About Us
Providing faith leaders of Savannah, Georgia and neighboring communities with education concerning addiction and recovery
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About Us
The brain child of co-founders Susan Becker and Carol Pine, the Coalition was created around a simple idea, to help the faith community of Savannah to be better prepared to discuss addiction and recovery with their congregations. The Interfaith Addiction and Recovery Coalition is providing faith leaders of Savannah, Georgia and neighboring communities with education concerning addiction and recovery. Very few faith leaders receive any education in this subject while studying to lead congregations. We provide resources and information to them and in doing so, help faith leaders assist their own congregation members who struggle with this debilitating and deadly disease. It is time to lift the veil of secrecy about addiction and have open and honest discussions with people who are struggling, their family members, and the community at large.
Since our founding in 2019, the Interfaith Addiction and Recovery Coalition has developed and grown in a positive direction. We’re very proud of the diversity of our Board of Directors and in their abilities to contribute their own unique experiences and skills to our success. Find out more about our Board Members below.
Our Board
Carol Pine
Carol Pine is a person in long-term recovery from alcoholism. She is former Chair of the Hazelden Foundation Board of Directors and a current board member of Faith Partners, a national organization dedicated to educating congregational teams around addiction and recovery. Pine is the co-founder of the Interfaith Addiction and Recovery Coalition in Savannah, Georgia. In her professional life, she is a business journalist, published author of more than 40 books, and former adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Janis Ellington
Director of Education and Event Strategies at Summit Behavioral Health Care
Rabbi Robert Haas
Congregation Temple Mickve Israel, Savannah
Rabbi Haas is a native of McAllen, TX, received his B. S. from the University of Texas in Austin, and became an elementary school teacher in Houston. Rabbi Haas then moved to Arad, Israel to participate in the W. U. J. S. Institute, before entering Hebrew Union College for rabbinical school, first in Jerusalem then in Los Angeles.
Rabbi Haas began his career as a rabbi in Dallas at Temple Shalom and at Congregation Emmanu-El in Houston. In 2012, after spending a year in Africa volunteering with American Jewish World Service, he moved to Savannah, Georgia to become the 14th spiritual leader of Congregation Mickve Israel. He is married to April, and they have two beautiful children.
Reverend J. Michael Culbreth
Lead and founding pastor of ConneXion Church in Savannah
Reverend Dr. Ben Gosden
Senior Pastor, Trinity United Methodist Church, Savannah
Reverend Dr. Ben Gosden was appointed to Trinity Church in June 2016. He is the proud husband of Katie and father of Olivia and Sam. He is originally from Columbus, Georgia. Ben graduated from Columbus State University in 2008 with a degree in Political Science. He then went to Emory University’s Candler School of Theology to earn his Master of Divinity degree. Ben’s passions for ministry are preaching, missions /justice ministry, and community organizing. He works for and dreams of a church where all are welcomed and where all reach out in concern to the world around us to share love, grace, and mercy. He has recently earned his Doctorate of Ministry from Candler School of Theology where his study emphasis was leadership and community witness. His thesis project is focusing on leadership through online ministry.
Our Advisors
Coming together from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, our skilled team of advisors are the backbone of the Interfaith Addiction and Recovery Coalition. Their ideas help shape the direction and mission of our organization as it continues to develop.
Pacia Vamas
Retired Minister, Dutch Reformed Church
Father Kevin Kelly
St Michael’s and All Angels Episcopal Church
Ibrahim Abdul-Malik
Masjid Jihad Mosque
Peri Kyriakos
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
Ardra Hartz
Retired Teacher/Realtor/Artist
An Van Nguyen
Vietnamese Buddhist Association
Sam Watkins
Retired Methodist Minister
Reverend Thurmond N. Tillman
First African Baptist Church
Vicar June Johnson
All Saints Episcopal Church, Tybee Island, Georgia
Our Dedicated Volunteers
Iris Maclean
Donna Hammontree
Angela Lightsey
Pamela Deloach
Michael Wood-Miles
James Prichard
Rebecca & Rich Burkhart
Janet Sheppard
Linda Nolan
Jaime Towns
Eric China
Clarke Scott
Selma & Bob Barnard
Sam Watkins
Kathy Flanagan
Dr. Daniel Perry
Pamela Costo Levy
Brent Levy
Mary Railey Bartlett
Doyle Hamilton
Terri Howard
Alloceia Hall
Mary Ellen & Dwight Campbell
Bobbie Shelton
Addam Wood
Dawn Wilson
Jared Register
Joyce Shanks
Lesha England
Julie Pickhardt
Brooke Toscano
Adam Richie