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A weekend apart that transforms pastors to change the world
providing a place to retreat and seek encouragement and healing
Advisory Board
Founder and Director
OKC, OK
Rev. Dr. Kelly Diehl Yates
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Dr. Yates holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Southern Nazarene University. She completed her doctorate in historical theology at the University of Manchester/Nazarene Theological College in 2018. She has been a senior pastor and associate pastor in the Church of the Nazarene in Oklahoma and Arkansas, and is currently on the pastoral staff at OKC First Church. She teaches for Indiana Wesleyan University, and has two published books and several published articles. For a list of her publications, click here.
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Rev. Shari Palmer
Pastor of Golden Church of the Nazarene
Golden, CO
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Rev. Palmer has been the senior pastor of Golden Church of the Nazarene in Golden, CO for 14 years. She values authenticity and connecting with other pastors as part of her self care. She enjoys hiking with her husband, David, and two sons, Ryan and Will.
Rev. Ken Murray
Retired Pastor in the Church of the Nazarene
OKC, OK
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Rev. Murray served in active ministry in the Church of the Nazarene for 50 years. For most of those years he was the solo pastor in smaller churches. In 2019 he retired as office manager for the Oklahoma District Church of the Nazarene and accepted the ministry of Shepherding Pastor at OKC 1st Church. In that capacity he works to help local and district licensed ministers in the development of their individual callings. He and his wife Margaret have two children and five grandchildren.
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Margaret Murray, LPC, LMFT
Licensed therapist
OKC, OK
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Margaret has been the wife of a minister for 51 years. In that position, she served in multiple capacities. She completed her Master's Degree in Counseling in 1988 and began her career as a therapist at Samaritan Counseling Center in Shreveport, LA. She became the Executive Director of the Center in 1994. She served in that position until 2002 when she and her husband moved to Oklahoma. She was employed as a therapist in the campus counseling center at Southern Nazarene University for several years and supervised Master's Counseling students. Additionally, she taught in the university's Masters in Counseling program. She currently is in private practice which she began in 2005. She believes strongly in God's direction in her life to become a therapist and is grateful for the opportunity to be WITH people in pain and assist them in walking through the difficult times.
Rev. Drew Dinnel
Pastor of Muskogee Church of the Nazarene
Muskogee, OK
Mindy Banz
Mindy Banz, a native of Oklahoma, has been in civil service with the Air Force both in Oklahoma and at the Pentagon in DC for the last 29 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in History and a master’s degree in Theological Studies from Southern Nazarene University. She was a certified Master Resilience Trainer as well as Gallup Strengths Performance coach during her tenure in civil service and continues to embody her training from her signature themes of Connectedness, Woo, Communication, Harmony, and Responsibility. She is a long-time member of OKC First Church, where she’s served on the Board, facilitated Sunday School and small groups, sung in the choir, and championed social justice initiatives, including eradicating food insecurity and criminal justice reform. Mindy’s sole claim to fame is being the world’s greatest aunt to Nathan, Caleb, Hailey Grace, Maggie, Hannah, and Lily Faith. She is a lover of Jesus, people, words, laughter, all things sports-related, and the color green. If she could live anywhere in the world besides Oklahoma, you would find her in Ireland.
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