About Us
Who We Are
Partners in Pilgrimage is the partnership between Anne Blackwood and Charlene Epp. Together, we accompany individuals and groups in spiritual companionship (or spiritual direction), conflict transformation, vision finding, formal teaching, retreat leading, and more.
Our separate practices are established and have been functioning for 39 years combined. Partners in Pilgrimage expands our reach in supporting the health of individuals and groups.
Anne Blackwood and Charlene Epp have over 60 years (combined) in vocational calls to serve people and creation. Their contexts for living their call have included family, spiritual community, neighborhoods, employment in healthcare settings, teaching, group facilitation, and organizational consulting.
Their experiences have located them on the East and West coasts, in the Midwest, in urban and rural, underserved and affluent settings. Their differences in cultural and racial backgrounds serve as a storehouse of resources to share, grounded in an ever-deepening 30+ year friendship.
Anne Blackwood
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Anne is a physician, trained as a medical oncologist, who has worked in academic medicine, patient care, and cancer drug development for 30 years. Beginning in 2015, Anne pursued discernment at Mercy Center (Burlingame, CA), and then received training in the art of spiritual direction at San Francisco Theological Seminary (San Anselmo, CA). She received supervision training through Spiritual Directors International, and Eastern Mennonite University (Harrisonburg, VA). Anne has also served on the Steering committee of Christian Peacemaker Teams and of Health in Harmony, a trailblazing Planetary Health organization. Through her spiritual direction and supervision practices, the teaching of spiritual direction (at both of her seminaries), and her work with peacemaking and creation care organizations, Anne accompanies others in exploring their deepest beliefs and experiences, as balm for difficult times and as a window into the directions into which they feel invited, and the steps they can take on their journey toward spiritual freedom, authenticity, connection, and change-making.
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My work in spiritual direction seeks to accompany others, especially those called to the work of compassion, peace and justice, in exploring their deepest beliefs and experiences, as balm for difficult times and as a window into the paths to which they feel called, and the steps they can take on their journey toward spiritual freedom, authenticity, and connection.
Charlene Epp
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I am a Spiritual Practitioner, drawing from years of experience as a trained Spiritual Director, Interim Pastor, Board Certified Chaplain, Regional Conference Minister, District Pastor, and teacher. I serve as a Board member for AQORD (a national association empowering values-aligned health and human service organizations to lead with excellence, integrity, and purpose) and Root ‘n Renew (offering transformative, nature-based healing experiences to support emotional recovery and personal growth). As a Chaplain, my care was in acute care, Level 1 trauma centers, hospice and religious settings. Along with entire hospital coverage, I served on Palliative Care teams and provided specialized care to the in- and out-patient Behavioral Health Unit, Breast Cancer Center, Emergency Department, Labor & Delivery, Mother/Baby, NICU, Pediatrics, and PICU. My chaplaincy care included staff support based on trauma-informed models, offering staff reconnection of role with soul. I received my Master of Divinity degree from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary and am ordained in Mennonite Church USA. I taught elementary and preschool children from large urban to small rural migrant communities. I am a Spiritual Director, co-facilitating groups and companioning individuals in their spiritual walk.
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Through deep listening presence, I gently ask questions encouraging Directees to reflect on what is Sacred in the midst of their life experience, how the Divine may be beckoning them, and honoring their readiness, pace, and choice response. Hosting space for clarifying how belonging, forgiveness, grief, hope, and meaning or purpose are in the context of their life experience of the Holy is part of our journey together.
Who We Serve
Individuals
Physicians, nurses, and other health care workers
Pastors, chaplains and other spiritually affiliated workers
Activists
Educators
Persons interested in exploring their connection to the Transcendent
Non-profit workers
Environmental justice advocates
Groups
Mission-driven organizations
Social change organizations
Congregations and communities
Those seeking to contribute to supportive community