Julia Mattis
Board President
Board President Julia Mattis has been an active member of the Columbia CSL community for over 6 years. In addition to serving on the Board Of Trustees, she is also co-leader of the Women’s Group, is a member of the Spiritual Leadership Team and serves on the heart to heart team. Involved in a lifetime of spiritual growth and discovery, upon one visit to Columbia CSL and she felt like her search had ended!
Now as a licensed Science of Mind practitioner, she endeavors to bring spiritual practices and principles into all aspects of her personal and professional life. Julia has been a successful licensed Realtor with Re/Max Advantage Realty and has been practicing in the community for over 30 years. Julia and her husband Garth have hosted over 31 international exchange daughters from around the world and currently have 25 global grandchildren (and counting!).
Julia also serves as a Commissioner for the Howard County Commission on Aging and serves as Treasurer for the Heritage Housing Partnership which provides affordable housing options in Howard County. Her other board involvement includes work on Howard County Tourism, the Village in Howard, the Howard County Association of Realtors, The Howard County Million Dollar Real Estate club and on the advisory board for Re/Max Advantage Realty. When not volunteering for Columbia CSL and in the community, Julia enjoys playing golf and traveling the world to visit her extensive international family.
Don Henderson
Advisory Role
I was introduced to Science of Mind when my wife, Jane, and I were engaged and looking for a church to have our wedding back in the early 1980’s. My Father-in-Law was one of the founding members of what was then called The Columbia Church of Religious Science. As a community, we have gone through a couple of name changes, but the spirit of the community continues. I have had the pleasure of serving our community for several decades in various capacities. My current term on the Board is my third opportunity to serve the community in this way. These are challenging times and we are a strong and committed group of like-minded Spiritual practitioners. I look forward to continuing to serve and help facilitate our transition into what comes next!
Andrea Brachfeld
Treasurer
When I first moved to the Baltimore area I had a strong feeling that there was a spiritual community in the area and that they were calling to me! Spirit guided me to a jazz jam session where I met Aaron Hill, the pianist. When I friended him on Facebook I noticed that he was also friends with Columbia CSL. That was it! I immediately contacted Julia and the rest was divine guidance and sweet connections! I began my spiritual path at age 15 when “The Autobiography of a Yogi” came to me in a spiritual bookstore in the West Village in New York City. From that time I learned about meditation and have continued my practice. Next was my first yoga class at age 16 at Swami Satchidananda’s center called the Integral Yoga Institute.I have studied Sufism, Buddhism, Judaism, have been a Krishna devotee, studied the Urantia Book and am currently involved with Christ Consciousness and the Science of Mind. The Science of Mind way of thought encompasses all that I have studied and I’m so glad I found Columbia Center for Spiritual Living! What a beautiful community of like-minded souls! As far as my earthly life, I taught ESL and Bilingual education for 26 years and am a professional musician having played piano since I was six years old and flute since I was ten. I’ve been involved with community service for many years. I served as the president of my neighborhood association in Jersey City, as well as served as neighborhood watch captain in South Brunswick. I am so happy to serve on this board and want everyone to know I am at your service!
Karen Brown
My introduction to Science of Mind was with my beloved teacher, Rev. Nancy Stepp some 20 years ago. Like many, I found my spiritual home immediately (through my tears) at the very first service. I will always be grateful to Rev. Nancy and to Ernest Holmes for this incredible teaching – and way of life. It has offered so many paths to Truth and a reverence and approach for life I had been missing. Since then, I’ve taken many awesome classes, and served on many committees and prayer circles that have enriched my life with blessings beyond measure. In addition to serving on the Board at our Center, I have served on the Board of Directors of the APL Federal Credit Union in different capacities for over 25 years. It will be a true honor to be part of our Board and will take the opportunity to listen to our congregation’s desires, concerns, and aspirations. I am blessed to know all of you and look forward to the coming years as we experience the love and joy of renewal and growth and the time when we can once again do what we do best! Hugs and much love to all!
Marijane Thompson
B. Amon James
I believe that my varied life experiences give me the tools and ability to serve the Columbia CSL community as a member of its Board of Directors. My goal is to help the community heal from recent challenges. I also hope to help Columbia CSL grow even stronger so that it can be an even greater beacon of Light and Faith in Columbia, MD and beyond. In 1991 I first started practicing the New Thought understanding of God and Life as a member of Unity of Washington, DC, where I have served as co-leader of the Prayer Ministry, teacher, speaker, lay leader, soloist, and youth choir director. I was also the Minister of Music for the Unity Center of Light in Bowie, MD from 1992-1997, and in the 90s served as a Board member of Us-Helping-Us, Inc. In 2002 I was ordained as a Minister by the National Spiritual Science Center of Washington, DC. My introduction to Science of Mind came through the Science of Mind “Guide for Spiritual Living” magazine around 1999. Since then, I have regularly read the magazine and its teachings, and was thrilled to actually become a member of a Columbia Center for Spiritual Living in 2018. Here at Columbia CSL I serve as a leader of the Music Ministry, a member of the Prayer Ministry, the Sunday Presiders and the Sunday Readers. By day, I am a government attorney whose work focuses on commercial litigation. And last, but certainly not least, I am privileged to be husband to Joe, and dad to Jermill and Sariah.