Joshua Kingsley, MDiv
Joshua Kingsley is a musician, scholar, and priest living in an intentional community in Portland, OR. He has played a key role in founding several organizations and has guided others through transitions, including hospice care at the organizational level.
With advanced degrees in music, Joshua is the founder of Portland Chamber Music. He holds an M.M. in clarinet performance, having studied with Drs. Roger Cole and Barbara Hielmier. His career includes touring and performing both classical and jazz music. He has received awards for his musicianship and teaching from the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation and the Columbia Gorge Artist in Residence Foundation.
As a scholar and educator, Joshua is a licensed music teacher with experience in public and private schools. He has also worked as an artist-in-residence with multiple school districts, teaching rhythm and percussion using found objects. Currently, he is a doctoral candidate at the University of Idaho studying organizational development, focusing on decolonizing workplace spirituality. His research explores integrating spiritual practices into organizational structures to create inclusive, adaptive, and resilient workplaces.
Joshua lives out his vocation as a monastically inspired priest. Having lived in a Benedictine community during early adulthood, he co-founded Montavilla Abbey, an intentional community centered on spirituality and hospitality, where he resides while raising his teenage child. He also serves as the lead pastor at Spirit of Life, an ecumenical and bilingual faith community in the Portland metro area. He holds a certificate of spiritual direction from the Franciscan Spiritual Center.
In the field of organizational development, Joshua has worked with religious organizations through periods of both expansion and contraction. He oversaw the closure of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, facilitated restructuring at St. Paul’s UMC and Kairos UCC, and guided two ELCA churches through a merger by fostering deep interpersonal relationships and creating a unified community identity. His approach integrates evidence-based frameworks, nonviolent communication, and ancient spiritual practices.
Joshua regularly presents his research to organizations such as the Oregon Medical Assistants Association (OMAA) and the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE). Drawing from his education, artistic career, and spiritual leadership, Joshua applies an integrative approach to organizational development, emphasizing collaborative leadership, sustainable growth, and transformative change.
Whether working with individuals, groups, or organizations, Joshua combines kindness and patience with clarity and wisdom to illuminate pathways forward, resolve challenges, and inspire meaningful progress.
