Soul Shop’s creator, Fe Anam Avis, began to explore the response of faith communities to suicide in 1999. At the time he was the pastor of a suburban church where three students died by suicide in a seven-month period of time. Later, he went through his own dark night of suicidal desperation, emerging on the other side with a new sense of self.
In 2012, Fe was asked to create a day-long training for faith community leaders with the goal of fostering transformation by equipping congregations to minister to those impacted by suicide. This training was well received and frequently requested. In 2015, Soul Shop™ partnered with the Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute to become a national movement. In 2017, Soul Shop™ became independent, and established relationships with the partner organizations such as The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and LivingWorks.
Since then, Soul Shop™ workshops have been presented around the U.S. and the world.
