The Montreat Conference Center Blog

Reflections of a Ranger: New Year, Old Mountains

2012-01-18T22:01:00.005-05:00

With the arrival of a new year many of us have made New Year's Resolutions, and at this point in the new year many of us have already broken them. Fitness and weight-loss always seem to be popular resolutions and there are few better ways to achieve these goals than by doing more hiking.

I find that when I begin to hike more often I lose weight gradually without really noticing. Our mountains are ideal for the reluctant fitness enthusiast. While there are certainly places that provide a heart pumping challenge, most of our mountains are content stand by and watch us romp up and down their rolling ridges.

That is because our mountains are old. They are the venerated elders of the mountain family. I have heard several people swear that our area of Appalachia is the oldest place in the world, and I am not sure I can argue with that. Years before anyone you have ever heard of was born, the mountains were here and they were ancient. They have born witness to the comings and goings of countless New Years.

No matter what this new year brings, and even if you have already broken your resolutions, head out and greet the mountains. They will understand if you are a little out of shape as you explore the hollows and work your way up to the viewpoints. Walk with them awhile and you might find that your resolution to be in better shape is quietly keeping itself.

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Jason Nanz comes to Montreat from Roanoke, VA. He is a 2006 graduate of Roanoke College, an Eagle Scout, long-time Montreat Ranger and a highly experienced outdoorsman. Jason runs Montreat's Wilderness School and can be reached at montreatwilderness@gmail.com

Conference Center Announces Retail Re-Visioning Team

2012-01-17T13:42:00.000-05:00

On Friday, January 6, hundreds stopped by to shop and say their goodbyes to two retail operations – Montreat Books and Gifts and the General Store – at Montreat Conference Center. The closings mark the next step in an extensive re-visioning process that will consolidate two stores into one. “Three factors – the changing book market, the erosion of denominational loyalty, and reduced foot traffic – have contributed to this decision,” explained conference center president Pete Peery. “The decision to close the much-loved book and gift shop and General Store was very difficult and caused deep pain in the community,” he continued. “Nevertheless, due to the market and financial realities, it was clearly time to re-think the ministry of retail at Montreat Conference Center.”

“The new leaner profile we’re moving to will in no way compromise the warm hospitality guests and customers enjoyed when they stopped in,” added Kim Hayes, Vice President for Marketing and Communication. “Retail at Montreat will continue to live into that tradition as we move forward.”

Jaan Ferree

Taking the lead in creating a new look for the solo shop is designer Jaan Ferree. Her Asheville-based company, Intentional Design, has completed a number of successful local projects, including renovation of the chapels at Mission Hospitals, downsizing and remodeling of offices for Event Pro Strategies, and renovation and design for Laughing Seed Café.

Jane Bannerman

Ferree, who also has extensive retail experience, will stay on when the redesigned shop opens as the new consulting manager, responsible for the on-going look and feel of the shop and the selection of its inventory. Joining her will be long-time manager of Montreat’s General Store, Jane Bannerman. As operations manager of the new shop, Bannerman will oversee day-to-day business.

“These are incredibly talented veteran retailers,” said Hayes, adding that each brings her own unique set of skills and experience to the new management team. “I look forward to working with them as we re-imagine this new retail operation at Montreat that, in addition to being a shopping destination, will also be an integral part of Montreat Conference Center’s mission and ministry.”

The new store will be located on the second floor of the Moore Center in the space previously occupied by Montreat Books and Gifts. After the redesign of this space, it is projected that the new store will be opened by May 1.

Montreat Calls New Director of Arts Ministry

2012-01-10T14:04:00.003-05:00

Join Us in Welcoming Ann Laird Jones

Ann Laird Jones

She’s known around Montreat as “the pottery lady” or “that nice craft teacher” – and now it’s official. The Rev. Dr Ann Laird Jones has been called as Director of Arts Ministry and the newest staff addition to The Center for Faith and Life at Montreat Conference Center.

“I feel like the shepherds maybe felt when they saw all those angels bouncing off the mountains with complete joy every time I think about the conversation we are exploring between arts and theology at Montreat,” says Jones in anticipation of her new role.

“This conversation has always been a part of who I am. I have worked in Montreat since 1966, when my father first began directing Board of National Ministries Conferences, and I made the coffee in the Auditorium. For the past eighteen years, I have followed in my mother’s footsteps as Director of the Arts Ministry Program at Montreat at the Currie Craft Center and Sally Jones Pottery. Today, I am thrilled to continue a love affair with Montreat Conference Center as I answer what I believe to be a clear call to deepen the conversation between arts and theology as a part of the Center for Faith and Life. Through exploration of the arts, we envision new means of conferencing and worship in the Montreat community, theological institutions, presbyteries, congregations, and the wider church.”

Jones, an ordained Presbyterian minister serving as supply minister in a number of churches, also teaches high school art in Greenville, Mississippi. She has directed the summer art ministry at the Currie Craft Center and Sally Jones Pottery at Montreat every summer since 1994.

Her background as a campus chaplain and interim youth director in a variety of churches and her success as an accomplished potter, musician, and teacher, seasoned with her incredible energy and charisma, have made her a popular Montreat leader. Both children and adults are drawn to her ability to make creativity contagious and to use art as a spiritual tool in understanding the world and their place in it.

Merri S. Alexander, Vice President for the Center for Faith and Life at Montreat Conference Center looks forward to working with and through Jones:

“We are pleased to have Ann Jones as our Director of Arts Ministry. Through her careful guidance we expect to incorporate more visual arts in our summer Sunday worship as well as the major adult conferences. She brings a wealth of experience in arts and theology to Montreat and models ways the visual arts can be easily incorporated in worship. Ann’s commitment to Montreat’s arts ministry is surely in her DNA. We expect to expand our Artists’ Series conference offerings in the spring and fall each year. We are also developing new programs for 2013 that will focus on Worship and the Arts to help pastors, worship leaders, and musicians prepare for the seasons of Advent and Lent.”

Dr. Jones says she is very excited about all the possibilities: “No place on earth feels closer than Montreat to being a ‘homeplace’ that I know inside and out. And, yet, as well as I know Montreat, this position opens a whole new side of Montreat for me, filled with new ideas, new people, brimming with excitement and creative possibilities as we explore the arts and worship together.”

Montreat Conference Center Announces New Board Chair

2011-12-05T14:42:00.001-05:00

Helen Krone

As newly elected chairperson of the Mountain Retreat Association’s Board of Directors/Trustees of Stock, Helen Buntin Krone says she is grateful to be part of a board that offers both heart and wisdom as, together, they seek to follow Christ in Montreat:

“I welcome the opportunity to serve. Montreat is a special place that offers retreat and spiritual renewal for all who come through the gate, whether it be for a conference, or as part of the college community, or as a resident. My hope is that we all work together, realizing that the sum is greater than its parts.”

Krone and her husband Roger live in Berwyn, PA, where she is an active member of the Wayne Presbyterian Church – serving as ruling elder and chairperson of adult education. She also serves on the advisory board of Foundation for Learning in Tredyffrin/Easttown. She and Roger have two college-aged children and an older son who resides in Washington, DC.

The Rev. Pete Peery, President of Montreat Conference Center, congratulates the board on such a wise choice: “Helen Krone has a long history with Montreat. She is an active elder in her local church and an advocate for education and the inner-city. She has a broad understanding of the mission of the church in the larger world, and she is calm under pressure. She is delightful.”

Having grown up in Ft. Worth, TX, Krone spent summers at Mo Ranch, then began coming to Montreat in the 1980’s, first as a Clubs counselor. In following years, she was a youth conference small group leader, and most recently an adult chaperone with Wayne Presbyterian’s youth group. Over all these years, Montreat became a favorite choice for vacations.

“There are not many places like Montreat left,” she says. “It is vital that it live on as a ministry of the PC(USA). My hope is that the Youth Conferences and College Conferences continue their strong presence, and that the Adult Conferences develop and grow.”

She points out that because Montreat no longer receives funding from General Assembly offices in Louisville, KY, it is crucial to stay fiscally sound by securing monetary support to renovate Assembly Inn and other facilities, and to protect the future through increasing the annual fund and endowments:

“The mountains and trails have a special place in my heart, and I would like to see outdoor recreation incorporated into the conferences more.”

Krone brings time-tested energy and vision to the challenges facing Montreat’s working board. She is aware that people have strong feelings and great passion for Montreat, and is convinced that working together to meet its challenges, “God is glorified.”

A Joint Statement from Town of Montreat Mayor and Mountain Retreat Association President

2011-12-01T08:38:00.001-05:00

Agreement in Principle Reached on Rights-of-Way through MRA Campus

On November 21,2011, Town of Montreat Mayor Letta Jean Taylor and Town Administrator Ron Nalley met with MRA President Pete Peery and outgoing MRA Board of Directors Chair Frank Spencer. The meeting was an attempt to resolve differences in interpretation of the rights-of-way as defined in the 1983 “Offer of Dedication”. The preservation of Montreat’s unique character and the benefit of the entire community was the joint goal.

The discussion was cordial, frank, and fruitful. The representatives of the Town and MRA were able to reach a resolution in principle related to rights-of-way through the MRA campus. Pending ratification by the Town Council and the MRA Board of Directors, this resolution promises to secure for the Town consistent and uniform rights-of-way throughout Montreat. These rights-of-way are essential for the Town in order that it may provide for public utilities, welfare, and safety. The resolution also secures for MRA substantial control over its existing structures and uses on its campus. This protection and control is essential for MRA’s continuing mission as a conference center serving the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), local constituents, and the larger church throughout this country.

With the achievement of this resolution, anticipating its ratification, the Town and MRA look forward to a growing cooperative relationship as both bodies seek the well-being of this special place set apart.

Pete Peery Letta Jean Taylor

President Mayor

Mountain Retreat Association Town of Montreat

Montreat Introduces New Development Vice President

2011-11-21T08:56:00.001-05:00

Lynn Gilliland

Following an extensive search, the Mountain Retreat Association is pleased to welcome Lynn Tuggle Gilliland as Montreat Conference Center’s new Vice President for Development. Gilliland will begin February 13, 2012. From that date until April 30, 2012, the MRA will have two Vice Presidents for Development in a period of transition as the current Development officer, Bill Straughan, moves toward retirement. Although Straughan officially retires April 30, 2012, he will remain involved as a consultant with the conference center’s on-going capital campaign.

“We couldn’t be more pleased about the decision to hire Lynn,” stated conference center president Pete Peery. “Not only does she have the professional skills and experience we were looking for; Lynn also shares our deep commitment to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and is a long-time friend of Montreat. She understands its mission and is sensitive to the complexities involved in carrying that mission forward into the future.”

Gilliland currently serves as the Executive Director of First and Second Year Experience at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia. Her long association with the college has also included a role as Executive Director of Alumnae/i Activities during which time she traveled extensively to meet and network with alumnae/i and friends of the college, building support for the institution.

“The knowledge Lynn has gained in development and fundraising through her role with alumnae/i at Mary Baldwin has done much to prepare her for this new venture,” commented Peery.

Gilliland agreed, adding, “I have been blessed with experiences in leadership, management, and communications which I pray will help me as I join the great team Pete Peery and the Board have put into place.”

Gilliland holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of North Carolina, where she was a John Motley Morehead Fellow and MBA Student Association President. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics, summa cum laude, from Mary Baldwin College. Gilliland is also an active member and ruling elder at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Staunton. She was ordained as a ruling elder in Greenwood, South Carolina, and served there on the Personnel Committee and as Chair of the Worship Committee. At Covenant Church in Staunton, she has served as Chair and a member of Stewardship and Finance. Over a period of ten years as a youth advisor in Charlotte, North Carolina, and in Greenwood, South Carolina, Gilliland also participated in several Montreat Youth Conferences. She currently serves on the Mountain Retreat Association‘s Investment Committee.

When asked about the new position, Gilliland was emphatic: “I truly believe with all my heart – and it is crystal clear to me – that God is calling me to this job. I have always had a passion for Montreat,” she continued, “and it has played a significant role in my life and that of my family. It is a gift for me to be able to give back by becoming part of the organization and its future.” Gilliland, reflecting on the promises one makes as a ruling elder in the PC(USA), went on to affirm her commitment to serve “…with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love.”

Gilliland is married to her husband of 26 years, Bill Gilliland, and has two children, Mac, a senior at Davidson College and Matthew, a junior at The Asheville School.

A New Model for the Shops at Montreat

2011-11-11T15:12:00.001-05:00

In its long-range strategic plan, Montreat Books and Gifts and the General Store are referred to as "the front porch" of Montreat Conference Center. Thanks to a gracious, helpful staff and a tireless team of volunteers, our guests enjoy what President Pete Peery has called "stunning hospitality" when they stop in to shop, to get directions, to attend special events, or to simply say hello. Montreat's retail operation does much to help the MRA live into its mission and ministry.

As Montreat navigates a shaky national economy and a book market that is seeing more online purchases of physical and digital media, the time has come to re-imagine what the "front porch" of Montreat will look like in the future. To this end, the decision has been made to consolidate Montreat's retail operations, Montreat Books and Gifts and the General Store, into one shop. Both stores will remain open through January 6, 2012, at which time the Moore Center building will be re-fitted and re-imagined to accommodate this new step in the life of Montreat's retail operation.

The consolidation of both shops necessitates a radical reduction in inventory, which means you should be on the lookout for big sales of books, gifts, clothing, and more in the coming weeks and months. We'll keep you posted here on the Montreat Blog, as well as on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Note that these changes do not affect Ten Thousand Villages. For more information about this new model, read the e-newsletter.

Quarterly Report October 2011

2011-10-28T15:32:00.000-04:00

Download the October 2011 Quarterly Update

Pete Peery

A New and Promising Partnership
One of the most heartening recent developments here at Montreat Conference Center has been a new partnership that has emerged between Atlanta’s Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary, a member institution of the Interdenominational Theological Center, and the Conference Center. This partnership had its origins in the Columbia Seminary Lecture series which Montreat hosts and which, last summer for the first time, included Johnson C. Smith Seminary as a sponsor...

Read more from Pete Peery, President of Montreat Conference Center, by downloading the Quarterly Report.

The 2011 Holiday Schedule is Online!

2011-10-21T13:44:00.000-04:00

Autumn is fully upon us, and with November approaching fast, it's time to post the Montreat Holiday Schedule! Beginning November 4th with the Shops at Montreat Annual Holiday Open House and ending with a special New Year's Eve vespers service. Download the flier to post wherever you'd like!

Treats and fellowship at the annual Holiday Open House hosted by
The Shops at Montreat

2011 Holiday Schedule

The Shops at Montreat - 9th Annual Holiday Open House, November 4, 4-6 PM; refreshments, prizes, discounts, fun!

Thanksgiving Accommodations at Assembly Inn, November 23, 24, and 25; choose from a “Thanksgiving Room and Buffet” package or a “Room Only” special. Details at the front desk of Assembly Inn.

Thanksgiving Worship, November 24, 11 AM, Convocation Hall, hosted by Montreat Presbyterian Church (PCUSA).

Thanksgiving Lunch Buffet, November 24, 12 Noon, Galax Dining Room. Reservations required.

Presbyterian Heritage Center Christmas Tea Reception, November 30, 3-5:30 PM.

Montreat College Student Music Recital, December 6, 11 AM, Chapel of the Prodigal.

Montreat College Christmas Concert, December 9 and 10, 7 PM, Chapel of the Prodigal.

Potluck Dinner and Service of Lessons and Carols, December 13, gather at 5:45 PM; dinner at 6 PM, worship at 7 PM, Upper Anderson, hosted by Montreat Presbyterian Church (PCUSA).

New Years Eve Watch Night Vespers Service, December 31, 5:30 PM, Gaither Chapel; hosted by the Montreat Cottagers, Inc.

Repairs to the Montreat Gate Complete!

2011-10-19T12:44:00.001-04:00

The Gate under repair

At long last, Montreat's most recognizable landmark is again open to traffic. The beloved double stone arches of the Montreat Gate have welcomed visitors and residents for generations, but for the past couple of months, traffic has been detoured to the side due to a collision involving a truck pulling heavy equipment. Damages were extensive.

Montreat Conference Center brought in structural engineers and accepted bids for the repair project. Once a company was selected to do the job, however, work moved quickly and the Montreat side of the Gate was painstakingly reconstructed, using the existing stones.

Today, to everyone's delight, the detour signs blocking the gate are gone and the traffic pattern is back to normal.

All of us here at the conference center are grateful for your patience as we've worked to restore this important part of Montreat history.

Assembly Drive Detour (Phase Two)

2011-10-13T11:00:00.000-04:00

The town of Montreat continues it's paving of Assembly Drive and necessitates the second phase of a detour. Assembly Drive from Louisiana Road to Georgia Terrace is now closed. Motorists are asked to take Louisiana Road to Alabama Terrace, and re-join Assembly Drive at Georgia Terrace. Assembly drive is open from that point on.

The roadway is being widened to a consistent width of 24 feet to accomodate a single bicycle lane along the northbound travel lane. The current roadway width varies between 20 and 22 feet. This will be done in phases, the second of which is being undertaken now.

Road closures are subject to change at any time, please follow detour signs. For more information, visit the Town of Montreat website. Questions? Please contact Town Administrator Ron Nalley at (828) 669-8002 or by e-mail at townadmin@townofmontreat.org.

Work to Begin on Damaged Montreat Gate

2011-10-05T08:55:00.000-04:00

The Montreat Gate, damaged on August 10, 2011

Great news! After assessing the damages, getting bids from contractors, and working with the insurance company, we are now ready to move forward with repairs to the Montreat Gate!

Wright's Stoneworks of Black Mountain will begin work on the gate later this week, and weather permitting, the repairs will be completed in approximately 14 working days. The repairs will be extensive, so in the interest of safety, we ask you to please avoid the area during construction.

Thanks for your patience and understanding during this process. The end is now in sight, and we know you share our excitment about the restoration of our Montreat Gate!

Conference Center and College Join to Offer Huckleberry Café Year-Round

2011-09-21T09:43:00.001-04:00

In a joint venture between Montreat Conference Center and Montreat College, a popular summer season café, “The Huckleberry,” located in the Moore Center overlooking Lake Susan, will now be open for business year-round. The college, which is closing its own “Cavalier Grill,” will lease the Huckleberry space from the conference center and will contract with Aramark to manage the operation.

The Huckleberry Cafe is located on the top floor
of the Moore Center Building, overlooking Lake Susan

A grand re-opening of the Huckleberry is scheduled for Friday, September 30. The event will include a free “tasting party” at 3:00 PM, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4:00 PM, with remarks by Montreat College President, Dr. Dan Struble; Montreat Conference Center President, the Rev. Dr. Pete Peery; Black Mountain Chamber of Commerce Director, Bob McMurray; and Mayor of Montreat, Letta Jean Taylor. The tasting will continue until 5:00 PM, and the public is welcome to attend.

“Montreat College is delighted to partner with the Mountain Retreat Association in operating the Huckleberry,” stated Dr. Struble. “We see this as a tremendous opportunity to make the Huckleberry available to our students and to extend to the community and MRA staff and guests year-round. We hope this will provide a venue for developing a more engaged and enriched community that includes all Montreaters.”

Rev. Peery agreed: “This partnership between college and conference center bears great promise for building a richer, more vibrant community inside the Montreat Gate.”

According to Ron Vinson, director of the Presbyterian Heritage Center at Montreat, a similar business arrangement existed between the college and the conference center in the mid-1960’s when the college, then known as Montreat-Anderson College, rented space in the Moore Center from the Mountain Retreat Association for a book store and the Moore Center Snack Bar. At that time, the college and the conference center had separate boards, but had not yet become two separate institutions. By the mid-1970’s, the conference center had taken over operation of the snack bar. Then known as “The Canteen,” it was renamed “The Huckleberry” in 1982, and has been operated by the MRA as a snack bar for summer conferees for the past 30 years.

Renovations on the space, which began immediately following the close of the conference center’s 2011 summer season, included a fresh coat of paint, kitchen re-outfitting, and new seating. The new Huckleberry will officially open for year-round business Saturday, October 1, with a menu that will include breakfast, lunch, and dinner entrées; snacks and late night specialties; and coffee from Black Mountain’s own Dynamite Roasting Company. Free wi-fi also available.

A Summer in Montreat

2011-09-13T08:31:00.002-04:00

It's been a busy summer in these hills. Montreat played host to over 5,500 youth conferees and their leaders, 2,000 Worship and Music Conferees, and many more who were here for the 4th of July, Christian Life Conference, our Signature Conference back in May, and of course residents of Montreat and our amazing Summer Staff. Gigantic heartfelt thanks to all who came to learn, discern, relax, and enjoy themselves in this small mountain valley. In addition to those folks who spent time here, Montreat Conference Center also sponsored the Middle School Conference, which takes place at Presbyterian College. This year, over 600 middle schoolers participated in worship, recreation, and fellowship in Clinton, South Carolina.

Did you forget what that one energizer you really liked was? Or the video that was played at keynote? Or want to see the photos from the morning slideshows? Well, all those things from Youth and Middle School conferences are available online! Head on over to the Youth Conference resource page and the Middle School Conference resource page for all the goods.

All of you made this summer exciting and successful, and if you couldn't make it this summer, we'll see you soon.

An Update on the Montreat Gate, and Paving Information

2011-09-08T16:20:00.003-04:00

The Montreat Gate

The Montreat Gate (undamaged)

On August 10, 2011, the Montreat Conference Center's stone gate leading into the community was struck by a track hoe mounted on a trailer attempting to pass under the arches on the northbound side. The equipment struck the bottom of the arch, pushing it back into the wooden roof. On the far side, the impact pushed the arch outward, away from the roof structure. The stone masonry was cracked and stones were dislodged on both sides.

Although not all the damages are external and easily visible, they are extensive and have seriously compromised the structure. It is the opinion of the engineering company employed to inspect it that the Montreat Gate is unsafe in its current condition, and they have recommended that it remain closed until repairs can be made. In the meantime, through-traffic has been detoured around the Gate on the truck route.

Next Steps. "Although we want to complete repairs as quickly as possible, safety comes first," says Montreat Conference Center president Pete Peery. "We appreciate everyone's patience while the Gate is closed and work gets underway to restore this beloved Montreat landmark." He went on to explain that, now that a certified report has been received from the engineers, the conference center is taking the following steps:

bids are being received from three different companies; and
with final approval from the insurer, work will begin.

Be watching for additional information, including a tentative timetable for completion, as it becomes available.

Assembly Drive Paving

Road Closure and Detour
(Click to enlarge)

The town of Montreat will begin paving Assembly Drive from Lake Susan to the Montreat Gate next Tuesday, September 13th. The roadway will be widened to a consistent width of 24 feet to accomodate a single bicycle lane along the northbound travel lane. The current roadway width varies between 20 and 22 feet. This will be done in phases, the first of which being the area from Lake Susan to the Georgia Terrace intersection near the Post Office. Traffic will be routed around the closure on Georgia Terrace.

It is important to note that to get to the Anderson parking lot and the Shops at Moore Center, one will have to drive up Assembly, take the detour on Georgia Terrace, and continue around the lake on Assembly Circle, reconnecting to Lookout Road.

For more information, visit the Town of Montreat website. Questions? Please contact Town Administrator Ron Nalley at (828) 669-8002 or by e-mail at townadmin@townofmontreat.org.

The Montreat Quarterly Update

2011-08-10T13:24:00.001-04:00

Download the Quarterly Report from July, 2011

From the Office of the President
For members of the MRA Board of Directors and Friends of Montreat Conference Center

Pete Peery

The Long Haul of Summer

It has been a long summer in Montreat but a great one.

I am writing this on Sunday, August 7. The last of our youth conferees left yesterday. The last Summer Worship Service was held this morning. The Summer Staffers checked out today.

A lot has happened this summer:

Our first Signature Conference was held. At the core, it was a success with a good crowd in attendance. We are learning from this first venture in our new model of adult conferences. Those learnings will make next year’s Signature Conference even better.
The Columbia Seminary Lecture Series was expanded to include Johnson C. Smith Seminary. And the lectures on The Ties that Bind: The Presbyterian Church and Race were stretching and hopeful.
The Montreat Community through the Cottagers gatherings, programs of the Montreat Adult Summer Club (celebrating its 100th year), the 4th of July festival, and a new and delightful musical production of the Adult Summer Club called Montreat Madness (in which yours truly played the role of a tube of Ipana toothpaste!) added great spirit to the summer.
The Services for the Lord’s Day in Anderson Auditorium were the center point of summer life. The addition of a Summer Staff Choir and, at times, community singers and musicians under the leadership of our new Conference Center Musician, Eric Wall, deepened the experience of worship in profound ways.
And our biggest program, the Montreat Youth Conferences, had gifted leaders, a poignant theme, Searching for the Signal, and increased participation over last year. I close with a reflection about the Youth Conference from a new participant, John Vest, a pastor on the staff of Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago, who brought a group for the first time.

About an hour ago, along with over 1000 other people, I was holding a candle alongside Lake Susan in Montreat, NC. It was the closing of Week 5 of the Montreat Youth Conference. Now, I’m on a bus heading back to Chicago. As I leave this special place, I want to jot down some departing thoughts and reflections about this experience:

Montreat Conference Center is smaller than I expected.

Montreat is indeed a thin place.

When people tell me that Montreat is their church, I have a better sense of what they mean.
I was under the assumption that Montreat was a camp, but it is definitely a conference center.

Likewise, the Montreat Youth Conference is a conference, not a camp. I guess I could have figured that out by the name, but I really thought this was more like a summer camp.

Youth will get about 20 times more opportunities for spiritual growth at MYC than they would in a normal week.

I’m surprised that teens can tolerate this much church, but they seem to really enjoy it.
Several years ago, I was really not into energizers, but doing them with 1000 (or more) people is pretty cool.

Worship at MYC is inspiring.

These youth conferences are critical for our church.

I am rejuvenated for youth ministry in my local context and inspired to engage in youth ministry
on a national scale.

I will be back…many times…with more youth.

Friends, what we do here is important, crucially important, for the Church of Jesus Christ. Thanks for your support and continuing prayers as we now prepare joyfully for another “long haul” in summer 2012.

Grace and peace,
Pete Peery

Download the Quarterly Report from July, 2011

Montreat Conference Center Celebrates Green Leaf Seal

2011-08-05T15:07:00.000-04:00

Solar Hot Water from FLS Energy Seals the Green Deal

Montreat Conference Center is proud to announce it has received the 2011 Green Leaf Seal from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s Environmental Ministries and the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association. This honor comes weeks after completion of an innovative solar hot water system by FLS Energy at Montreat Conference Center’s Assembly Inn.

Pete Peery,
President of Montreat
Conference Center

Officials from Montreat Conference Center, FLS Energy, and other honored guests were present during today’s announcement to celebrate Montreat’s Green Leaf Seal award and the new solar hot water system at Assembly Inn.

“Montreat Conference Center is deeply committed to the responsible care and preservation of this mountain cove,” said conference center president Pete Peery. “We have an on-going program of environmental stewardship that includes a 2,500 acre conservation easement, environmental programming, a recycling plan, an electric vehicle for on-site transportation of guests, and more.”

“This new solar water heating project is, for us, another very exciting step forward,” Peery added. “Our collaboration with FLS Energy has given us an opportunity to advance a technology that will, hopefully, be employed by other institutions in the area.”

Visitors take a tour of the new roof top solar facility.

Montreat Conference Center incorporated a 1500 gallon solar thermal system into their energy portfolio at the Assembly Inn using FLS Energy’s Solar Energy Purchase Agreement (SEPA). No capital was required of Montreat. FLS Energy owns the solar hot water system and will sell Montreat the energy needed to heat the water for the next 10 years, at rates lower than fossil fuels.

“FLS Energy’s hot water system will save Montreat Conference Center about $3000 a year,” says FLS Energy Vice President of Finance Brownie Newman. “Through our SEPA financing program, we can offer energy needed to heat water at the Assembly Inn at a rate 40% less than what they’re currently paying for expensive heating oil.”

The innovative solar hot water system at Montreat Conference Center’s Assembly Inn was designed for the seasonality of their operations. Unglazed collectors will produce approximately 1,000,000 BTUs a day during spring, summer and fall. FLS Energy is currently monitoring the system using its new SunRex remote thermal monitoring system. The data gathered will provide vital information that can be applied to future designs for other seasonal institutions.

“By using FLS Energy’s innovative technology application,” states Newman, “the unglazed collector may be the next phase of affordable solar solutions for seasonal applications.”

The Green Leaf Seal is designed to recognize camp and conference centers that care for God's earth by practicing sustainability and educating guests about environmental stewardship.

To receive the 2011 Green Leaf Seal, camps and conference centers must have completed a total of five projects or activities related to environmental stewardship in the areas of facilities, education/program, operations, and outreach. Montreat Conference Center joins eighteen other recipients from the 158 members of the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Center Association.

For more information on the Green Leaf Seal go to www.pcusa.org/greenleaf.

My Montreat Story - Sam Spencer

2011-08-05T09:20:00.000-04:00

As a student at Davidson College in 1936 and 1937, like many young people of that era, Sam Spencer was “willing to work in Montreat for food, a bed and not much money.” It was during the depression, and times were hard, but Montreat remained strong. Then President of the Mountain Retreat Association, Rev. Dr. Robert Campbell Anderson, worked out a deal to have the roads of Montreat paved by the State of North Carolina, giving public employees a project to work on and income to provide for their families.

At that time, some Summer Staff were housed in the building which is now the Curry Craft Center, on the creek between the Left Bank and the Barn. “This Photo was taken in the Barn following a staff skit about “Mother Goose” (You can see a copy of the book in the photo).

Sam Spencer (second row, huge grin) on Montreat Summer Staff in 1936 or 1937

Now 92 years old, Sam recalls his close-knit group of friends from that summer, including the three sitting in front of him on the floor. Also pictured are Louisa Hay (immediately on Sam’s right), and Ella Fountain Keesler Pratt. Ella was born and grew up in Mississippi, summering in Montreat to escape the heat and mosquitoes. She became well known and loved in the Durham area for her work in the cultural events and arts at Duke University, becoming known as the 'First Lady of the Durham arts scene'.

Sam Spencer as President of
Davidson College

Sam went on to graduate summa cume laude from Davidson College before joining the Army during WWII. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in history at Harvard, returning to Davidson as assistant to the President. He then became Dean of Students. He was named President of Mary Baldwin College in 1957. In 1968, Davidson called him as its 14th President, a position he then held for 15 years.

Sam’s father bought the house at 217 NC Terrace in 1949 and named it “Rest and Be Thankful.” Family members have been regular summer residents ever since.

Additional information provided by the Presbyterian Heritage Center, Davidson College, and the Durham News.

Galloway to Preach as Summer Worship Series Concludes August 7

2011-07-31T11:27:00.000-04:00

On Sunday August 7, the Rev. Dr. Lewis F. Galloway will lead worship at 10:30 AM in Anderson Auditorium, winding up Montreat’s 2011 Summer Worship Series.

For the past seven years, Dr. Galloway has been Senior Pastor of Second Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis. Before coming to Indianapolis, Dr. Galloway served as Pastor of Shandon Presbyterian Church (Columbia, SC), Royster Memorial Presbyterian Church (Norfolk, VA), and the Calypso and Stanford Presbyterian Churches (Calypso, NC).

Rev. Dr. Lewis Galloway

“One of the joys of my current ministry is serving as Director of the Lake Fellow Residency Program in Parish Ministry, which is a two year residency program for young pastors in their first call,” Galloway says. “Over the past 14 years,” he continues, “over 30 pastors, who now serve other congregations, have participated in this congregationally based mentoring program for professional and personal growth. I have been involved in a range of ministries responding to issues of hunger, homelessness, and racial justice. Currently, I am committed to supporting efforts to strengthen the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) through nurturing spiritual leadership for the larger church, revitalizing mission, and fostering dynamic connectionalism.”

Galloway’s sermon, “A Word for the Weary,” is based on the Biblical story of Elijah, I Kings 19:9-18. “God not only sustains Elijah when he is at the lowest point of his life in his vocation as a prophet,” Galloway says, explaining his choice of this topic. “God also surprises Elijah with a new call. Sometimes we think things are over when something new is just beginning.”

Dr. Galloway’s call to ministry came during a program that offered a “trial year” of exploring in seminary: “I was attracted by the opportunity to study theology and Bible, but I was ‘captured and called’ by working with the youth of a local church who taught me what it means to be church together.”

He is married to Dr. Eleanor (Bunny) Alexander, also a Presbyterian minister, and currently a pastoral counselor at CenterPoint Counseling Center at Second Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis.

It was Bunny who introduced him to Montreat: “She had been going to Montreat all of her life. We came here on our honeymoon. Over the years we have participated in many conferences, brought youth groups to conferences and vacationed in Montreat with our family.

Also, as part of the series, the Rev. Dr. D. Cameron Murchison, Professor of Ministry, Emeritus, at Columbia Seminary in Decatur, GA, and the 2011 Theologian-in-Residence at Montreat, finishes up his Bible Study on “Creation as the Theater of God’s Glory.” The class is held at 9 AM in the Walkup Building across the street from the Anderson Auditorium parking lot.

Childcare for children six months through kindergarten is available at the Updike Child Care Center on Texas Road.

Throughout these Summer Services for the Lord’s Day, the Montreat community has gathered together for worship, hearing some of the leading preachers of the day. Eric Wall, director of music for First Presbyterian Church in Asheville leads the congregation in worship through music, and the summer liturgist is the Rev. MaryAnn McKibben Dana, pastor of Idylwood Presbyterian Church in Falls Church, VA.

The Summer Worship Task Force welcomes comments about the series and invites suggestions for future preachers. You may direct all correspondence to Merri Alexander, Vice President, Center for Faith and Life at Montreat Conference Center.

As is the tradition, a lunch buffet is served at the Galax Dining Room in Assembly Inn, 12 noon to 1:30 PM.

This Week In Montreat - Issue 9: July 29 - August 4, 2011

2011-07-28T23:59:00.004-04:00

Download this issue of This Week in Montreat and the summer's TWIM insert.

Working on Our Footprint

Montreat makes a footprint – a carbon footprint – on the precious atmosphere of this good world God has made. We have not always been very mindful of that footprint. Some still today argue that the footprint is negligible, that global warming is a hoax. Most of us know, however, that the more we rely on hydrocarbons for energy, the worse our environment will become. Most of us also know that God calls us to be God’s stewards – trust officers – for this good creation.

The Mountain Retreat Association is committed to responding to this calling of God to be a faithful trust officer of the creation. In a large way it has exercised this faithfulness by placing 2,500 acres of wilderness into a conservation easement. Just think of the amount of carbon dioxide all the trees around this cove remove from our atmosphere each day! And yet there is more we should be doing.

To this end, in partnership with FLS Energy of Asheville, MRA has just recently installed solar panels on the roof of the Assembly Inn. These panels are supplying hot water for the Inn’s kitchen and for its one hundred guest rooms. The panels are doing so this summer with little trouble since there has been plenty of solar heat in this valley! They are designed, however, to do so throughout most of the year. Only occasionally should we have to supplement heating water with carbon fuels. This saves MRA money. Even more importantly it helps us reduce our footprint.

I urge you to join MRA by working on your own footprints.

Grace and peace,

Pete Peery
President

Download the complete issue of "This Week in Montreat"

Submissions to This Week in Montreat:

Submissions should be brief and are due by 12:00 noon on the Friday of the week BEFORE the issue comes out (the following Friday):
· Email submissions to creativeassistant[at]montreat.org OR
· Bring articles to the Marketing offices in Freeland Hall OR
· Fax to 828.669.7593 OR
· Call 800.572.2257 or 828.669.2911, ext. 326.

View archived issues at http://www.montreat.org/news/this-week-in-montreat-archived-issues

John Johnson - My Montreat Story

2011-07-25T16:18:00.000-04:00

Almost everyone who spends any time at all at Montreat has a “Montreat Story” – about growing up here; about life-changing conferences; about friends and family; about falling in love. What’s your Montreat story? We’d love to hear it! Email joshr@montreat.org with your story.

My Montreat Story
John Johnson

In late June/early July of 1953, my parents and my two older sisters headed to Montreat for their annual summer vacation, this time with their new six-week old son and brother. That was me. I always tell people that I had such a good time that summer, I've been coming back ever since. And as far as I can recollect, I have been to Montreat at least once every year for 58 years!

My father was a Presbyterian minister and would come to attend conferences in Montreat. The family came along for our vacation. Montreat holds so many dear memories for me, from begging to go swimming in the lake (remember the sectioned off swimming area for little kids over on the Howerton side?), to playing in the playground at where is now the Moore Center, to rock-hopping, boating in the lake, climbing Lookout, and the list goes on and on.

Most of the time, we stayed at Howerton Hall, although occasionally we were housed at the William Black Lodge. I remember how huge everything seemed to me, and the unique feature of the extremely large mirror on the landing at the bottom of the stairs coming down into the lobby of Howerton.

In the late '70s my educational pursuits took me to PSCE in Richmond, and between my two years there I was fortunate enough to land the most coveted intern position – working with college staff at Montreat! My two female colleagues were housed upstairs at Left Bank, while I stayed in Glenn Bannerman's little trailer in the campground. We used the downstairs of Left Bank for our gathering place and hang out place for the college staff.

And through the years I have returned often to Montreat, bringing youth groups on retreats and many, many Youth Conferences, and more recently filling my soul at the Worship and Music Conferences. As I have followed my father into the ministry, I now find myself right back in that routine of coming to a conference, but also using the time as vacation.

Montreat is truly a special place, and has been a part of my experience for literally my whole life. And although I probably shouldn't tell this since it might be not quite legal, my wishes as stated in my will are that my ashes be spread in Lake Susan. (Maybe my family can do it late at night and not get caught!)

I always look forward to coming to Montreat. Coming through that gate you can leave the world behind. What a blessing it is to have this place to call "home."

John Johnson
Pastor, Faith Presbyterian Church
Greensboro, NC

Guest Preacher Ludwig Weaver to Speak at Montreat Conference Center

2011-07-24T11:55:00.000-04:00

In his letter to the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul reminds us that the Christian is always young on the inside.

Rev. Ludwig Weaver

That is the good news the Rev. Ludwig Weaver will bring from the pulpit on July 31 as guest minister in this summer’s worship series at Montreat.

“Our physical bodies are only an element of a spiritual journey that continues all of our lives and even into eternity,” Rev. Weaver says in preparation for his sermon, “Still Young on the Inside,” using as texts verses from II Corinthians 4 and Psalm 57.

“As we witness the change in our physical bodies, we take heart, because the Spirit of God within us remains as vigorous as ever. The faith we carry will always make us young on the inside.”

Rev. Weaver is pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greenville, SC, and serves on the Montreat Board: “As the grandson and nephew of ministers, at an early age I witnessed the pastor’s incredible privilege of being a part of people’s lives. I saw how faith in Christ could change people. And I was humbled to feel and believe that God called me to proclaim that transforming love.”

Born and raised in Kentucky, Rev. Weaver has served congregations in Russell and Newport, Kentucky, and Elderton, Pennsylvania, before being called as pastor of Westminster in 1987. He holds degrees from Asbury College (B.A.), Western Kentucky University (M.A.), and Princeton Theological Seminary (M. Div.). He has also studied at Pittsburgh, Harvard, and Oxford Universities.

At 9 am, preceding the 10:30 worship service in Anderson Auditorium, the Rev. Dr. Cam Murchison, Montreat’s 2011 Theologian-in-Residence, continues his Summer Bible Study series in the Walkup Building, across the parking lot from the auditorium. The theme for this series is “Creation as the Theater of God’s Glory.” All are invited, and all are welcome. The class is examining selected Old and New Testament passages and various theological perspectives that deal with God’s relationship to the whole of creation, seeking relevant implications for Christians concerned about the care of the earth in the world today. Dr. Murchison is Professor of Ministry, Emeritus, at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA.

Childcare for children six months through kindergarten is available at the Updike Child Care Center on Texas Road. Following worship, a lunch buffet is served at the Galax Dining Room in Assembly Inn, from 12 noon until 1:30 PM.

This Week In Montreat - Issue 8: July 22 - 28, 2011

2011-07-22T00:01:00.000-04:00

Download this issue of This Week in Montreat and the summer's TWIM insert.

Summer Worship

What is your earliest memory of summer Sunday morning worship in Anderson Auditorium? For many of us our faith has been shaped by summer services there.

What happens in worship on Sunday mornings in Anderson is important. It is important to us personally. It is important to this community of Montreat. But it is important in an even broader way.

Montreat is a conference center serving the whole of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and hopefully, more of the one church of Jesus Christ that extends beyond the Presbyterian Church. Part of what that means is that the shape and integrity of the Service for the Lord’s Day that we host each summer Sunday becomes a model for congregations to consider as they wrestle with issues about worship in their own settings.

One of the major initiatives in the five year Ministry and Mission Plan for this conference center adopted by our Board of Directors in 2010 is worship. That plan declares, “As a model to congregations, Montreat’s goal is to offer the highest quality worship experience, consistent with the Reformed Tradition, and to share with the community the richest of our tradition’s global expressions of worship.”

Each Sunday we will miss the mark. Microphones will fail. Words will be misspoken. Some responses or hymns may not connect. The timing may not go as anticipated. But each Sunday the intent is to offer to the Triune God services of worship that are not only for us in this valley.

The intent is also to offer an invitation to the larger church around us (represented by visitors from congregations from all over the place) to explore fresh and vibrant ways to lift praises to God, to lift those praises as a part of a global community since the church transcends every human boundary, and to lift those praises in ways that moves the church, in the words of Fred Pratt Green (Hymn 264), “to a more profound Alleluia.”

Grace and peace,

Pete Peery
President

Download the complete issue of "This Week in Montreat"

Submissions to This Week in Montreat:

Submissions should be brief and are due by 12:00 noon on the Friday of the week BEFORE the issue comes out (the following Friday):
· Email submissions to creativeassistant[at]montreat.org OR
· Bring articles to the Marketing offices in Freeland Hall OR
· Fax to 828.669.7593 OR
· Call 800.572.2257 or 828.669.2911, ext. 326.

View archived issues at http://www.montreat.org/news/this-week-in-montreat-archived-issues

A Bit of Broadway at Montreat Conference Center

2011-07-20T07:25:00.000-04:00

Clear your throat and get out those toe-tapping shoes. On July 30, a bit of Broadway comes to Montreat Conference Center at 8 pm in Convocation Hall. Margaret Barnes Peery and Mary Blick Wall, accompanied by Rebecca Thompson and Eric Wall, will perform and lead the audience in singing a collection of favorite American standards.

The free program, put together by Eric Wall, the Conference Center Musician at Montreat, offers solos, duets, and instrumentals drawn from a treasure of American standards and Broadway show-tunes. Part of the fun will be sing-along moments when everybody gets into the act.

“I think it is a fundamental, even instinctive, need for people to sing,” Wall says in preparation for the evening’s entertainment. “Certainly the church is one of the few places left in our culture where communal singing is central to what we do. In the case of our American culture, these standards and show-tunes have become part of our national fabric.”

Whether it’s yo-heave-ho-ing on the Erie Canal or singing our way down upon the Sewanee River, some songs resonate throughout our lives, the words staying on-call in the back corners of memory.

“They are entertainment in the best sense of the word,” Wall explains. “They also tap into history and nostalgia. In many ways they are cultural ‘heart songs’ - songs we instinctively know and share. That sharing is part of the way these songs create community. They celebrate human themes like romance, humor, people, and land.”

That’s what makes them so irresistible: they tap into such universal themes. But another reason, Wall suggests, is because the music comes from great composers: George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, Henry Mancini. People like this are some of the greatest tunesmiths and song writers of the 20th century.

“Putting a program like this together is really enjoyable,” Wall says, admitting that, as a fulltime church musician, part of the delight for him is that it is different from Sunday morning music – and it is just pure delight to play. “It's also fun because I love to play for anything my wife sings and for anything Margaret Peery sings, and collaborating with Rebecca Thompson is a real joy, so for the four of us to work together on these is a special treat.”

Missy Strahan - My Montreat Story

2011-07-19T08:59:00.001-04:00

Almost everyone who spends any time at all at Montreat has a “Montreat Story” – about growing up here; about life-changing conferences; about friends and family; about falling in love. What’s your Montreat story? We’d love to hear it! Email joshr@montreat.org with your story.

My Montreat Story
Missy Strahan

Hi! My name is Missy Strahan and this is my Montreat story. My Montreat story starts for me in 1986. My husband (Jim) and I were taking our honeymoon in Sylva and he wanted to show me the wonderful place he came to for youth conferences. It was during Thanksgiving, so it was cold and not much going on.

I'd seen his pictures and heard his stories, so I knew it was special to him.

After he graduated in May 1990 from LSU, we were moving to Virginia so I could attend a Christian college. We were both hired on as summer staff - Jim on grounds maintenance and me in childcare (Barbara Gaw was my boss and Bob Tuttle hers.). I still see some of the girls I worked with and our children are now in clubs together. Since we were the only married couple on summer staff, our housing was the Moose Lodge. Top part was ours and bottom was the staff hangout (just like it is today.). We had a very friendly cat, named Cameron who somehow could go between the two portions of the lodge and would climb the tree outside our window and wake us up every morning at 6:30 by meowing until we woke up.

I was the original Lunch Bunch lady. I gave Lunch Bunch its name. We had just a handful of “lunch bunchies” at the time, so I was with the kids the entire summer. On July 4, I met one of my former lunch bunch kids. That was cool!

Jim and I did move to Virginia for a few months and then settled in Tuscaloosa, Alabama where we have lived for almost 20 years. Montreat is such a big part of our lives that we’ve brought our 3 children (Jessica, Andrew “Bama”, and Jenna) here since our oldest was a toddler. Our children have loved it so much that for the past 2 summers, I’ve worked as the Youth Center Coordinator, so my children could enjoy Montreat for the whole summer. I’ve also taught a few candy and cake decorating classes at the Currie Craft Center. My children have made such wonderful and lasting friendships over the years that when they come back, it’s like they never left. I feel the same way, and that’s my Montreat story!