About
My ministry is rooted in a desire to provide spiritual support to people who do not feel like they belong to a traditional or singular religious/spiritual practice. My ministry is for those who don't feel like they are welcome or belong in traditional religious spaces.
I believe in spirituality that grows from our innate humanness. My ministry is for those who see spirituality in their everyday life: in their relationships, a long run, watching the sunset, painting, & rubbing their dog's belly.
Meet Rev. Charlotte Cramer:
Rev. Charlotte is an Interspiritual Minister and Street Chaplain based in Portland, OR. She holds a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Chaplaincy from Starr King School for the Ministry and is ordained by The Chaplaincy Institute, where she also earned a Certificate in Chaplaincy. Charlotte has taken four units of Clinical Pastoral Education from the Shaw Chaplaincy Institute.
Starting her chaplaincy and ministry in Marin County, CA, and eventually moving to Portland, Charlotte has been working as a community chaplain on the streets, in jail, shelters, drop-in centers, addiction treatment centers, churches and nonprofits for the past five years. Charlotte is the founder of the nonprofit Temple of the Forgotten, an organization dedicated to helping nonprofits, religious communities and government agencies integrate spiritual care into their systems of care for people experiencing homelessness and marginalization.
Charlotte has spent her career dedicated to learning more about the role spirituality plays in the lives of people experiencing deep poverty, social marginalization and homelessness, and how nonreligious spiritual care can play a positive role in the social services system.
Charlotte is seen as a spiritual innovator, integrating the values of younger generations, anticapitalist and anti-oppressive theories, and Taoist anarchist principles into the core of her work and identity as a minister. She believes that ministry is essential, but needs to change to meet the evolving spiritual needs of new generations.
Charlotte is passionate about using the core tools, skills, and experiences of spirituality to enrich individual lives, build healthy community, and transform the social & cultural systems of our society.
A longtime contemplative mystic, Charlotte has been on the spiritual path her entire life, deepening her practice intentionally since age 18. She has studied tarot and contemplative meditation for 10 years, and in this time developed her own spiritual practice and approach to spirituality, which she applies to her life and work today.
Charlotte's path to ministry has been unconventional, to say the least: After dropping out of college, she lived as a farmer, learning what it means to be in relationship with the earth, in several spiritual communities in California and Costa Rica, and studied the mystical traditions of multiple religions—ultimately arriving at a deeply rooted multi-faith worldview that informs her ministry today.
Focus Areas
and Expertise
Nonreligious Spirituality
Community & Street Chaplaincy
Spirituality rooted in the human experience, rather than dogma, rules or regulations.
Chaplaincy for those experiencing homelessness, marginalization, addiction, mental illness & poverty.
Trauma-Informed Tarot
Interspiritual Ministry
Tarot readings for anyone from any walk of life; centered on transformation, movement through grief, deepening connection & care.
Ministry for people who have none to multiple spiritualities; who connect to the earth and community; who seek to deepen their experience of being alive.
Credentials
Master of Divinity, Concentration in Chaplaincy - Starr King School for the Ministry
Ordained Interfaith Minister and Certificate in Chaplaincy, The Chaplaincy Institute
4 Units of ACPE-Certified Clinical Pastoral Education, The Shaw Chaplaincy Institute
My Philosophy
Life is a powerful and sacred journey that I believe is meant to be soaked up. I try to not place judgments on experiences --there is no such thing as good or bad. Only change, growth, transformation, and deep emotional experience. To me, this is what makes life so real. My philosophy is to embody myself, and my life, as much as possible, everyday. When I'm not working, you'll find me out in the mountains, running long distances, connecting with my friends and loved ones, playing with my dog, hugging a tree, going on adventures in Portland and sleeping. I value my health and wellbeing over work, and believe everyone should too. Why not?
