Formation Initiative.
The Spiritual Formation Initiative is the dream of NTS Professor of Spiritual Formation, Dr. Doug Hardy, in partnership with NTS supporter and friend, Rev. Michaele LaVigne. The goals of the initiative include developing a home at NTS for the growing cadre of Nazarene spiritual directors, where they can pursue ongoing professional development and networking, while resourcing the denomination and the wider Wesleyan tradition with the work of contemplative spirituality.
In her new role, Michaele will build on her ministry as both pastor and spiritual director in connecting the resources of spiritual direction with the needs of pastoral ministry. Since 2022, she been offering workshops and webinars through NTS Praxis aimed at spiritual formation for pastors. As Director of the Spiritual Formation Initiative, Michaele will expand this work to include new offerings and additional spiritual directors.
There is also a training component to this new work, which will include developing new spiritual directors in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. Already this January, NTS launched and piloted a spiritual direction training program under the leadership of Dr. Hardy. Over the course of one calendar year (2024), our Certificate in Spiritual Direction offers six credits of instruction and supervision in the skills of spiritual direction, with two in-person retreats and one-on-one supervision meetings in addition to class sessions and coursework.
Dr. Hardy reports, “The wind of the Spirit is blowing inside and outside of the church in profound ways. NTS is pleased to join in this movement by growing people’s capacity to companion others in their spiritual journeys. Michaele’s leadership of the Spiritual Formation Initiative is a timely affirmation of this opportunity.”
Rev. LaVigne said, “I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to partner with NTS in this new initiative. The seminary has long been dedicated to the spiritual formation of their students, and I see our work together as extending this good work beyond the classroom and into the lives of our Nazarene pastors and congregations.”
As the first project of the Spiritual Formation Initiative, Michaele is coordinating with several Nazarene spiritual directors to provide individual spiritual direction sessions to attendees of the Mount Vernon Nazarene (MVNU) and Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) PalCon conferences this summer. Registered attendees will be able to sign up for a one-hour session with a trained spiritual director, free of charge.
Michaele LaVigne holds a B.S. in Educational Ministries from Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, and a M.Div. from Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio. She has served in pastoral ministry for nineteen years in a wide variety of contexts, including volunteer missions in Africa and church planting. As a spiritual director, Michaele offers individual and group direction, and is a frequent retreat leader and speaker. She is the author of Living the Way of Jesus, Changed in the Waiting, and several other co-authored titles from The Foundry.
When not at work, Michaele enjoys reading and spending time outdoors. She currently resides in South Bend, Indiana, with her husband Brent and their son and daughter.
To learn more about the Spiritual Formation Initiative, contact Michaele at [email protected].
About Nazarene Theological Seminary
Located in Kansas City, Missouri, Nazarene Theological Seminary is a graduate school of theology rooted in the Wesleyan-holiness tradition. www.nts.edu
Note: Questions about this press release may be directed to [email protected].
