The Director & Fellows

The Director

The Rev. Cheryl V. Minor, Ph.D., is the Director of the Center for the Theology of Childhood, the academic/publishing arm of the Godly Play Foundation. For the past eighteen years she has served a parish in the Diocese of Massachusetts, The Parish of All Saints’ Church in Belmont. Dr. Minor is also a Godly Play Trainer and has been deeply involved in designing the Godly Play Foundation’s training models.

Dr. Minor has a degree in Music Education from Boston University, an M.Div. from Virginia Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Psychology from Northcentral University in Scottsdale, Arizona. Her dissertation examined the impact of Godly Play on the spiritual well-being of children. Last summer she was in residence at Children’s Health – Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, Texas where Godly Play has been used as the chief pastoral intervention for the past thirty years.

Dr. Minor was the Consulting Editor for Volume 6, 7, and 8 of The Complete Guide to Godly Play, the newly revised edition of Teaching Godly Play, and is currently working with Dr. Jerome Berryman on the revised edition of The Complete Guide to Godly Play, Volumes 2, 3, and 4, which will be available in 2017. Her most recent academic articles were published in the International Journal of Children’s Spirituality.

Dr. Minor is an Episcopal Priest in the Diocese of Massachusetts. She and her husband Paul have been Co-Rectors of All Saints’ Church in Belmont for 18 years. Before serving in Belmont, they served churches in Manhattan and Philadelphia. They have two grown children – Rachel-Anne, a choral conductor, and John Thomas, a classical percussionist.

It was in Philadelphia that Dr. Minor discovered Godly Play and, she says, “found her life’s work!” She became a Godly Play Trainer in July, 2000. One of the perks of being a Co-Rector is that at least twice a month (and often more) she gets to be on the floor telling Godly Play stories to the children at All Saints’ while her husband takes care of the adults.

PUBLICATIONS:

Minor, C. & Campbell, R. (2016). The Parable of the Sower: a case study examining the use of the Godly Play method as a spiritual intervention on a psychiatric unit of a major children’s hospital. The International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 21 (1)., DOI: 10.1080/1364436X.2016.1150813

Minor, C. & Grant, B. (2014). Promoting spiritual well-being: a quasi-experimental test of an element of Hay and Nye’s theory of children’s spirituality. The International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 10 (3-4). DOI: 10.1080/1364436X.2014.960916

Berryman, J.W. (2012). The Complete Guide to Godly Play, Volume 8. (C. Minor, Consulting Editor). Denver, CO: Morehouse Education Resources, Inc.

Berryman, J.W. (2009). Teaching Godly Play: How to mentor the spiritual development of children (C. Minor, Consulting Editor). Denver, CO: Morehouse Education Resources, Inc.

Berryman, J.W. (2008). The Complete Guide to Godly Play, Volume 7. (C. Minor, Consulting Editor). Denver, CO: Morehouse Education Resources, Inc.

Berryman, J.W. (2006). The Complete Guide to Godly Play, Volume 6. (C. Minor, Consulting Editor). Denver, CO: Living the Good News.

Center for the Theology of Childhood Fellows

The Center for the Theology of Childhood accepts applications to become a Fellow of the Center. Fellows travel to Denver to study at the Center’s library for five days (or longer). Fellows must identify an academic project they hope to move forward by spending time at the Center. The Center may assist with publishing of the final project. The Senior Fellow of the Center The Rev. Dr. Jerome Berryman, or the Director of the Center The Rev. Cheryl V. Minor, Ph.D. will be available to help orient the Fellow to the library and consult on the project. The cost for becoming a Fellow is $500.00 per week.

Previous Fellows

Professor Brendan Hyde
2009 (1-15-09 to 1-15-10)
Catholic University, Australia

Project: The Search for Catholic University,Theology of Childhood: Essays by Jerome W. Berryman from 1978-2009 (Ballarat, Australia: Modotti Press, 2013)

Professor Robert Hurley
2010 (6-28-10 to 7-310)
University of Laval, Quebec City, Canada

Project: Preparation of lectures concerning books written for children about children’s spirituality.

Professor Rune Oystese
2011
Associate Prof. at NLA University College (NLA Hogskolen), Bergen, Norway

Project: A strategic approach to integrating Godly Play with Lutheran Church of Norway catechesis.

The Rev. Canon Dr. Andrew Sheldon
2012 (week of 14 May)
Rector All Saints Kingsway Anglican Church, Toronto, ON, Canada

Project: Study traditional and emerging view of children’s spirituality and the theology of childhood as a means to enhance the church’s ministry with children. Preparation for a lecture.

The Rev. Chris Ditzenberger
2012 (June, July, August)
Rector, St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, Denver, CO

Project: Reading and tutorial concerning pastoral care during summer of sabbatical.