Spiritual Director

Rev. Rainbow Weldon serves as the Spiritual Director and Senior Minister at Ahava CSL.

Originally hailing from Atlanta, Rainbow grew up steeped in New Thought principles and practices. She was licensed as a Practitioner in 2008, a Minister in 2016, and ordained with CSL in 2022.

But those are just the facts. Rainbow’s true passion lies in exploring the intersection between creativity and spirituality. As a young adult, she founded the Youth and Family Program at Bodhi Spiritual Center in Chicago, where she continued to serve in leadership in various capacities for 10 years including most recently as Assistant Minister.

Rev. Rainbow has a heart of service and has served the greater organization, Centers for Spiritual Living, through writing youth curriculum, participating on the Visioning Core, being on the Ministers and Practitioners Licensing Committee, and currently serves on the Events Team and the Spiritual Activism Taskforce, working to create a more just and equitable world through the lens of oneness.

In her free time, Rainbow loves dancing, reading, listening to music and podcasts, yoga, hiking and spending time with her wife Heather and their daughter Cadence. Together, they enjoy exploring the beauty of the bluegrass region they gratefully call home.

Core Council / Board of Directors

  • Ron Ison

    President, and Director of Fundraising.

  • Jean Williams

    Vice President, and Director of Volunteering.

  • Jennifer Epperly

    Treasurer, and Director of Financial Stewardship.

  • Heather Russell

    Secretary, and Director of Marketing.

  • Kathy Jones

    Member at Large, and Director of Community Development.

  • Seneca Holden

    Member at Large, and Director of Visibility.

Practitioners

An Ahava Practitioner is a professional, spiritual coach, licensed by Centers for Spiritual Living. Practitioners complete four years of study and must pass a comprehensive exam and an oral panel to practice. Additionally, practitioners are required to complete continuing service and education requirements.  

Practitioners are the healing arm of Ahava Center for Spiritual Living, prayerfully supporting the lives of those within our community. More than a vocation, being a practitioner is a way of life. Some Practitioners see individual clients for collaborative coaching, which emphasizes spiritual guidance and support.

Our Practitioners

  • Patty Cooper, RScP

    Patty found Ahava Center for Spiritual Living in 2009, shortly after it opened. What started as a quest to bring Ahava’s minister to her class on Women and Spirituality at the University of Kentucky, became a life changing experience turning her spiritual life in a wholly new direction. She became a licensed Practitioner in 2015 and retired from UK later that year. She wholeheartedly loves serving this remarkable spiritual community.

    Patty’s spiritual journey has included participating in the Woman Within trainings/circles and exploring Buddhism, Hinduism, and Native American philosophy. Patty brings all this experience to her life as a Practitioner. While she regularly participates in Sunday service and the Center’s Wednesday night metaphysical discussion, the focus of her ministry is her work related to Grief Support. She hosts an online meeting the first Saturday of each month for individuals grieving a loss and seeking a safe, loving place to express what they are experiencing.

    Patty embraces life with joy and gratitude. She loves nature and learning about native plants. Outside of Ahava and her Lexington home, her favorite place to be is Red River Gorge. As a Practitioner, Patty’s mission is to serve Ahava and assist others in creating and expressing joy, love and beauty in their own lives. Moreover, she is committed to social justice and helping create a world that works for everyone. Patty believes deeply in the power of prayer, and she is available for one-on-one coaching, personal prayer, hospital visits, house and pet blessings, memorials and other ceremonies. To email Patty click here.

  • Kim D'Amato, RScP

    Kim D’Amato became a licensed Practitioner in 2019.

    She is a songwriter and teacher who has been singing and playing music at Ahava since 2011.

    Her passion for aligning with Spirit and the infinite flow of life shines through her music ministry and her prayer work. As a Practitioner, Kim is available for prayer after service and will be serving our community through assigned platform duties, workshops and prayer and meditation services. To email Kim click here.

  • Nancy Ison, RScP

    Nancy is a native of Lexington, having deep roots in the Bluegrass. She and her husband Ron are founding members of Ahava Center for Spiritual Living. She serves as the bookkeeper for Ahava.

    Nancy received her Practitioner license in July 2015. She says within a month of meeting Ahava’s founding practitioner and hearing her pray, she knew she wanted to be a Practitioner. As a Practitioner, Nancy is available for prayer, spiritual guidance, and support. She co-facilitates a weekly study group of The Way of Mastery. She is open to creative ways to share her truth and joy.

    Nancy sees value in all spiritual paths, knowing God is everywhere present. She attended a Christian church as a child, finding Unity of Lexington in her early 20s. She has explored several spiritual traditions, beginning with a 12-step program (AA). She has studied Yogic philosophy and Hinduism, Shambala teachings, A Course in Miracles, and served a 7-year apprenticeship with a Hopi medicine woman.

  • Mari Anne Jayme, RScP

    Currently on leave.

  • Connie Moore, RScP

    Currently on leave.

Staff

  • Youth Coordinator, Heather Marsh-Prelesnik

    Heather Marsh-Prelesnik studied Voice and Elementary Education in college and has over twenty years of experience as a professional nanny. Previously Heather served as Co-Youth Director at Unity in Kalamazoo and has been a youth volunteer teacher at Bodhi Spiritual Center in Chicago. Heather had the opportunity to facilitate the elementary youth program at CSL's Asilomar Conference in 2008. Heather also has many years of experience teaching voice and theatre to children. Currently Heather is a stay-at-home mom and loving homeschooling her daughter Cadence.

    Heather's personal call and mission is facilitating the growth and development of children's mind, body, and spirit. She is excited to serve as the Youth Coordinator at Ahava because she believes that children learning practical spirituality and empathy at a young age will support them in growing into confident and successful adults.

  • Sunday Coordinator, Corabelle Hall

    Corabelle Hall (she/they) identifies as a trans-femme non-binary individual from Lexington, KY. She has been with Ahava for over a year now and is grateful to serve as the Sunday Coordinator. She also graces the stage as a local drag performer, and in her free time she enjoys advocating for her community. She is a board member of the Lexington Pride Center, as well as the Volunteer Liaison for the Lexington Pride Festival. She has her Masters in Psychology from Regent University, and works as Targeted Case Manager, Adult Peer Support Specialist, and Event Coordinator with Open Doors Counseling Center, an LGBTQIA+ specialized center in Lexington, KY. Working in the mental health field, she wants people to feel inspired by her training in hopes that they too will help advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community and show the world that love does exist. She was recently awarded the title of Kentucky Colonel after combining her advocacy work with the art of drag in 2023. She wants to remind us, “We must take hate and turn it into a message of love. There is always a silver lining, and life is a projection of our own unique experiences. Embrace your weird!”