our history
CFDM has its’ origins in Friends of the Bridegroom Ministries, founded in 1988 by Catherine Gregg and incorporated in California in 1996 as a non-profit organization to support her personal teaching and speaking ministry of prayer, intercession, and spiritual formation. When Catherine’s husband, Douglas Gregg, a Presbyterian pastor, professor, and author, joined her in 2000, they changed the name to CFDM, Christian Formation, and Direction Ministries; as an expression of their mutual ministries and shared vision for the training and equipping of spiritual directors in the Western United States.
The central focus of CFDM–from 2000-2017–has been to establish and develop relational networks of spiritual directors in regions in the Western United States for purposes of continuing education, formation, referral, and partnership for spiritual directors. Toward this purpose, they have offered training programs in Christian formation and spiritual direction, on-going supervision, along with continuing support, encouragement, and enrichment for spiritual directors.
Beginning in 2018, a transition in leadership of CFDM was undertaken. Currently, there are five strong Affiliates of CFDM—Arizona, Central California, Nevada, Pacific Northwest, and Southern California—which are entirely independent, with their own not-for-profit status and record keeping.
CFDM Affiliates offer retreats, seminars, and courses toward the training and certification of adult Christian leaders in areas of Christian formation and spiritual direction. CFDM is a ministry without walls and offers on-going equipping, supervision, community, evaluation, and resources for spiritual directors and those seeking to become directors. By creating and identifying excellent resources, CFDM Affiliates commit themselves to the on-going training and equipping of Christians in spiritual formation and direction.
The central focus of CFDM–from 2000-2017–has been to establish and develop relational networks of spiritual directors in regions in the Western United States for purposes of continuing education, formation, referral, and partnership for spiritual directors. Toward this purpose, they have offered training programs in Christian formation and spiritual direction, on-going supervision, along with continuing support, encouragement, and enrichment for spiritual directors.
Beginning in 2018, a transition in leadership of CFDM was undertaken. Currently, there are five strong Affiliates of CFDM—Arizona, Central California, Nevada, Pacific Northwest, and Southern California—which are entirely independent, with their own not-for-profit status and record keeping.
CFDM Affiliates offer retreats, seminars, and courses toward the training and certification of adult Christian leaders in areas of Christian formation and spiritual direction. CFDM is a ministry without walls and offers on-going equipping, supervision, community, evaluation, and resources for spiritual directors and those seeking to become directors. By creating and identifying excellent resources, CFDM Affiliates commit themselves to the on-going training and equipping of Christians in spiritual formation and direction.
We honor the shoulders on which we stand. Thank you, Douglas and Catherine Gregg for your farsightedness to build the firm foundation of CFDM.
