Clare Ann Ruth-Heffelbower, Associate and Program Director of the Circles of Support and Accountabiity Project of the Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies.

Office location: 4882 E. Townsend Ave.
Telephone: 559-453-3448
Fax: 559-252-4800
Email: clareann@fresno.edu

Background

Clare Ann resigned her position as northern California conference minister for Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference after ten years of service to accept the appointment as director of the Circles of Support and Accountability project. She has previously served as a community development coordinator with the Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies of Fresno Pacific University. She served as pastor of Zion Congregational Church (UCC) in Fresno, CA in 2002-2004. That congregation has since merged with College Community Congregational Church. She served as Country Representative and Program Director of Mennonite Central Committee Indonesia, living in the city of Yogyakarta on the island of Java. She served as Northern California Area Minister for Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference 1994-1999 and 2002-2007. She has taught courses and been a thesis adviser at Fresno Pacific University and Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary. Clare Ann was founding co-pastor of Peace Community Church--Mennonite in Clovis, CA, and has served two other churches in a pastoral role. Her son and his wife have three children, and her husband Duane serves at Fresno Pacific University.

Education

• D.Min. 1997 San Francisco Theological Seminary
• Associate 1989 Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation
• M.Div. 1986 Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary
• B.A. 1970 Bethel College (KS)

Recent Publications

• Published August 2010: The Promise of Restorative Justice: New Approaches for Criminal Justice and Beyond John Dussich and Jill Schellenberg, eds. Dr. Ruth-Heffelbower authored the chapter "Working with Sexual Offenders."
• "Church boards: Boring or fulfilling; Transforming committees into communities of spiritual leaders" with Jill Schellenberg in The Christian Leader November 2006.

Professional Affiliations

• Ordained Mennonite Minister - Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference
• Member of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA)
• Member of California Coalition on Sexual Offending (CCOSO)
• Former member of the board of Mennonite Central Committee West Coast
• Former member of the Board of Kings View Corporation

Selected Presentations

California Coalition on Sexual Offending Annual Training Conference 2009 at Torrance, CA

• "Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA): Two years in California"

Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers 28th annual Research and Treatment Conference at Dallas, TX 2009

• "Sex offender management through Circles of Support and Accountability"

Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers 27th annual Research and Treatment Conference at Atlanta, GA 2008

• "Teamwork in reentry: Parole, Counseling and Circles of Support and Accountability"
• "Reintegration of high risk sex offenders through COSA: the California experience"

American Society of Victimology Symposium 2008, Fresno Pacific University

• "Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA): Working toward 'No More Victims' through Effective Integration of High Risk Sex Offenders into the Community"

California Coalition on Sexual Offending Annual Training Conference, May 2008

• "Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA): Effective Integration of High Risk Sex Offenders Into the Community"