My name is Thomas Cary Kinder, and I am the creator of this website. I am a contemplative spiritual teacher and pastor, Life Planner, writer and activist, and since all of those dimensions find their way into this website, I will offer some background information about each below.

But first, for a more personal introduction, I’ll read a sonnet I wrote many years ago that relates to the purpose of this website.

You can read the sonnet text and an introduction to it on my other website at https://thomascarykinder.com/2020/06/18/the-choice/.

Background

Contemplative Spiritual Teacher and Pastor: 

Consistent meditation practice for 45 years

Training and retreats in Hindu, Buddhist and Christian traditions

Training as Presenter on Centering Prayer by Contemplative Outreach

Teacher and leader of church-based weekly contemplative practice groups for over 20 years

Ordained and active United Church of Christ Pastor since 1999, currently the pastor of the United Church of Strafford, Vermont

M. Div. Harvard Divinity School

Courses in religion and philosophy at Princeton University

9 courses in religion at the Phillips Exeter Academy in the department built by Frederich Buechner, with a senior project on spiritual journals studying Thomas Merton and others, which began a daily practice of my own spiritual writing for the next twenty years

Childhood of training from my first spiritual teacher, my mother, a contemplative and mystic

Life Planner: 

Registered Life Planner of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning (founded by my brother, George Kinder)

Trainer and leader of 5 Day Workshops, Mentorships and Life Planning Mastery Days

In progress on a book, Lessons in Life Planning Mastery

Writer: 

Graduate of the Creative Writing Program of the English Department, Princeton University, 1977

Courses in creative nonfiction and homiletics while at Harvard University

Three time prize winner in the Bloodroot Literary Magazine poetry contest

Three time Pushcart Prize nominee

In progress on several poetry collections, a collection of hymn texts and liturgical writings

Author of over 5,000 sonnets and 1,000 sermons

Activist:

Twentieth Century:

Fund for Secure Energy, Executive Director

Safe Energy Communication Council, Director

Sane/Freeze, Media consultant

Working Land Fund, Co-founder and Executive Director

Twenty-first Century:

Co-leader of a church-based Nonviolence Group

Pastor serving two congregations that became Open and Affirming (open to and affirming of all sexual orientations and gender identities), and one that was an outspoken leader promoting Vermont’s Freedom to Marry bill

Pastor serving congregations leading on peace, justice and environmental issues including the climate crisis and Black Lives Matter