Finding our Strength
A Reflection on the 2025 Eastern District Pastors’ Retreat
The Rev. Missy Johnson, President of the Eastern District Executive Board
Where do we find the strength we need for life and ministry? Our Eastern District pastoral leaders reflected upon this question as we gathered in Maryland from March 31st through April 2nd. The setting was Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center in Marriottsville, Maryland. Bon secours means “good help.” The Sisters of Bon Secours share the Good News by creating an atmosphere of simplicity, beauty, and gracious hospitality. It was a delight to rest in the Spirit in such lovely surroundings.
Thirty-three pastors, both ordained and lay, traveled to Bon Secours on a glorious Monday afternoon. They were greeted in the sunshine by some members of the Eastern District Executive Board and our four bishops who reside in the Eastern District. After settling in, we enjoyed a delicious meal, and laughter could be heard throughout the dining room. This was sacred time of connection and reconnection. This was our first retreat since before COVID, and it was good for our souls to be together. We also welcomed eleven members of our group who had never been to a retreat in the Eastern District. A third of us! We needed to get to know one another. We certainly held in prayer our dear colleagues who were not able to join us for the gathering. They were missed!
We explored the sources of our strength through wonderful worship led by our bishops and joy-filled times of fellowship, when there may or may not have been some very competitive games of Jenga and Spoons. What fun to simply be together, enjoy one another, and laugh. There was also plenty of time to remember that our strength comes from the self-care found in an afternoon nap or a walk in nature on a beautiful spring day. When we are together, strength can be found in a chapel, a pedicure salon, a labyrinth, or an ice cream shop.
We were joined by Anthony Briggs, who is the Executive Director of the Cross Roads Camp & Retreat Center, a neighbor to our own Camp Hope. Anthony shared his group facilitation skills and wonderful sense of humor as he guided us in discussions about our own individuals strengths and the strengths we have as a team working in our district. Through the use of a valuable tool, the CliftonStrengths Assessment, we learned a lot about ourselves and how we interact with others. I would not be surprised if this tool gets used more broadly in our congregations in the future.
I extend my deep gratitude – to the pastors who gave the time necessary to come and learn together; to the congregations who encouraged them to come and provided funds to make it possible; to the Thriving in Ministry grant that offset some of the retreat’s costs; to Anthony for leading us; to the Eastern District Executive Board and all who helped to plan the retreat and find the funding necessary; to our bishops who cared for our souls; and to God who has called each one of us and who continues to give us the strength we need so we can serve faithfully in this time.
