THE HISTORY OF CSC

THE BEGINNINGS OF A MOVEMENT

1976: Matthew Fox founded the Institute in Culture and Creation Spirituality

           (ICCS) at Mundelein College in Chicago, Illinois. 

1983: Matthew Fox moved his program to Holy Names College in Oakland, CA

Original Blessing was published. Changed the world.

1989: Cardinal Ratzinger silenced Foz for one year and forced him to step down as director of the program.

1991: Fox was expelled from the cominican Order and the program at Holy Names was terminated.

1996: Matthew Fox established the University of Creation Spirituality in Oakland, CA

  The Masters program was accredited through Naropa University in Boulder CO

2005: August UCS was turned over to a new president with a new name, Wisdom University. It soon evolved in another direction, however, Creation Spirituality students continued to received degrees there until 2011 (including Gail.) Many UCS grads felt angry and abandoned with the school’s closing.

2005: By now, thousands of people had read Matt’s books and hundreds had invested in degrees.  WE WERE A MOVEMENT. Would it falter or continue to grow? 

CSC FORMATION PERIOD  2005-2009

2005: Summer. Susan Evans has a mystical vision of a Creation Spirituality Church while attending a UCS class with Matt Fox at Chartres Cathedral. Together with Matthew Fox, Susan discerned the meaning of the mystical experience through contemplation, dialogue and letter writing.  A discernment committee was formed to explore whether others felt the calling forth of such a church or community.

2006: June, A steering committee met in Oakland for two days. The committee was formed of former D.Min students, CS leaders and individuals who served on the Board of Friends of Creation Spirituality. Through a guided discernment practice, the group developed a consensus that yes, there was a growing need for alternative churches and communities (in addition to mainline churches) that offered creation spirituality practice. 

Matthew Fox*

Susan Coppage Evans

J. Mel Bricker

Debra Martin*

Jo An Gaines*

John Keefer*

Karen Ray*

Debra Amaral*

Ann Dean*

Philip Hoku Harmon*

Bill Gordan?

Matt Henry?

2006,  The first CSC Board was formed, including these people: (Am I right, Mel?)

Mel Bricker Matt Henry Susan Evans

Bill Gordon Nicole Porcaro Mary Plaster

Rick Kuykendall Marybeth Granberry Edina Preucel

2007, February, CSC was incorporated as non-profit in Colorado with this mission and vision:

Vision For Creation Spirituality Communities (CSC): A network of communities ranging from intentional groups to alternative churches, which are grounded in the tenets of Creation Spirituality and revere the sacredness of all creation. Through study, ritual, celebration and action, these communities support justice, compassion, transformation and sustainability for the Universe and for all living beings.

Mission of CSC: To provide training, resources, support, guidance, structure and encouragement for the development of Creation Spirituality communities. To honor the core values of Creation Spirituality. To act as a networking vehicle for individuals who seek to join others in the study and practice of Creation Spirituality. To provide opportunities that honor creation and cultivate the mystic, prophet and artist in all people.

2007,  The first CSC Gathering in Mill Valley, CA  The event was administered by the board to gather the wider community. 

Leaders of local Creation Spirituality communities were invited to Susan Evan’s home to brainstorm and discern.  

2009,  Second CSC Gathering in Indianapolis, also administered by the whole board. 

THE CSC BOARD BEGINS TO  DESIGN PROGRAMS  2010-2015

The CSC Board met monthly over the phone. The phone was not conducive to healthy conversation since people could not see each other. This, and some personality clashes caused conflict and arguing, taking up large portions of the meeting.

Of issue to this season of CSC Board work:

  1. Are we a church? Should we use the word church?

  2. Should the founder of the board remain a member for life? (quite a divisive deliberation over which some people resigned.)

  3. Should we be a member organization?

  4. How can we offer quality programs as a volunteer board?

Programs discussed by the board – to be led by different board members. Few were actually put into play.

  1. A “Tool Box” of resources for communities

  2. A certificate program, 

  3. A quarterly newsletter (Published by Susan, then someone who wasn’t able to pull it off) 

  4. Monthly phone conversations with local leaders  (This did not sustain.)

  5. Ning Social Site, created by Matt Henry, had a lot of interest and was used for publicity of CSC events and local events. It lacked people to monitor the different chat groups. It also gave us our basic mailing list.

  6. Membership was for individuals and for communities.

  7. Website was begun......slowly.

2012 CSource was started as an independent business run by Di Wolverton. It offered online seminars and classes for study, books and CDs by CS people.  At the moment it is dormant, lacking someone to run it.

2015   January. Board Retreat at Susan Evans focused the board on several agreed upon areas: 

Ordination, chaired by Wayne Schwandt and Gail Ransom

Bringing together community leaders

Certificate Program

THE BOARD BEGINS TO BUILD COMMUNITY AND IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS 

2015  September - 2017: Gail Ransom became president. I understood the board to be serving the CS Movement and its purpose and wanted to bring the CS community together, invigorated through relationship, purpose, and accomplishment.  I wanted to bring good ideas out of conversation and into completion.  She also felt that sustaining structures for the board needed to be put in place.

  1. Used Zoom as a meeting format (changed our lives.)

  2. Identified who our constituency was and how we could help them offer what they yearned to offer the movement (or already had created.).

  3. Brought CS community leaders together – through Zoom. Worked much better.  They became a source of creativity and connection

  4. Designed and Implemented an Ordination Program. (Wayne Schwandt died unexpectedly.) Team created a 10 page document.

  5. Designed a Certificate Program, approved by the board and ready to implement  in January 2016 when we were told that the Fox Institute    was going to launch. 

  6. PR, Languaging the movement.  How can we say who we are and what we are about? Lots of conversation about this.  Mary Reaman wrote the Six Essentials, Gail and a Pittsburgh PR professional volunteer made a new brochure  and membership materials.  

  7. Clarified membership benefits and levels.

  8. Finished off the website (in time for The Parliament of World Religions in Nov. 2015 

  9. Streamlined our Vision, Mission, Purpose at our Austin Retreat under the leadership of Dave Summers:

  Who We Are: Creation Spirituality Communities is a network of individuals and communities that are grounded in the sacredness of all creation through the study and practice of Creation Spirituality.
What we do: We facilitate a network of individuals and communities that embody the principles of Creation Spirituality.
Why we do it: To honor the core values of Creation Spirituality and act as a networking vehicle for those who seek to join others in the study and practice of Creation Spirituality.

2016-2018

  1. Generations Gathering in Berkeley birthed several major initiatives

  2. Ordination of 5 CS ministers, 14 elders at the Generations Gathering

  3. Attempts to seed regional groups around the country, NoCo, Washington DC Ohio Valley

  4. Immersion Retreats initiated

  5. Elder InnerView project begun with John Robinson and Penny Andrews

  6. A host of volunteers created and populated the Sacred Work-Sacred Earth Gathering in Asheville, featuring two keynotes, lifting up 28 workshop leaders, and celebrating with a Cosmic Mass

  7. We got our online presence together: Our own FB Page and Group. 

  8. Seth organized and managed our online services and financial record keeping creating access to our financial information and stability.

  9. Seth turned our newsletter into a beautiful magazine which involves a host of Participants offering their creativity and news.

  10. Judy, Gail, and Joran create a booth experience at the Parliament of the World’s  Religions in Toronto, Nov. 2018. Friends were made. Names were  taken.

  11. Paula introduced us to the Circle Way which we have incorporated into our meetings.

  12. We send out a survey to our mailing list and receive almost 200 responses which begin to shape our planning.

LISTS

CSC GATHERINGS

2007  The first CSC Gathering in Mill Valley, CA  

2009  Second CSC Gathering in Indianapolis, IN  Originally Blessed 

2010  CSC Gathering at the Mercy Center in Burlingame, CA

2011  CSC Gathering in Chicago. (sponsored by a local community, UUA, Bill Gordon)

2012   CSC Gathering in Annapolis Maryland (sponsored by Evolve! Cheasapeake, Wayne Schwandt/ Patty McGrath, Coordinators

2014  CSC Gathering in Pittsburgh, “Source of Compassion” Sponsored by First UMC, Gail Ransom, Coordinator

2016  CSC Gathering in Berkeley,  “Generations” Sponsored by the board, Judy Shook, Coordinator

2018  CSC Gathering in Asheville,  “Sacred Earth, Sacred Work” Sponsored by the board, Gail Ransom, Coordinator

CSC BOARD RETREATS

2015 Boulder Colorado

2016 Flagstaff, AZ

CSC Board Members

Susan Evans

J. Mel Bricker

Bill Gordan

Matt Henry

Nicole Porcaro

Gail Ransom

Carol Pearson

Robert Wilson

Mary Plaster

Rick Kuykendall

Marybeth Granberry

Edina Preucel

Di Wolverton

Judy Shook

Gary Jacinto

Sid Hall

PRESIDENTS OF THE BOARD

Susan Evans  2004-2010

Sid Hall  2019-

Di Wolverton 2010 –2012

CS HEROES YOU SHOULD KNOW

Mel Bricker

Susan Evans

Matt Henry

Di Wolverton

Ann Dean

2017 Austin, TX

Calen Rayne

Tracey Longacre

Carl Freeman Reynolds 

Tom Stemple

Daniel Barber

Seth Longacre

Paula Pociecha

Tom Stempel 2012-2014

Wayne Schwandt

Nicole Porcaro

2018 Asheville, NC

Wayne Schwandt

Lynda Boozer

Peter Lanzillotta 

Mary Reaman

Mary Davis

Carolyn Million

Joran Slane Oppelt

Gail Ransom 2014-2018

Mary Plaster

Rick Kuykendall