I care about the soul - your soul, my soul and the soul of our leadership.

How do people change—really? has been my question for a long time, partly because I am so aware of my own need to change and partly because I’ve hung around the church for so long and have seen so little real change there, despite all its big promises.

Encountering the richness of the broader Christian tradition in the midst of my own desire has led me to reclaim practices and experiences that spiritual seekers down through the ages have used to open themselves to God’s transforming work. For many years I have been privileged to teach and consult with leadership teams in the areas of leadership transformation, corporate leadership discernment, and spiritual community which means I’ve had a ringside seat to witnessing how God brings about change in the lives of individuals and in communities as they gather.

I have been a student, a practitioner and a leader in the area of Christian spirituality and spiritual formation for over twenty years. It was my own journey into practices offered by the broader Christian tradition that led me to start the Transforming Center - communities of men and women who gather around the presence of Christ for the purpose of spiritual transformation in order to discern and do the will of God. It also planted within me a desire to see churches become centers of spiritual transformation as well.

While I have had the privilege of studying under many wonderful teachers and in many respected institutions, the most valuable preparation for doing what I do has been my training in spiritual direction (Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation) so many years ago. In whatever context I find myself... writing, teaching, preaching, retreat leading... I am always present as a spiritual director, trying to sense what God is doing in the room and helping leaders and the communities they serve touch their deepest desires to experience God’s transforming presence more fully.

"My desire—whether I am writing, speaking, or leading retreats—is to guide you into encounters with God that will strengthen the soul of your leadership.  Truly, the best thing any of us can bring to leadership is our own transforming selves. That is the journey I am committed to and it is the journey to which you are invited as well."

-Ruth

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GO DEEPER

Books

Author of numerous books on the spiritual life including Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership

Podcast

Discover how forging a life-giving connection with God is the best thing you bring to leadership.

Blog

Reflections for the souls of pastors, leaders, and influencers—and the communities they serve.

The Goodness is in the Rhythm

In her new book Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again, Ruth Haley Barton offers hard-won wisdom and practical steps for developing rhythms of work and rest that bring life—to us and to the communities we lead. 

Purchase wherever you buy books.

When you buy something using book links, the Transforming Center, founded by Ruth Haley Barton, earns a small commission.

 to stir your soul

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"A good journey begins with knowing where we are and being willing to go someplace else."

Richard Rohr

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"Ask me not where I live or what I like to eat... Ask me what I am living for and what I think is keeping me from living fully for that."

Thomas Merton

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"The soul is like a wild animal—tough, resilient, resourceful, savvy.  But it is also shy…. if we will walk quietly into the woods, sit patiently by the base of the tree, and fade into our surroundings, the wild animal we seek might put in an appearance."

Parker Palmer

Experience rhythms of work and rest with Ruth Haley Barton

The Transforming Center® founded by Ruth Haley Barton is the home of one of the longest running spiritual formation experiences for pastors and spiritual leaders. The Transforming Community® guides leaders in establishing sacred rhythms to sustain their life in leadership. Each retreat is led by Ruth Haley Barton, a student, a practitioner, a teacher, and an authority in the area of Christian spiritual formation and spiritual leadership. 

 
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