Leadership

 Andrew (Drew) Binkerd
Current Laudable and Charitable responsibilities:As the owner and general manager of Operations and Development for Legend Labeling I oversee the day to day operations of my company wearing the many hats of a small business entrepreneur. I understand and rely on many to navigate the tax laws of our great state and the federal government as well as oversee and motivate the people and projects that are the foundation of my business.As the Vice President of the Board of Trustees for Salt Lake Center for Spiritual Living I serve to ensure the will of the congregation is recognized with restraint of the Legal, Financial and Equitable needs of the center and to communicate to the BOT the welfare and the needed work to maintain our beautiful community As President of El Kalah Wreckers (parade club) it is my duty to ensure all schedules are submitted in a timely manner, to maintain the mechanized fleet for parades and to oversee events ensuring they are fun, fulfilling and within the restraints of normal social activity. 

 Robert Wetzel  

Robert recently returned to Utah and is pleased to make Salt Lake City his home again. He discovered Religious Science in the early ‘80s and studied under Dr, Jay Scott Neale in northern California. Robert credits his “things just seem to go my way” life to the SOM textbook and countless New Thought teachers over the years. Members who have been with the church for some time will remember Robert, he served as President on the Board of Trustees over four years in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s.

During the past fifteen years, Robert lived in mid-town Manhattan where he owned and operated a small retail shop along with working in the real estate market. He went on to serve as project manager overseeing the design and buildout of the LaGuardia airport headquarters for a large airline. Throughout his time out east, Robert was an active member of the New York Community Center for Spiritual Living and served on the Board of Trustees with Rev. Loretta Brooks.  Back in Utah, he continues working as a real estate broker from his office in Sugarhouse. With his professional background, Robert has developed excellent management and problem solving skills that are ideally suited to aid our Center in moving forward.

 Carol Harris

The Science of Mind philosophy has been the cornerstone of my life for the past 50

years (yes, I discovered it as a teenager) and the Salt Lake Center has been my

spiritual and social Community since 2004. I truly love this Center and all the wonderful

people I’ve met here who are now my chosen Family. I know first-hand the positive

impact the Center can have on its members. 

My vision for our Center is that we become a radiant spiritual, educational, social and cultural force in Salt Lake City. I know this can be accomplished more effectively with a strong infrastructure in place which supports our members and activities. 

My contributions as Secretary draw on many years of project management, organization and communication skills. We have all the right raw material. Now it’s a matter of bringing our potential into form. I am honored to serve and to help guide the Center in realizing our Greater Yet To Be!

 Jeff Gray 

Started my journey in the spiritual community about 1997, attended other venues and happily ended up here at Salt Lake Center for Spiritual Living.

I spent 28 years in the fire service running around on a fire engine, responding to all sorts of medical calls, fires, hazardous material incidents, cats in trees, delivered several baby’s and watched people transition. I also spent time in Fire Prevention where I learned about fire codes, exits, etc. 

I currently occupy the role of Facilities Manager. I started out being a volunteer to the talent of Raj and it evolved into an official position on the board. My goal is to keep our space functional and somewhat organized. Eventually I would love to see us owning our own building!

Teresa Flenniken 

Teresa grew up in a small border town in California. Many spiritual and physical homes later, she ended up in Salt Lake City. Studies in Zen, Yoga, Unitarian, and other ideas were helpful but didn't quite feel right. During this period, she began working for Davis Schools in various capacities to help physically aid emotionally traumatized children. She noticed the biggest predictor of their success wasn't the degree of trauma but their attitude and mindset about that trauma.

A friend suggested she look into a philosophy called Science of Mind during a discussion of this phenomenon. She did and it did indeed feel right. That was around 1985. Being treasurer is just an effort to return in gratitude the gifts I have received from this philosophy.

Jim Farris

As a young adult Jim Farris lived, worked and meditated for 18 years in a spiritual community. 

He and his family later moved to Utah where he became an active member of Unity Church in Park City.  

In 2008 he joined Salt Lake Center for Spiritual Living, where he enjoyed taking a series of classes to become a licensed Prayer Practitioner in 2014.   

Currently he volunteers to visit hospice patients and is on the spiritual care team at Huntsman Cancer Hospital. 

Jim loves people and especially enjoys supporting what they truly want with the power of affirmative prayer!

Salina Baugh

Salina first discovered the Salt Lake Center for Spiritual Living in 2001 and jumped in with both feet, taking classes and volunteering. Both of these activities grounded her in the philosophy and built sustaining friendships. In 2007 Salina licensed as a Practitioner and has been of service to the Center in many capacities. 

Currently, Salina is focusing her attention on teaching classes and one-on-one spiritual coaching. Salina loves sharing her personal insights and why she believes the application of this philosophy is not only relevant today, but if applied daily will change lives.

Ric Sharette

Ric has served the Salt Lake Center for Spiritual Living as Music Director for over 22 years.  He has been a sustaining member since 1997, taking many accredited classes and earning his Practitioner license in 2004.  Ric served as a Licensed Practitioner for nine years.

"I love this community, its vision and purpose.  I've made some meaningful friendships with so many wonderful, talented, beautiful, compassionate and caring people over the years.  I want to do all I can to support, strengthen, enliven and expand this fine community and all it has to offer the greater Salt Lake Valley.  It is my privilege to serve on the Ministry Council".

Rev. Linda Brewer

While serving as the Chaplain for Huntsman Cancer Hospital, Linda worked most Sundays. This kept her from physically attending the Center for several years. When she retired in January of 2019 she returned to the Center and was asked to join the Leadership Council as the Outreach Coordinator.  There she served on the team that proposed the changes to the By-Laws that established the Ministry Council and the Board of Trustees.  

Recognizing her call was to the ministry of the Center more than the business, she joined the Ministry Council, initially as the Secretary, then as the Coordinator for the Sunday Service—coordinating the speakers, service hosts, and practitioners that participate in the Sunday Celebration Service. 

Hildreth Farris, RScP

 Growing up in the Methodist church that my grandfather, my mother's father, started I learned to love the life and example of Jesus of Nazareth.  In high school, however I learned that some of the people who had taught me that Jesus loves the little children of the world, red and yellow, black and white, were actually very prejudiced and had moved into our town through "white flight". At that time I threw out the baby with the bath water and blamed Jesus instead of Christianity.

I wished to be an agent of change, even though I didn’t feel I had the courage of my childhood hero Harriet Tubman, nor of my father’s Quaker ancestors who had participated in the Underground Railroad of the Civil War.

After graduating from college at Indiana University, Bloomington with a degree in Elementary Education , I moved to my dream state of California. I had actually had a dream at the age of 16 about living near the ocean and dancing hand in hand in a circle in a mountain meadow with a large group of people.

On July 4th, 1973, I learned of and moved to a Spiritual commune in land behind Santa Barbara, CA. Shortly after moving here I again saw the image of people dancing in a circle. This time in this reality. And I have a picture to prove it. Lol.

I herded goats and sheep, trained border collie herd dogs and learned a chakra meditation which had originated with Parmahansa Yogananda in the 1930’s. Here I met my husband, Jim Farris, 

Jim and I have raised three sons, two of them adopted trans-racially. We did our best to raise them with an awareness of their original culture. These are now wonderful young men who still bring us much Joy.

Jim and I have again found a Spiritual home through the Salt Lake Center for Spiritual Living. He has been a Practitioner now for six years and I have reached this goal as of July 17th, 2021.

Sue Gardner  

Sue joined the Center for Spiritual Living in 2016. She had been looking for an organization that was nationally established and had a philosophy and structure that felt good to her. She wanted a message that was wholistic and allowed for spiritual expansion. 

She had already explored several experiential learning opportunities: Werner Erhard programs -- 8 years, A Course in Miracles -- 5 years, 9 years with the Inner Light Center (Ernest Holmes philosophy and ancient religious teachings -- 3 years co-facilitating discussion groups on The Way of Mastery -- 2 years participating in Avatarprograms).

Along the way, Sue created 22 scenarios on cards that evolved into a game. Although this game of situations became well received, it continued to be challenging to explain optimal benefits to players.  Recent studies, however, have cast new light on this question. As more details are revealed, Sue plans to share them. 

Sue is the Coordinator for the Service Area Teams at the Salt Lake Center for Spiritual Living 

Michael Schlager

Michael was born and raised in the South San Francisco Bay Area, moving to Utah in 2015.

He grew up in the United Methodist Church, then wandered to the United Church of Christ, before eventually being introduced to the Center for Spiritual Living in San Jose, where he quickly found a new spiritual home.

Michael has served as Chairperson of the Church and Society Committee, and Administrative Board member at the Campbell United Methodist Church. He was later Council President of the Campbell United Church of Christ, assisting that community during its pastoral search process. Now five years attending the Salt Lake Center for Spiritual Living, Michael has taken Foundations Class in the Fall of 2019, and joined the Ministry Council as Communications Chairperson in January of 2021. He has also been seen on stage a few times at our Drag Queen Bingo events!

Michael has a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Meteorology from San Jose State University, and worked as an Aviation Meteorologist with Boeing, for 20 years, until the Universe brought about a career change in 2018. Michael presently can be found working in the Emergency Department for the University of Utah South Jordan Health Center in Daybreak, as a Patient Relations Specialist.

He lives in Daybreak with his husband Christopher Steele, dog Carrie, and cat Smudge.  

Rev. Myrna Hirst

I have been a spiritual seeker all my life. I discovered the Salt Lake Center for Spiritual Living, in the late 1990s, became a practitioner in 2002, and an ordained minister in 2017.

After graduation from Ministry School I was the Minister at the Layton Center for Spiritual Living, then affiliated with The Satya Center in Ogden. I have returned to the Salt Lake Center, where I am currently the Visioning Coordinator.

I believe Visioning is an important way for each of us as individuals, or for the Center, to utilize Divine Mind. When we rely on our own brains we tend to get stuck in the past and in our hidden beliefs about lack and limitation. Thus, we limit life’s possibilities.

Visioning is a process that uses Divine Mind as we seek answers to questions and problems. We begin with a meditation connecting our human minds to Divine Mind, then ask a series of questions, quietly wait for answers, which sometimes come in words but often in the form of feelings, or pictures, or impressions. Then we ask a series of questions that help us find the pathway to that highest vision.

When we vision as a group, often we find that more than one member of the group has the same idea. That's one of the ways that we know we're tapping into a greater awareness that exists in our own minds.

Linda Brewer

Linda was asked by Rev. Donald to serve as Secretary for the newly formed Ministry Council and approved by the MC at their first meeting. She announced in February of 2020 that she planned to step down from this position the following month—then COVID shut down our Center. She looks forward to being replaced in this position so please let her know if you are interested in the job.