About SIM

Executive Director, Courtney Cowart, Th.D.

Dr. Cowart is a scholar in the fields of ascetical theology and American church history whose work has explored the relationship of spiritual practice and leadership. She holds both an M.A. and a Th.D. from The General Theological Seminary in New York. Immediately prior to becoming Executive Director of SIM she served as Associate Dean and Director of the Beecken Center at the School of Theology, University of the South, in Sewanee, TN. There Courtney gathered and created cutting-edge formation resources from across the church to create a hub of continuing theological education and training for all the baptized.

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, in her role as program officer for spiritual formation and development grants at Trinity Church Wall Street in New York City, Cowart hosted the Archbishop of Canterbury, and a group of spiritual formation practitioners, for the filming of a Lenten series: The Shaping of Holy Lives. The events of the morning and their impact on Cowart's ministries, first as a founder of the 24/7 respite center for recovery workers at St Paul's Chapel immediately following 9/11, and four years later as founding co-director of the office of disaster response for the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina, are vividly chronicled in her book published in 2008, An American Awakening: From 9/11 to Katrina the People We Are Free To Be.
In 2010, Cowart left New Orleans to become Director of Congregational Learning for The Fund for Theological Education in Atlanta. At FTE she developed and taught congregations shared practices for shaping the next generation of Christian leadership. These practices, informed by her experiences of ministry innovation and evangelism in the context of catastrophe, equip persons of faith to generate communities of safety, dignity, alliance, and resilience. She views the regeneration of these essentials for human thriving as central to the work of the church and its leadership, as Christians struggle against institutions and social norms that perpetuate violence and domination, and seek to establish contrasting ones supporting non-violence and peace.
In her role at SIM, Dr. Cowart, is applying her varied background in theological education, program and curricula development, and building leadership capacity for the church, to expand and strengthen The Society for the Increase of the Ministry's mission. She believes through artful recruitment of outstanding leaders and funding of scholarships for theological training and Episcopal education, we can transform the leadership of the Episcopal Church, making it more faithful to deep spiritual practice, innovative, culturally diverse, and outwardly engaged.

 

 

Associate Director, James M. Goodmann

James M. Goodmann is a graduate of the University of St. Michael's College of the University of Toronto and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Yale University Divinity School. With a lifelong dedication to vocational discernment with undergraduates and young adults, Goodmann serves as the Associate Director for the Society for the Increase of the Ministry (SIM) in New York. Before joining SIM, Goodmann was Director for program at The Beecken Center of The School of Theology at the University of the South (2013-2018). Previously, he served as director of congregational grants and regional director for the Southwest at The Fund for Theological Education* (FTE) in Atlanta, Ga. (2007–12).  Prior to that, he led the Lilly Endowment-funded Theological Exploration of Vocation at Sewanee, with a focus on working with undergraduates in discernment practices and programs. His additional work in co-designing frameworks for discernment and leadership development have been with three Episcopal dioceses, the leadership council of the Disciples of Christ and with 32 United Methodist conferences. Goodmann has also overseen initiatives for youth and young adult leadership in 73 congregations, across the spectrum of Christian denominations.

* now Forum for Theological Exploration

 

 

 

 

Missioner, Mari Shiukashvili

Mari Shiukashvili, currently serving as the Missioner for Theological Formation, Leadership and Pastoral Care at SIM, recently graduated from Candler School of Theology, Emory University. Her academic focus centered on the intersection of faith-based management, theology and Christian ethics. Originally from Georgia, the country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Mari has dedicated much of her life to providing leadership in diverse and multicultural spaces across corporate, academic and nonprofit sectors. She earned an MBA in General & International Management jointly from Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia, and IAE Gustave Eiffel School of Management, Paris, France. Prior to moving to the U.S. she worked as a Tax Associate at BDO, Georgia, for over 5 years. Mari’s transition from a career in tax advising to theology was driven by her strong desire to work for a meaningful cause. In the Fall of 2020, she began her Master of Theological Studies program at Candler, integrating her corporate experience with her lifelong commitment to the growth of God’s church. During her time at Candler, Mari closely worked with the school’s leadership, student body, and various religious organizations, and served diverse communities through spiritual guidance, fellowship, and pastoral care. She dedicated much of her time to advancing social justice initiatives as well as helping various churches and faith communities in optimizing resources and reimagining their futures. As a Missioner at SIM, Mari utilizes her rich background in faith-based leadership to support the Episcopal Church in expanding its ministry through scholarships, teaching, and research. Having personally benefitted from a number of life-changing scholarships and fully funded educational programs, Mari views her work at SIM as a blessing, enabling her to contribute to the Church’s transformative journey into the future. Mari is married to Salmoon, an Episcopal priest currently serving at the Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta, GA.

 

 

Board Members

The Rev, Hilary Greer, Chair

David Hilder, Treasurer

Constance Perry, Board Secretary and Chair, Scholarships Committee

Mark Grayson

The Rev. Linda Spiers

Miriam G. Willard McKenney, DIrector of Development, Forward Movement

The Rt. Rev. Brian Cole, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee

Scholarship Committee

Ms. Constance Perry, Chair, Co-Leader, Traces of the Trade Project

Ms. Miriam G Willard McKenney, Director of Development, Forward Movement

The Right Rev. Dr. James Tengatenga, Distinguished Visiting Professor of Global Anglicanism, School of Theology, Sewanee 

Mr. Dain Perry, Co-Leader, Traces of the Trade Project 

Dr. Courtney Cowart, Executive Director, Society for the Increase of the Ministry (SIM)

Mr. James Goodmann, Associate Director, Society for the Increase of the Ministry