General Session Speaker Line-Up
Tuesday, August 8: Opening General Session
Rev. Sunshine Daye
Spiritual Director, Vida Spiritual Learning Center
Rev. Sunshine is a gifted speaker and author who transforms lives and helps people live their genuine life through spiritual practice. She is an ordained minister with a Master’s degree and author of “Begin Within – A Playbook for Living Your Genuine Life.”. She studied under the guidance of Rev. Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith.
Sunshine lives a life in action; She has served as a professor at Holmes Institute, on the Events Planning Team for over 10 years, Strategic Events Planning Team, Minister Council and now the Leadership Council. She brings spiritual tools and practices to thousands of people in 12 step recovery. In recognition of her generous heart she was awarded the Gene Lentzner Human Relations Awards from the California Conference for Equality and Justice, and honored by Long Beach Pride as the Female Community Grand Marshal for the Long Beach Pride Parade.
Rev. Alice Reid
Spiritual Director, Center for Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley
Rev. Alice Reid is a synergistic, dedicated and committed Spiritual Leader with over 40 years of exploring, studying, and practicing spiritual principles. She currently serves as the Spiritual Director of Center for Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley in California. Prior to that she served as the Spiritual Director at CSL Santa Cruz. She was the founding minister of CSL Central Maryland. Rev. Alice was licensed by CSL in 2007 and ordained in 2014.
Rev. Alice is a collaborative leader and perpetual learner. Currently she serves Centers for Spiritual Living on our Leadership Council as the Chair after serving 4 years as the Treasurer. She has a strong vision that all our Centers are thriving healthy communities and is devoted to the CSL vision of a world that works for all. To this end, Rev. Alice also enjoys serving communities as a Co-Creation and Quantum Process facilitator.
Rev. Michelle Arellano
Executive Director, Centers for Spiritual Living
Michelle is a licensed ordained minister with Centers for Spiritual Living and has 30 years of nonprofit executive experience serving as CEO, Executive Director and Director of Organizational Development as well as consulting. Her previous career was in banking for 13 years, her last position in banking was Vice President, Branch Manager. Her purpose in life is to be of service, aligned with her divine purpose.
Michelle is currently the Executive Director for Centers for Spiritual Living, residing in Ashland, Oregon. Her hobbies are hiking, traveling and enjoying time with her family and friends. She is a mom of 2 grown sons, Michael and Ryan, who bring great joy into her life.
Rev. Soni Cantrell-Smith
Spiritual Leader, Centers for Spiritual Living
Reverend Soni Cantrell-Smith is the founding Minister of Ahava Center for Spiritual Living in Lexington, Kentucky. She graduated from Holmes Institute under the Direction of Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith in 2006, and was ordained in 2011. Rev. Soni is steeped in the principles of Science of Mind and is a lifelong student of the philosophy.
Rev. Soni began her studies in 1992 at Huntington Beach Church of Religious Science in Huntington Beach, California. For ten years, she was the Music Director at Namaste CSL in Long Beach, California. She has co-written a successful musical titled, “Last Call” which has been performed in numerous venues throughout the country.
Rev. Soni has been active in twelve step work for over thirty years. She teaches spirituality classes at the Hope Center Rehabilitation for Women and is a co-founder of Bluegrass Rainbow Faith Communities, dedicated to supporting faith communities in becoming open and affirming to all.
Rev. Soni has served the CSL Minister Council for six years, two of those as Co-Chair. She has previously served on the Nominating Council as well as the CSL Task Force. Rev Soni has been serving the CSL Interim Ministers’ team for two years.
Rev. Soni believes we are all spiritual leaders. We, as leaders, must be able to articulate our vision and keep it alive through our faith in it, and we must create a sense of belonging and hope that this vision can transform our world.
Wednesday, August 9: Morning General Session
Ellen Suazo, RScP
Founder & Executive Director, Mindshifting International
Ellen Suazo invites her clients to explore new possibilities for their life. Ellen's core mission is to aid holistic entrepreneurs in uncovering their inner power by using spiritual tools that transform personal and professional stress, frustration, and confusion into a joyful, productive, and successful life. Her overall mission is to contribute to manifesting a World that Works for all.
Ellen is a former Community Advocate and Counselor for Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. A formal high-demand diversity & inclusion trainer and a former financial functional manager.
Ellen is the Founder and Executive Director of Mindshifting International. She is a Holistic Entrepreneur, Life and Professional Coach, Author, and Professional Inspirational Speaker.
Ellen is a Professional Licensed Spiritual Practitioner with Centers for Spiritual Living (CSL) and has attended the University of Hard Knocks. She is an adventurer, travel lover, a mother of three young adults who loves sharing quality time with her beautiful grandchildren.
Ellen serves on the One Love Center Board of Directors for Centers for Spiritual Living. She is an experienced Holistic entrepreneur, facilitating FunShop, courses & leading destination retreats.
Her Soul-Purpose is being of service, an agent of change dedicated to guiding and supporting others in rediscovering their Spiritual Truth and living life blissfully!
Rev. Karen Russo, MBA
Award Winning Author, The Money Keys
Karen Russo is the award-winning author of The Money Keys, and the creator of virtual courses Money Momentum Mastery and the 21-Day Spiritual Money Jumpstart.
With her unusual blend of experiences as an MBA from Columbia University, a top selling salesperson, an accomplished corporate trainer, 30+ years in recovery and an ordained Centers for Spiritual Living minister since 2007, Karen shares from a lifetime of wisdom in both spiritual and business growth.
Karen lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with the big fella, loves to hike, and deeply enjoys being a part of the New Vision Center for Spiritual Living.
Evening General Session
Rev. Dr. Andriette Earl
Founder & Senior Minister, Heart and Soul Center of Light
Rev. Dr. Andriette Earl is the Founding and Senior Minister of Heart and Soul Center of Light (HSCL), a Centers for Spiritual Living (CSL) affiliate in Oakland, California. Since its launch in 2009, she has honed HSCL into a loving, vibrant, world-class teaching and empowerment ministry. In 2017 and again in 2020, she was elected to the Centers for Spiritual Living Minister Council and served as co-chair for 4 of the 6 years that she served. She received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from CSL in 2021, and in 2023 was appointed to the CSL Leadership Council. Dr. Andriette is a much sought-after facilitator and team-builder within the New Thought movement.
This respected teacher, writer, and spiritual guide, is a model of consciousness in action, leadership, and excellence. She is an author, spiritual coach, and master teacher. She is the published author of “Embracing Wholeness: Living in Spiritual Congruence” and pens a monthly column, “From the Inside Out” for Science of Mind Magazine. Her ingenuity in creating new ways to teach and empower is demonstrated in her design and development of the transformational board game, "Speak Your Word".
Rev. Dr. Michelle Medrano
Lead Minister, Mile Hi Church of Religious Science
Since 1991 Rev. Dr. Michelle Medrano has been a minister. She currently serves as a Lead Minister at Mile Hi Church of Religious Science in Lakewood, Colorado. Michelle is known as an inspiring teacher and leader who deeply touches her audiences with her humor and profound insights.
Rev. Dr. Kenn Gordon
Former Spiritual Leader, Centers for Spiritual Living and Co-Founder, Centre for Spiritual Living Kelowna
Dr. Kenn Gordon is the past Spiritual Leader of Centers for Spiritual Living, having served two terms in that capacity and is also the co-founder of the Centre for Spiritual Living Kelowna, along with his wife Deborah, in 1993. They are now Founding Minister’s Emeritus of that center, as both have moved into retirement.
Dr. Kenn is an accomplished leader and speaker who has made a profound impact in the world of Religious Science and thought leadership.
He began his career in restaurant development, became a farmer and it was during that phase that he found the Science of Mind. His passion for the teaching as well as for world and personal peace led him to become a minister and then to quickly move through the ranks of servant leadership, initially through Religious Science International, eventually becoming President for five years.
His entrepreneurial nature as well as having a powerful personal transformative experience through the Science of Mind philosophy has served him and those around him to ‘Awaken to their Spiritual Magnificence’ and contribute to a world that works for all.
He has spoken internationally, sharing his insights, wisdom and humour at many conferences and events in various venues, including twice at the Parliament of the World’s Religions. He is the author of a book called, Mind and Manifestation.
Currently, the world of golf and travel, as well as occasional speaking opportunities and ceremonies are all blessed by his dedication to serve humanity with his inspiration and wit.
Thursday, August 10: Morning General Session
Rev. Dr. CC Coltrain
President of the Holmes Institute and Director of the School of Spiritual Leadership
Rev. Dr. CC Coltrain serves as President of Holmes Institute and Director of the School of Spiritual Leadership. She graduated from Holmes Institute and the San Diego campus of the School of Spiritual Leadership in 2005, accepting a Letter of Call as Senior Minister at Center for Spiritual Living Greater Dayton later that same year. She served CSL Greater Dayton until 2020. Prior to ministry she practiced law in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Dr. CC served on several teams during the ICSL/UCSL integration, UCSL’s Clergy Council (predecessor to CSL’s Minister Council), the Ministers Professional Licensing Committee, and as a Regional Support Coordinator, and continues to serve on the Legal Committee along with just saying “yes” to whatever CSL asks her to do.
Dr. CC is incredibly grateful for Centers for Spiritual Living and its people for keeping our philosophy alive and well and reaching people. This philosophy has given her a life of living color, and she cannot imagine where she would be without it!
Rev. Dan Granda
Co-Founder & Co-Director, Soul Evolution Collaborative
Rev. Dan Granda is dedicated to a graceful uncovering of the human soul, imagining a world where it is common and lovingly accepted to bare your soul openly for others to see. Devoted to studying the evolution of human collective awareness, Rev. Dan can regularly be heard speaking to this shift happening in our world, inviting individuals to embrace the responsibility we have to each other and the community around themselves.
Bringing his passion for life to all of his endeavors, Rev. Dan is driven to inspire others to
find their purpose. It is his philosophy that better people make a better world. Rev. Dan is
Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Soul Evolution Collaborative, a Centers for Spiritual Living Teaching Center, dedicated to fostering both personal transformation and communal evolution through an innovative “Bricks and Clicks” model.
Over the last 10+ years, Rev. Dan has been active in serving the Centers for Spiritual Living
on both the local and organizational levels. Rev. Dan is a graduate of the Holmes Institute
and School for Spiritual Leadership and a licensed minister with the Centers for Spiritual Living.
Evening General Session
Rev. Amanda Pope
Co-Founder, Centre for Spiritual Living Nanaimo
Reverend Amanda Pope is an advocate, activist, and adult educator. After many years of advocating for the inclusion of people with disabilities she now serves as an educational consultant within the homelessness serving sector. Amanda and her partner, Derek, recently moved to beautiful Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada to start the Centre for Spiritual Living Nanaimo. Amanda has devoted her ministry to exploring new ways of building inclusive, decolonized, New Thought spiritual community that is relevant for the 21st century.
Rev. Rainbow Weldon
Spiritual Director & Senior Minister, Ahava Center for Spiritual Living
Rev. Rainbow Weldon is the Spiritual Director and Senior Minister at Ahava Center for Spiritual Living in Lexington, KY.
Originally hailing from Atlanta, Rainbow grew up steeped in New Thought attending the Atlanta Church of Religious Science where her parents were Practitioners. She is so grateful to have the opportunity to speak at Asilomar where her parents attended retreats when she was a young child. In 2008 Rainbow became a licensed Spiritual Practitioner, a Minister in 2016, and ordained with CSL in 2022.
Before answering the call to ministry, Rainbow traveled the country doing Children's Theatre. The intersection between creativity and spirituality have always been a passion for her. As a young adult, she founded the Youth and Family Program at Bodhi Spiritual Center in Chicago, where she continued to serve in leadership in various capacities for 10 years including most recently as Assistant Minister.
Rev. Rainbow has a heart for service and activism. She has served the greater organization, CSL, through writing youth curriculum, participating on the Visioning Core, being on the Ministers and Practitioners Licensing Committee, and currently serves on the Events Team and the Spiritual Activism Taskforce, working to create a more just and equitable world through the lens of oneness.
In her free time, Rainbow loves dancing, reading, listening to music and podcasts, hiking and spending time with her wife Heather and their 7 year old daughter Cadence. Together, they enjoy exploring the beauty of the bluegrass region they gratefully call home.
Rev. Alan Vukas
Senior Minister, Concordia Center for Spiritual Living
Rev. Alan Vukas is the Senior Minister of the Concordia Center for Spiritual Living in Rhode Island.
He grew up in Florida and discovered Science of Mind there, founding the Center for Spiritual Living Tampa Bay in 2010. He also spends time serving the Centers for Spiritual Living, where he contributed to the 2023 Global Themes Team and currently chairs the CSL Visioning Team.
Rev. Alan is passionate about the Science of Mind and Spirit, which fuels his personal growth and mission to inspire others. He is committed to empowering individuals to live their authentic lives through the application of spiritual principles and practices.
Outside of his spiritual work, Rev. Alan enjoys spending time with his partner, Kevin Montgomery, and their 2 cats and 2 dogs: Simon, Sebastian, Bodhi, and Luna. And enjoys drawing Zentangle tiles and playing the frame drum. His life and work reflect his love for life, dedication to personal growth, and commitment to empowering individuals to live their authentic selves.
Friday, August 11: Closing General Session
Rev. KC Taylor
Spiritual Director and Co-Founder of Spirit Uncensored
Rev. KC Taylor (they/them, formerly known as Rev. Karen Frost) is the spiritual director and co-founder of Spirit Uncensored. They are also the assistant minister of the United Life Center for Spiritual Living in Oklahoma City, on the leadership team of the CSL NextGEN Retreat and the CSL Global Themes Team. Rev. KC works as a case manager at Sisu Youth Services, a homeless shelter for youth that is LGBT+affirming. Prior to Oklahoma City, Rev. KC was a TV Creative Executive at JuVee Productions, Viola Davis and Julius Tennon's production company in Los Angeles. At JuVee, Rev. Karen developed TV projects told from marginalized perspectives. For more info, visit RevKCTaylor.com.
Rev. Elisha Christopher
Spiritual Director & Senior Minister, Center for Spiritual Living Santa Cruz
Rev. Elisha Christopher is the Spiritual Director and Senior Minister at the Center for Spiritual Living Santa Cruz. Rev. Elisha began their career in Spiritual Leadership while serving in the innovative Berkeley and Oakland young adult intentional spiritual community called The Launching Pad. It was a thriving residential site where young people could affordably live together and support each other in living and learning Science of Mind principles while tending to an open door ministry. (2010-2017)
In 2013 Rev. Elisha was selected as one of the first young people to receive the Re-Generation Scholarship from Centers for Spiritual Living to attend the Holmes Institute & School of Spiritual Leadership. Rev. Elisha Licensed as a Minister with CSL in 2020.
In addition to their work within the Centers for Spiritual Living, in 2013 Rev. Elisha was also singled out and chosen as a younger person to be trained by Dr. Jean Houston, as part of the JeanHouston Foundation’s Emerging Leaders Initiative.
They were mentored by this visionary spiritual leader and propagator of the Self-Help and Human Potential Movement. Study and mentoring with Dr. Houston would form a foundation for Rev. Elisha's capacity as a visionary teacher and communicator. Later Rev. Elisha served as a "trainer of trainers" for the Jean Houston Foundation.
Rev. Elisha has served as a speaker, retreat and workshop facilitator and guest minister on-line and in person at many CSL centers, conferences and events all over the United States in the past decade. Their emphasis has been teaching skills for transformative living and exploring ways to apply spiritual living to the issues of today’s world.
Rev. Elisha is revered for their extemporaneous oratory & speaking skills. They have a gift for teaching how to practically integrate daily practices of gratitude and forgiveness into a complex daily routine. These daily practices combined with using the mind to envision one's desired goals and life outcomes through mental suggestion and prayer can be transformative. Their trainings have been variously described as brilliant, magical, and accessible.
Rev. Elisha is also known for their use of contemporary neuroscience to help people understand modern day stress and the tendencies of the unconditioned mind. They teach how the mind works to construct a narrative or story about one's circumstances and prospects that might be limited. And their teachings help students to convert feelings of victimization & overwhelm into a more realized and creative life.
Rev. Elisha is also known for their innovative curriculum, classes and workshops and their original work called “SYNTHESIS.” Synthesis is an emergent new look at New Thought principles through the critical lens of today's issues, and bringing many before unseen connections to light. Rev. Elisha calls “SYNTHESIS” a “Now Age, Next Thought Philosophy” that brings Spiritual Principles into practical application in one’s life.
Rev. Elisha is a per-missionary, an evolutionary and an apocaloptimist; and is someone who is dedicated to possibility thinking and the awakening humanity to its spiritual magnificence.
Rev. Dr. Pat Campbell
Spiritual Director, Calgary Centre for Spiritual Living
Dr. Pat Campbell is celebrating 25 years in ministry this year. She has been the Spiritual Director of the Calgary Centre for Spiritual Living for 10 years and was the Senior Minister of the Temecula Center for 15 years. During her ministry, she has been involved with the Events team for close to 20 conferences and conventions, starting in 2002. She currently served on the Centers for Spiritual Living's Leadership Council.
Dr. Pat is known for her humor and approachable style. She is the author of "Giving God a Good Time." She lives in Calgary with her two cats, Tom and Jerry.