Dr. Steve Gabrielson – President of Hefferlin Foundation
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Dr. Steve Gabrielson holds a BS degree in Business Administration from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He is a career CPA who first practiced in Utah, where he was elected President of the Utah Association of CPAs, and now, in California where he is President of a prominent public accounting firm. Dr. Steve has just assumed the Presidency of the John and Marian Hefferlin Foundation.
Steve and his wife Lynn co-founded the Center for Spiritual Living Saddleback Valley (45 miles south of Los Angeles) where Lynn serves as full-time Spiritual Director. Steve received his lifelong ordination in 2004, and was elected to the International Centers for Spiritual Living Board of Directors that same year. He served on that Board for 7 years and was a pivotal member of the Integration Design Team, an ad hoc joint committee tasked with the logistics of the Integration of ICSL and UCSL, now known as Centers for Spiritual Living (CSL). Prior to Integration, Steve was recognized as “Minister of the Year” by ICSL for 2007-2008, and was awarded two honorary doctorates for his service to the organization.
Dr. Gabrielson continues in his CPA practice and also serves as co-minister of CSL Saddleback Valley. He is a nationally recognized expert in estate, gift and trust tax planning and has written a book, articles, and a self-study course on estate planning. Steve was a member of the steering committee for the American Institute of CPAs Annual Advanced Estate Planning Conference for 13 years.
Rev. Dr. Karen Kushner – Vice President and Co-Chair Education
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Dr. Karen Kushner serves as the Spiritual Director for the Center for Spiritual Living, Princeton. She has been in this position since February 15, 1996. Prior to her joining the Hefferlin Board, Dr. Karen served on the Board of Directors of the International Centers for Spiritual Living (holding office as its 2nd Vice President for 5 of those 6 years), was as a member of the ICSL/UCSL Integration Design Team, where she assisted in all areas of integration between the 2 organizations, and served as the first Chairperson of the Centers for Spiritual Living Education Committee.
She received the honorary Doctorate of Divinity and Doctorate of Religious Science from International Centers for Spiritual Living and was granted the Living Treasure Award by UCORS (now known as Centers for Spiritual Living Clergy Association) in 2011.
Prior to ministry, she worked as a financial analyst and econometrician with the Ohio Legislative Budget Office and with the Irving Trust Bank in New York City. She has a BA in Economics from the University of Connecticut, graduating with Distinction in Labor Economics, and a MS in Econometrics from Wright State University. Dr. Kushner serves the Hefferlin Foundation as a Co-Chair of the Education Committee.
Dr. Marilyn Leo – Secretary of Hefferlin Foundation-Co-Chair of Education Committee
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Dr. Leo has been a part of Religious Science since childhood. Her father, Rev. Dr. Reginald Armor, was a minister and well-known figure in the New Thought Movement, and the Armor family was very close to Ernest and Hazel Holmes. Marilyn has served on many committees and received several special recognitions including the “Living Treasure Award” given by her ministerial colleagues.
At the present time, although retired from the usual ministerial duties, she serves Religious Science in many capacities including the Religious Science Archives; she is the past President of the Science of Mind Archives and Library Foundation.
She has contributed the manuscript for That Was Ernest written by her father, Dr. Reginald Armor. She compiled and edited Love and Law published by Tarcher/Putnam in 2001. She wrote the foreword for John Waterhouse’s book Five Steps to Freedom and authored a book about the personal life of Ernest and Hazel Holmes, In His Company – Ernest Holmes Remembered. Her latest project is the book Chronicles of Religious Science, the History of the Religious Science Movement. She currently serves as the Secretary of the Board and the Chairperson of the Education Committee of the John and Marian Hefferlin Foundation.
Rev. Dr. Roger Juline – Treasurer of Hefferlin Foundation-Member of Education Committee
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Dr. Roger Juline serves as Treasurer of the John and Marian Hefferlin Foundation. He was formerly President of Holmes Institute, a graduate school of consciousness studies and the ministerial training program for Centers for Spiritual Living, from 1998-2004. Prior to joining the ministry he enjoyed a 30-year career in the banking industry, serving in executive capacities at major and independent banks in the Los Angeles area. He has served on the Science of Mind Foundation Board and the Finance Committee of the International Board of Trustees of United Centers for Spiritual Living, and in 1998 was named “Distinguished Layman of the Year” by that organization. He was ordained in 2001 and received an honorary doctorate of divinity degree in 2009. He continues to serve on various committees for Centers for Spiritual Living, teach for Holmes Institute, and both speak and teach at local Religious Science centers. He is married to Kathy Juline (the former editor of Science of Mind Magazine) and is eight times a grandpa.
Rev. Dr. Suzette Wehunt – Chair of Live Streaming Technology Committee
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Reverend Suzette Wehunt is the Senior Minister and Spiritual Director at the Om Center for Spiritual Living in La Mesa, California. She has been an ordained Minister of Religious Science since 2008. She has been the head of the La Mesa Center for over 15 years. Her vision is to bring together individuals who are dedicated to a Spiritual Path and uplift and inspire them. In this way, their unique expression comes forward and moves outward into the world to be of service.
She saw a need to bring communities together to share in fellowship and teachings long before online classes and Zoom were in common use. A pioneer of live video broadcasting, she helped bring much new technology to the Holmes institute, as well as several CSL Centers around the U.S. Her Center in La Mesa was one of the first to experiment with and fine tune online viewing.
She is well versed in what it takes to have an efficient online program and makes sure that using it is simple and enjoyable for her congregation. She maintains the highest standards for online programs at Centers and trains others to be self-reliant with their programs. Rev. Suzette continues to bring the latest technological improvements to help our teachings to be accessible worldwide.
Rev. Dr. Michael Kearney – Hefferlin Archives Committee
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Rev. Dr. Michael Kearney serves as Spiritual Counselor/Chaplain for Family Hospice Care, Palm Springs, CA. Dr. Michael has served on numerous organizations during his adult career: The Boys and Girls Club of Imperial Beach, Ca, Imperial Beach Kiwanis, California Parks & Recreation Society, National Parks and Recreation Society, Veterans Organization, San Diego AIDS Chaplaincy, United Centers for Spiritual Living nominating committee, United Clergy Council, UCRS Annual planning committee and Summer Conference Committee, board of director for the Launching Pad, Authenticity Journey of Renewal (AJOR) and multiple Science of Mind churches.
Rev. Michael earned a Doctor of Divinity from Emerson Theological Institute in 2009, Master of Divinity from Holmes Institute in 2001, Ordained in 2004 and Practitioner Emeritus in 2005. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Recreation & Leisure Studies and a Master of Arts in Business Management.
He was the Executive Director of Childrens Treatment Center for 20 years and created a Focus Ministry in this non-profit organization as his first ministry. He has served as Minister in four Science of Mind Centers. He is the Director/publisher – Five Gifts for Abundant Life by Diane Harmony 2007 to present and Author – Radiating Consciousness: My journey of growth through Science of Mind
Michael is an Army veteran, father, and grandfather. Michael and husband, Gary, are a powerful couple and he is well respected by his colleagues and has mentored several entering ministers and practitioners.
Rev. Pattie Mercado – Chair Youth and Family Committee
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Rev. Pattie has a self-proclaimed passion for the ages and stages of life. Deeply committed to children of all ages being seen and heard, Pattie has mentored individuals learning about themselves and their potential from the very young to the eldest family member. Through decades of creating and leading programs for children, teens, and families Rev. Pattie has experienced and witnessed the arc of effective youth classes and programs.
Prior to integration, Reverend Pattie served both Religious Science International and United Centers for Spiritual Living at the Summer Asilomar Conference. She served on various Youth Committees including training youth leaders as well as curriculum writing and development teams. Pattie has developed, led, and served as a consultant for Summer Day Camp, Middle School Camp, and enrichment programs for spiritual communities, nonprofit organizations, and public school programs. Pattie has taught the Youth and Family module at various School of Spiritual Leadership campuses.
Licensed in 2011 and ordained in 2014, Rev. Pattie currently serves the Huntington Beach Center for Spiritual Living as Senior Minister and Spiritual Director. Pattie and her husband of nearly 38 years were first introduced to Religious Science in the mid-1980s. They completed all of their classes through Practitioner training together and both have served their community continuously; individually and as a couple. She and her husband live in Laguna Hills, California, where they raised their two (now adult) children.
Mr. Kenneth T. Lind – Member of Media Committee
Ken Lind is a freelance consultant specializing in public relations, fund raising and grant-writing for nonprofit organizations. A Religious Science practitioner since 1993, he served on staff of the United Church of Religious Science (UCRS) Home Office from 1988 to 2002, as Director of Annual Giving (1988-89) and Executive Director, Science of Mind Foundation (1989-2002). Concurrently, from 1999 to 2001, he was Managing Editor of Science of Mind magazine. Currently, Ken serves as Chairperson of the Media Grants Committee and a member of the Education Committee of the John and Marian Hefferlin Foundation.
Ken was a member of the United Church of Religious Science task force on ministerial education that established the Holmes Institute for Consciousness Studies, and he later served as Treasurer on the Institute’s Board of Trustees. During 2000-01, he represented Home Office on the Organizational Renewal Project (ORP) team that initiated a major corporate restructuring of United Church of Religious Science.
Prior to joining the UCRS management staff Ken served as a development officer at several academic institutions, including Duke University, University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, the University of Redlands, and the University of California, Davis.
Dr. Thomas C. Sannar
The contributions of Dr. Tom Sannar to Religious Science, to the Science of Mind teaching, the many ministerial students whom he taught over the decades and to the Hefferlin Foundation will continue to multiply, even after his recent passing. His direct, clear, thorough and profound consideration of any subject that came to his attention brought tremendous value to his world.
And Tom’s world was global. We still feel his presence within the Hefferlin Foundation and he continues to bless all those who had the gift of Tom in their world.
His personal vision was “I am a teacher of compassion and wisdom for the transformation of planet Earth.” Tom brought his empowering message through the medium of distance learning and taught online with the Holmes Institute and New Thought Ministries. He was an expert in the complete writings of Ernest Holmes and Thomas Troward. He had been a minister of Religious Science since 1984, most recently serving as co-pastor of One Heart-One Mind Church of Religious Science in San Diego, California. He was very active on the Board of Trustees of Religious Science International and was instrumental in assisting with the integration of United Church of Religious Science and Religious Science International. He served on several committees at the headquarters of the Centers for Spiritual Living and was dedicated to working towards a common curriculum for all centers teaching the Science of Mind.
In addition, Dr. Sannar has served on the Board of Directors of the Science of Mind Archives and Library Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving the history and archives of The Science of Mind and its founder Dr. Ernest Holmes.
Dr. George St Johns
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We are all tremendously saddened by the recent passing of Dr. George St. Johns, one of the founding members of the Hefferlin Foundation. George was the immediate Past President of The Hefferlin Foundation and the recent recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Letters granted in February of 2020 by Center for Spiritual Living. His leadership of the Foundation, since its inception in 2004, has been a key component of its growth and service to Religious Science and the teaching of the Science of Mind. Under his stewardship more than $2.5 million dollars were granted to member centers and churches.
The Hefferlin Board will deeply miss the incalculable contributions of George, from his incisive questioning mind, his tremendous leadership qualities, to his ability to roll up his sleeves and simply get the work done.
It will be impossible to replace George St. Johns as a Hefferlin board member but because we can continue to remember the ways he expertly dealt all of the issues presented, we can clearly say here was a man who touched the heart and soul of our organization and the heart and soul of all who worked with him. George, you will be deeply missed.
Dr. George was a veteran of the United States Army. He held multiple Graduate Degrees and Certificates in addition to his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Economics. He brought with him a strong local, national, and international business management background, and was extremely active in California politics, before joining UCRS. He joined UCRS as the Director of Communications. Subsequently, he served United as its Chief Operating Officer.
While working with United Churches, Dr. George had the opportunity to become close friends with Marian Hefferlin and discussed with her the possibility of creating a foundation to help foster the teaching of Science of Mind. In this he was successful. George was baptized by Ernest Holmes. His mother, Elaine St Johns, and his grandmother, Adela Rogers St. Johns, both leading lights of New Thought, were both ordained by Ernest Holmes.
Mr. William M. Lynn – Director Emeritus
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William M. Lynn first met Ernest Holmes in 1947 when he was attending UCLA. Hazel and Ernest took an extreme liking to Bill and considered him their adopted son. He was “the red-haired son they didn’t have.” Bill actually lived with Ernest and Hazel Holmes on weekends when he was attending UCLA and full-time for about eight months before he married his college sweetheart Jane, in February 1953.
Bill immediately became excited about the ideas of Ernest Holmes and attended Science of Mind classes. After graduating from UCLA, he worked for a couple of years as a publicity director for the movie studios. In the summer of 1953, Dr. Bill Hornaday called Bill and offered him a short-term position as Project Manager for the Science of Mind class brochures. The project was to last four months. Bill ended up staying with Science of Mind for 38 years. He did just about every job a layperson could do. He retired in 1989 as the Executive Director of Science of Mind Foundation. He is a direct link to the consciousness of Ernest Holmes. Not only was he a personal friend, but he also worked with Ernest on a daily basis from 1953 until 1960. Bill was a long time close friend of both Dr. John Hefferlin and Marian Hefferlin.
In March, 2007, Bill chose to resign and accept the offer of the Board to serve as Director Emeritus.
Rev. Doré Jacques Patlian-Minister Emeritus
The Hefferlin Foundation continues to miss the presence of Rev. Dore’ Patlian, who passed in 2022. As one of the earliest members of the Hefferlin Foundation, he served as Vice President and Chairperson of the Church Grants Committee, and his influence continues to be felt.
Dore’ was raised in a Religious Science household where his mother, Hildegard, was instrumental in his being healed of cerebral palsy by the use of Spiritual Mind Treatment (affirmative prayer). Hildegard often attended Dr. Holmes’ lectures at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles and that experience formed the basis of her understanding of spirituality and God.
After drifting away from Religious Science as a young man, Dore’ was re-introduced to this way of life at the Agape Science of Mind Center in Santa Monica, California. He felt like he had again “come home”. Because of this experience at Agape, and his long nonprofit agency experience as a Development Director for the Los Angeles Council, Boy Scouts of America, Dore’ accepted a position as Planned Giving Director at United Church of Religious Science’s Home Office in Los Angeles. This began his path to ministry where he served as a licensed Religious Science Minister and teacher of Science of Mind for over 30 years.
He has spoken in hundreds of Science of Mind and Unity churches across the length and breadth of the US and Canada, as well as assisted New Thought Churches with growth, marketing, fund development and strategic planning.
Dore’ was the Founder of a focus ministry (Awakened Heart Center for Spiritual Living), which was dedicated to spreading the “perennial philosophy” by blogs and podcasts to all who were ready to learn and grow. His ministry reached millions across the globe with the Science of Mind message of empowerment and love through his many video podcasts which can still be found on YouTube.com/revdore