Retreat Ministry Team

Miriam Dixon
Miriam (Mimi) Dixon began her ministry in 1979 serving as an associate pastor at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Seattle, Washington. From 1985 to 2019 she served as senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Golden, Colorado. She earned both her MDiv and DMin degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary. Mimi is on the Renovaré Board of Directors and teaches for the Renovaré Institute. She actively promotes Christian Spiritual Formation, crediting Richard Foster and Dallas Willard for their influence in her life and ministry.

Kai Nilsen
Kai Nilsen is Senior Pastor of Incarnation Lutheran in Shoreview, Minnesota. Previously he served as lead pastor at Peace Lutheran Church in Columbus, Ohio, after having joined the staff in 1993. Beyond his pastoral work, Kai is on the Renovaré Ministry Team and teaches in the Renovaré Institute for Spiritual Formation. In 2009, Kai completed his Doctor of Ministry degree through Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, California. Kai’s book Renew Your Life: Discovering the Wellspring of God’s Energy was published in the fall of 2015. Kai and his wife Patty are parents of four children—Anders, Annika, Leif and Siri.

Nathan Foster
Nathan is Director of Community Life at Renovaré. He heads up Fellowship of the Burning Heart and hosts the Renovaré Podcast. Formerly, he was an Associate Professor of social work and served as the Andrews Chair in Spiritual Formation at Spring Arbor University. He was also a licensed clinical social worker and certified addictions counselor. Nathan has published two books, including The Making of an Ordinary Saint: My Journey from Frustration to Joy with the Spiritual Disciplines.

Lacy Finn Borgo
Lacy Finn Borgo teaches and provides spiritual direction for the Renovaré Institute, for the DMin. in Spiritual Direction at Fuller Theological Seminary and at Portland Seminary. She provides spiritual direction for adults through GoodDirtMinistries.org and spiritual direction for children at Haven House. Her book Spiritual Conversations with Children: Listening to God Together published with IVP, is now available. Lacy lives on a small farm on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains. The rhythms of the earth have formed and shaped her.

Ted Harro
Ted Harro serves as President of Renovaré. He is a graduate of the Renovaré Institute and the founder of Noonday Ventures, a strategy and leadership development firm. Ted has studied and taught inside-out transformation for more than 20 years. He and his wife Gretchen have been married since 1988 and have been partners in marriage ministry for over 25 years. They have invested in hundreds of couples as mentors, teachers, retreat leaders, writers, and co-founders of a ministry for newlyweds.

Sean Nemecek
Sean Nemecek brings 18 years of pastoral experience to his work in caring for pastors. Sean has written over 100 articles for his blog The Pastor’s Soul where he’s working to combat pastoral burnout by training churches to care for their pastors and training pastors to care for their own souls. His book, The Weary Leader’s Guide to Burnout, comes out of his own experience and coaching other pastors through burnout. He is married to Amy, a book editor for Baker Publishing Group, and they have one son.

Tim Young
Tim has a heart to walk with people in ministry. He has served the church for almost 25 years in various pastoral roles with the C&MA in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, and Washington. He has lived in the joys and challenges of pastoral ministry and understands the unique toll and pressures that pastors and their families face. Having navigated his own healing journey, he has experienced points of God’s miraculous grace. Tim and Jewel have been married for 29 years and have four children. They currently live in Sandusky, Ohio.

Monty Harrington
Monty Harrington is a dedicated events coordinator who has worked with Renovare in various capacities for over two decades. In addition to his role at Renovaré, his deep connection to Renovaré and its history, as well as his strong interpersonal skills, make him a valuable asset to the team. Monty is married to Kelly. They have three daughters and one dog.