In Loving Memory of Dr. Barbara Holmes
With deep sadness, I share the news that last week we lost a giant in our community. Our beloved faculty member, Dr. Barbara Holmes, passed away early Tuesday morning last week.
Barbara—known to many as “Dr. B”—was one of the first to say “yes” when we invited her to join our mission as a core CAC faculty member in 2019. From the start, she was more than a teacher. She became an essential voice and wise elder helping carry forward Fr. Richard’s vision for CAC with grace, strength, and moral clarity. Dr. B embodied a kind of wisdom that is rare and precious, the kind that both grounds and elevates those in her presence.
Her writing and teaching defied simple categorization. Her books, podcast, and teaching in the Living School invited us to imagine a reality beyond the confines of our everyday experience—a space where joy, connection, and justice can truly reign. She called us to stretch both our social and spiritual imaginations in ways we are still learning to embrace.
Before joining CAC, Dr. B’s life was as varied and vibrant as the wisdom she shared with us. She had an illustrious career as an actor, lawyer, professor, theologian, activist, and seminary president. Her spirituality drew from her Gullah cultural inheritance, ordination as a born-again Pentecostal, and practice of contemplative Christianity. She navigated many worlds, and somehow integrated them all.
In her later years, Dr. B often spoke about the joy and freedom she felt in being able to teach from the heart of her own mystical journey—a journey she couldn’t fully express within the constraints of her academic career. We are profoundly grateful for the opportunity to have walked this path alongside her.
Dr. B’s presence will be sorely missed, but her spirit and teaching will remain interwoven with the fabric of our mission. Her life’s work has left an indelible mark on our organization. I pray for the strength and wisdom to carry forward her legacy in a way that honors her extraordinary gifts. As our Dean of Faculty Brian McLaren reflects in his tribute to Dr. B, “She reminded us that contemplation and action are inseparable—real contemplation leads to transformation and service in the world. Dr. B’s legacy is one of love in action, and it’s up to us to carry that torch forward.”
In this time of grief, may we find solace in each other and in the deep well of wisdom she so generously shared. Thank you for joining us in remembering Dr. B and celebrating the remarkable life she lived.
With gratitude,
Michael Poffenberger
Executive Director
Center for Action and Contemplation