Foundational Purpose
Sacred Well Congregation International was founded in 1994 as a Universalist, independent, non-evangelical Wiccan Church, organized for the purpose of conducting and promoting religious study, worship and ordination of clergy in Wicca while also embracing early on other alternative Spiritual Paths. Since then, while retaining our original focus, our membership and services have grown more inclusive to provide open, public venues, fellowship and training for the practice of Natured Centered religions. We promote community benevolence efforts, spiritual counseling, and religious educational programs, and provide extensive spiritual and administrative support to service members, their families and military communities. SWCI now sponsors hospital Chaplains, military Distinctive Religious Groups, and is a recognized Ecclesiastical Endorsing Organization with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Board of Chaplaincy Certification, Inc. (BCCI). SWCI provides denominational sponsorship to those groups and faith group leaders whose congregants and officials require it to sponsor their practice. Finally, in conjunction with multiple educational institutions, and as a member of BCCI, SWCI provides an intern program resulting in ordination of professional clergy for a myriad of Nature Centered Spiritualities.
Vision
To be a safe, welcoming, inclusive fellowship of Nature Based clergy and practitioners and a forum of higher learning supporting all spiritualists who come seeking.
Mission
Sponsor, endorse and provide infrastructure for Nature-Centered military and community groups; provide support, education and assistance to the served community and beyond; provide information and resources for chaplains, military and community leaders and Nature Based practitioners.
Ethics and Equality
Sacred Well Congregation International (SWCI) strives to be as inclusive as possible in our organizational makeup, philosophy and conduct of affairs. SWCI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, mental or physical disability, political belief or affiliation, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any aspect of the access to, admission, or treatment of congregants in its programs and activities, or in employment and volunteer assignments and application for employment or other positions of membership or leadership. Furthermore, SWCI organizational policy includes prohibitions of harassment of students, members and employees/volunteers, i.e. racial harassment, sexual harassment, and retaliation for filing complaints of discrimination.
REV. SHANE NELSON
Executive Director, Dir. of Military Affairs
Shane is a healer, a teacher, a chaplain, and a ritual leader that has been actively walking his path of Nature-Centered Spirituality for over twenty years. His path has led him…
REV. WILLOW ORINGDERFF
Vice Executive Director
Willow Oringderff was born and raised in a small town in Belgium. In March 2003 Willow signed up for coven training. About a year later she first heard about SWC and she became…
REV. RONALD SCHAEFER
Executive Director Emeritus
Ron Schaefer (Astralaya) was born in Sinton, Texas. He grew up in Germany and later in all points in Texas, finally landing (until college) in Victoria, Texas. It was there he met…
REV. DR. DAVID ORINGDERFF, PHD
Executive Director Emeritus
Dr. Oringderff is a graduate of Dallas Baptist University, and holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Bowie State University (Maryland) and a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology from…
DR. ILLARA SILVERBREEZE, MD
Congregational Secretary
Illara has a Bachelors of Science from Rochester Institute of Technology, a Doctor of Medicine from University of Maryland, and completed her residency in Family Medicine in…
REV. DEA MIKEWORTH
Director of IT
Dea is Wife, Mother, Priestess, and Witch. She is also mistress of all things web-related. Dea was born and raised in a small Southeaster Illinois town. In 2000, she married her high school…
REV. DAWN LARSEN
Director of Institutional Ministry
Dawn Larsen is the mother of Abby and David Larsen, both married and living in Kansas City. She served the US Army as a chaplain on both Joint Task Force Alaskan Road and with…
REV. THEODORA PENDRAGON
Director of Public Affairs
Theodora Pendragon is an ordained Cleric and Priestess through Sacred Well Congregation and serves on the Board of Deacons as Director of Public Affairs. The military has been her…
Helene Dee
Director of Community Ministry
Helene began her journey into Paganism while studying physics in the early 1990s and has always loved a mix of science and spirituality. She was an active-duty Air Force…
JENNIFER CHASSE
Director of Prison Ministry
Merry Meet! My name is Jennifer Chasse. My craft name is Coyote. I have lived in the Mojave Desert almost all of my life and my husband gave me that name. The desert is my…
RON PADRON
Director of Training and Education
TRon Padrón (he/him/his) is a gay Cuban-American hedge priest from the swamps of Florida now living in the mid-Atlantic with his husband and their small cryptid dog. He has…
WES ISLEY
Congregational Chaplain
After a job lay-off and a series of family deaths, Rev. Wes Isley felt a nudge to pursue full-time spiritual service after a career in magazine publishing. He received his MDiv from…
REV. RENÉ DELAERE
Greencraft VZW Liaison
Arghuicha was born in Brugge in 1944. He studied Latin and Greek in Brugge and later math and theoretic physics at the John Orr Technical High school in Johannesburg, South Africa…
VACANT
Congregational Archivist
The position of Director of Training and Education is currently vacant…
VACANT
Director of Outreach Ministry
The position of Director of Outreach Ministry is currently vacant…
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The Sacred Well Congregation
Campaign #10657
Donate to
The Sacred Well Congregation
Please use our Campaign #10657 to make your contribution.