Board of Directors

About our Board

Our Administrative Board of Directors oversees the business and logistical aspects of the Chapel. Like our ministers and everyone who has kept the Chapel open and running for the last 40 years—they are all volunteers.

Our Board of Directors is elected by our membership annually in December in accordance with Chapel by-laws.

Meetings

The Board of Directors usually meets on the first Sunday of the month following Chapel services, from 1pm-3pm. Board meetings are open for non-board members to sit in and observe.
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Our Ministers meet separately, but also have at least one representative at Board meetings; Ministerial review and approval is required for all spiritually-related actions at the Chapel, including new or guest speaker approvals, class/teaching event approval, etc.

Proposals (e.g. requests for classes, events, other discussion topics, etc.) should be submitted to the Board at least two weeks prior to a meeting whenever possible, so all directors and ministers have an opportunity to review beforehand. You can find additional information and links to submit proposals here.

Elizabeth Rodriguez

Elizabeth has been a member of the chapel for about 17 years (since July of 2007). She has served as a presider, as part of the hospitality committee, became a Laying on of Hands (LOH) healer at the Chapel in 2022, and supports the pre-Sunday Services healing ministry.

Elizabeth came to the United States from England when she was 20 yrs old. Her husband at the time was Air Force. They lived in Brooklyn, New York, North Carolina, and Georgia, before going overseas to Germany, and traveled extensively. She then moved to Virginia in 1992 after divorce. She has three amazing girls, many grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She is a petsitter & currently has 12 cats. Elizabeth's life partner takes care of them when she is doing one of the things she loves to do: travel.

Elizabeth enjoys being around like minded people, and has studied under Loretta Klecz & Rev. Jenny Seeley for Psychic Development & Healing, and Nan Keenan & Laurie Seeley for Shamanic Practitioner training. She looks forward to continuing to learn different spiritual modalities. ​

Susan Jarek

Susan Jarek is a board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with a Master of Science in Nursing and over 20 years of experience supporting healing at the mental, emotional, and spiritual levels. She is a Certified Medical Intuitive, a Reiki Master, and an Advanced Practitioner of Meridian Energetics®—a multidimensional energy healing modality that works with a 12-chakra system and the body’s meridian network to clear trauma, restore energetic flow, and bring the system into greater alignment.

Susan’s spiritual journey began with a spontaneous kundalini awakening that profoundly shifted her life and opened the door to deep intuitive and energetic awareness. She later received immersive one-on-one mentorship in shamanic healing practices including soul retrieval, extraction, death and dying transitions, and shadow integration. Her work is rooted in compassion, clarity, and a commitment to helping others reclaim their inner power and peace.

Susan serves as a Director-at-Large on the Metaphysical Chapel of Life’s Board of Directors and is an active presence in the chapel community. She offers intuitive readings—both independently and through the chapel’s psychic fairs—using automatic writing to receive and share soul-level insight. She also holds monthly intuitive message circles at the chapel for the community and regularly serves as a reader and message bearer at chapel events.

A longtime spiritual seeker, Susan felt an immediate resonance with the chapel’s inclusive and heart-centered mission. Through both her healing work and board service, she seeks to support others on their path of awakening with presence, depth, and spiritual integrity.

President

Vice President

MSN, PMHNP-BC

Barbara Moen

Barbara Moen first came to the chapel in April of 2008 when she attended the Psychic Fair. It had such a profound effect on her that she spent the rest of the afternoon driving the backroads of Smithfield in deep contemplation of what was taking place inside of her. She didn’t know what it was but she knew that her life had changed.

She began attending services and classes and officially joined the chapel on August 3rd, 2008. It wasn’t long before she was “encouraged” to run for the treasurer’s position in the upcoming election. She began her commitment to the board in January, 2009. Little did she know that this would be a lifetime commitment.

Barbara had previous experience as the untitled treasurer with the Tidewater United Church of Christ in Virginia Beach. TUCC was a new church start at that time and met in schools and various other places until they were able to purchase land and build their own church building. Barbara assisted the pastor in counting the offering and keeping track of donators for tax purposes. Her duties were not as extensive as her current ones but it did provide a solid foundation to build from.

Barbara is a proud veteran of both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army and retired from the U.S. Army Reserve with credit for 26 years of service. She also retired from the Department of Defense as an Army Civilian after 27 years of service. She was responsible for the maintenance of both aircrew and aircraft survival equipment and first aid kits as well as the property book NCO (noncommissioned officer) for thousands of dollars of equipment.

Susan Bauer

Susan Bauer joined the Chapel of Life in 1987 after attending chapel services and classes starting in 1985. She transferred her membership to the Metaphysical Chapel of Life in 2019 after returning to the Peninsula and is currently serving on the Chapel’s Board of Directors. Susan retired from the Department of Defense as an Army civilian after 35 years of service. In her roles as a manager or supervisor she combined her skills and knowledge as an analyst, problem solver, mentor, and coach along with her spiritual focus to bring positive vision and energy into every project or situation.

Susan holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics, a Master’s in Public Administration, is a graduate of the Army Management Staff College and completed Dept of Defense Executive Training. Her most treasured recognition is from The Church of Enlightenment as “Healing Practitioner.”

Susan has been a practitioner of Jin Shin Jyutsu®, an energy harmonizing modality since 2001. She is a Cayce Certified Life Coach, a National Association of Transpersonal Hypnotherapists Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, practices BodyTalk® “Brain Balancing”, Accunect® Emotion Releasing Techniques, and is a dowser. She most enjoys receiving and sharing self-help information. Susan wishes everyone a personal connection with The Source.

Treasurer

Secretary

Branden Sablan

Bio coming soon

Lori Walter

Lori Walter has been a member of the Metaphysical Chapel of Life since January 2023. She heard about the Chapel through Rev. Jenny Seeley in the Winter of 2022, and was excited to learn more. Once the In-Person Services resumed, she decided to join!

Lori started her membership by taking a class taught by Rev. Jenny to become an approved Laying on of Hands Healer at the Chapel, and now regularly serves in that capacity during the pre-service healing time on Sunday mornings.

Joining the Chapel also helped her get back in touch with being a Healing Touch for Animals Practitioner® (HTA), which she put on hold for a few years due to recent full-time job demands. She now regularly volunteers her HTA® skills during the Chapel’s monthly Psychic Fairs.

Lori’s healing journey began while she was a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) for more than 40 years. In addition to HTA, she is also an Attuned Sekhmet Reiki Practitioner (taught by Geehan Rakha) and an Animal Reiki Practitioner (taught by Lisa Powers). She has received training in The Pendulum Dowsing Basics Master Class (from The Shaman SOULution Group), studied with and has been trained under the guidance of Raymon Grace, Founder of Raymon Grace Foundation and International Master Dowser, Bill Northern. She has taught several classes at Dowsing Group meetings and at the Memorial Spiritualist Church. Lori is also a Certified Crystal & Chakra Healer (as taught by Vickie Gould from Life Changing Energy), and says she enjoys participating in classes at the Chapel, seeing them as a way to learn new skills to grow both mentally and spiritually.

What Lori likes most of the Metaphysical Chapel of Life is that no one is told “this is how you need to be,” but instead, people are permitted to be who they are while at the same time being allowed to freely pursue their unique journey!

Director at Large

Director at Large

Antonia Hicks

Antonia Hicks officially became a member of the chapel on October 10, 2024, though her journey began much earlier, with her first morning meditation on January 18, 2024. Since then, she has immersed herself in numerous Zoom events hosted by the chapel—each one playing a vital role in her ongoing spiritual growth.

Known for leading with love and action, Antonia brings a wealth of life experience to any community she joins. Her diverse background includes catering events for up to 300 people on a shoestring budget, serving as an ordained minister for many years, and even running a Girl Scout troop with 50 girls and just one other parent. With tech skills, a strong spirit of service, and a deep well of practical wisdom, she calls herself a “professional Mom” to her children (ages 37, 36, 34, and 33) and grandmother to three beloved granddaughters (ages 10, 5, and 4).

Above all, Antonia is guided by her spiritual “yes” and her deep trust in the universe. Currently undergoing a profound awakening process, she credits the chapel’s love and support as truly life-changing. Her desire to give back to this spiritually vibrant community stems from the transformation she herself has experienced.

Antonia believes wholeheartedly that the love cultivated within this beautifully diverse spiritual group has the power to change the world. She is honored to walk alongside others who are embodying that love and living it out in tangible ways.

She lives by a guiding affirmation that reflects her heart and purpose:
“I am unconditional Love made visible in motion on purpose!”

Director at Large

Have a question?

Reach out and let us know.
Give us a few days to respond; we are all volunteers.

Our Location

Visit us in Newport News, Virginia, where we offer a welcoming space for spiritual exploration and community connection.

Address

9314 Warwick Blvd. #1
Newport News, VA 23601