Our History
LifeSpring was founded in 1995 by Jerry R. Flora, Th. D. Professor Emeritus at Ashland Theological Seminary, and Beulah Steiner, B.S.N., a graduate of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation.
Precursor to LifeSpring
Before LifeSpring, two leaders of the Ohio Mennonite Conference, Don Yoder and Beulah Steiner, planned a two-year school to prepare persons to become spiritual directors in Ohio. Gene and Mary Herr of The Hermitage at Three Rivers, Michigan, agreed to come to Ohio to lead the school as the instructors. In 1991, the school of spiritual formation began with 17 students. Upon completion of the two-year school, Beulah Steiner herself entered the Spiritual Guidance Program of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation and received a certificate of spiritual guidance in 1995.
LifeSpring
In May 1995 several professors and students from Ashland Theological Seminary (ATS) began dreaming of a school of spiritual formation that would take place outside the seminary. At the same time Don Yoder and Beulah Steiner, who were nurturing spiritual leaders from the Ohio Mennonite Conference, were also dreaming of ways to expand their spiritual formation program to include the entire conference as well as the broader community. By this time Beulah had completed the Shalem Spiritual Guidance Program and had begun to serve as a spiritual director.
The ATS group approached Beulah about her involvement in schooling others in the area of spiritual formation. Linda Geiser, an ATS student, Dr. Jerry Flora, ATS professor, and several others at ATS asked Beulah about using her family farm near Overton, Ohio as a gathering site for the school. After much discerning prayer and planning the LifeSpring, School of Spiritual Formation was born.
The first school was held in the fall of 1995 with 21 students enrolled. The Ohio Mennonite Conference and the Brethren National Office endorsed the school, and a new school has begun nearly every two years since then.
Dr. Flora and Beulah Steiner served as co-directors for 10 years. After Dr. Flora retired, Dana Short, Mennonite spiritual director from Archbold, Ohio, and Ted and Martyne Kempel of Warsaw, Ohio, joined the leadership team. Jim and Barb Rosser with the help of Deb Baldridge and Judy Ringler (all from Mansfield and all LifeSpring graduates) joined Dana when Beulah retired in 2009. The current team consists of Ruth and Allan Aubrey, Pam Hartz, Bobbie Rhea and Judy Ringler.
The ATS group approached Beulah about her involvement in schooling others in the area of spiritual formation. Linda Geiser, an ATS student, Dr. Jerry Flora, ATS professor, and several others at ATS asked Beulah about using her family farm near Overton, Ohio as a gathering site for the school. After much discerning prayer and planning the LifeSpring, School of Spiritual Formation was born.
The first school was held in the fall of 1995 with 21 students enrolled. The Ohio Mennonite Conference and the Brethren National Office endorsed the school, and a new school has begun nearly every two years since then.
Dr. Flora and Beulah Steiner served as co-directors for 10 years. After Dr. Flora retired, Dana Short, Mennonite spiritual director from Archbold, Ohio, and Ted and Martyne Kempel of Warsaw, Ohio, joined the leadership team. Jim and Barb Rosser with the help of Deb Baldridge and Judy Ringler (all from Mansfield and all LifeSpring graduates) joined Dana when Beulah retired in 2009. The current team consists of Ruth and Allan Aubrey, Pam Hartz, Bobbie Rhea and Judy Ringler.