Christine Ashley has the honor of nurturing and deepening FCNL’s relationships with Friends across the United States. In this role, Christine develops and sustains FCNL’s engagement with individuals both within the Religious Society of Friends and with seekers for the Quaker way of living Faith in to action.
Christine participates in monthly and yearly meetings and churches throughout the country, as well as connecting Friends to the myriad of ways Faith and Practice may meld in to daily life.
Christine came to FCNL after having served over 15 years as a Quaker educator. Most recently, Christine was Scattergood Friends School’s Head of School in West Branch, Iowa. Her work in Quaker education also includes Thornton Friends Middle School as principal, and Thornton Friends Upper School (MD) as dean of students. Christine’s interest in contemplative education began during her undergraduate years at Vassar College where she received a BA in Religion with a concentration in Tibetan Buddhism.
Christine spent a year learning Tibetan and researching the integration of traditional medicine and Buddhist practice. After being awarded the Maguire Fellowship from Vassar College, she lived two years in Yogyakarta, Indonesia where she taught at IKIP Sanata Dharma, a teacher’s college. Christine spent an additional 5 years living, working, and volunteering in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, India and Sri Lanka. Upon returning to the United States, Christine pursued graduate studies in International Education at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Christine is an avid reader, traveler, and adventurer. She is the proud mother of five children and two dogs, and she loves hiking, camping and participating in the arts. Christine is a member of Whittier Friends Meeting (IYMC).
cashley@fcnl.org