Montreat Conference Center is pleased to bring you This Week in Montreat, our summer publication which provides weekly updates and information about activities in the Montreat valley. This week, we are talking about the conference center’s plans to develop new lodging, The Montreat Store experience, and Fourth of July parade applications. Find these, along with other important announcements, using the link below. Read This Week’s Edition Sign Up for the Email Version
Behind the Counter: A Week at The Montreat Store
A favorite pastime for many of Montreat’s summer visitors involves making a visit to the rocking chairs at Moore Center. There, you will find many a “Montreater” donning a new Montreat T-shirt, sipping on a cool, crisp Cheerwine, or simply listening to the hum of the Lake Susan Dam as they rock. Tucked behind the lake and nestled beneath the trees at Moore Center, The Montreat Store is more than just a place to grab a sweatshirt or a sticker; it’s a cornerstone of Montreat magic. I spent three days shadowing the Montreat Store staff this summer, which allowed me …
Waiting with Purpose, Patience, and Hope
Over the past several months, Wednesday has become a notable day of the week in our offices at Freeland Hall. It is on the first and third Wednesday of each month that the North Carolina Court of Appeals files its opinions in cases pending in that Court. This past Wednesday passed without news of the Mountain Retreat Association (MRA)’s appeal before that Court that seeks to reverse the decision of the Buncombe County Superior Court in September of 2023, which set aside the decision of the Montreat Board of Adjustment to issue a Special Use Permit (SUP) to the MRA …
This Week in Montreat – June 13, 2025
Montreat Conference Center is pleased to bring you This Week in Montreat, our summer publication which provides weekly updates and information about activities in the Montreat valley. This week, we are talking about the impact of our last fiscal year, different ways to connect spiritually while you are here, and how Summer Staff supports Montreat Youth Conference. Find these, along with other important announcements, using the link below. Read This Week’s Edition Sign Up for the Email Version
A Closer Look at Conference Support
Down a gravel path, in the basement of the Allen Building, behind a locked door covered in caution tape and handmade “do not enter” signs, you will find the Conference Support Summer Staff. Their home is known as the “Cloffice” (closet office), and it is exactly what it sounds like; a windowless room packed with everything from flashlights to pool noodles. If you have ever been given a paper packet in your small group or been served communion during youth conference worship, the Conference Support team is to thank. I was given the opportunity to shadow the team and quickly came …
A Ministry Stronger Than Ever
With the summer season now in full swing, the valley is once again alive with the sounds of singing, laughter, and meaningful conversations that so often accompany connecting and reconnecting. It’s always a joy to see familiar faces return and new ones discover what makes this place so special. Before we step too far into the season, I want to update you on Montreat Conference Center’s recently completed fiscal year, which ended April 30th. As we gather thousands of people, it’s fitting to observe, by the numbers, how thousands of people came together this past year to make the summer …
This Week in Montreat – June 6, 2025
Montreat Conference Center is pleased to bring you This Week in Montreat, our summer publication which provides weekly updates and information about activities in the Montreat valley. This week, we are talking about the ways Summer Staff make a difference in our community, creative ways to document your summer, and our first barn dance of the season. Find these, along with other important announcements, using the link below. Read This Week’s Edition Sign Up for the Email Version
How to Document Your Summer in Montreat
This week, our Marketing Assistant, Kayden Foyles, began shadowing and working with summer staff from other departments to get an idea of how their work supports the Montreat experience. To help her communicate and share what she is experiencing, Kayden has been trained to collect information using a variety of creative writing techniques. Today, I would like to share a few of the strategies that she is utilizing in case you are interested in using them to document your own Montreat experience this summer. Keeping a Visual Journal The first tool that Kayden is using is a visual journal. Here, …
The Impact of Summer Staff
Welcoming summer staff each year signifies for many “the real beginning” to the summer season. That’s because it is hard – perhaps even impossible – to articulate the full impact of the summer staff tradition on Montreat summers – both on those who participate and on Montreat itself. Among the many portals into the Montreat community, few have endured longer or been more influential than the work and legacy of our summer staff. Last year in this space, I sounded a note of caution as we entered the season projecting lower levels of staffing than we’d previously experienced. In the …
Sharing Stories from a Place Set Apart
It’s a bright, clear day as I walk out of The Huckleberry holding a cup of ice cream one afternoon in late May. I hear the leaves rustling in nearby trees and see ripples on the surface of Lake Susan as a light breeze blows past. As I walk by, a pair of summer staff who have just arrived comment on how good the lake looks while, just ahead of me, three young children follow their mother around the lake. They run and laugh, overjoyed that school is out and summer is here at last. I’m sure that for many …
A Season of Restoration and Rejoicing
The time is at hand to welcome another vibrant summer in Montreat, to greet returning friends and new faces alike to sacred spaces here in the valley for a time of renewal, connection, and joy in our beloved mountains. This summer’s schedule is familiar with six Youth Conferences, Presbyterian Association of Musicians’ two Worship and Music Conferences, the Fourth of July Week, and nine weeks of recreation programs, all framed by ten worship services between May and August. Registrations indicate a similar number of participants of all ages are readying for the multitude of opportunities for worship and learning, exercise …
Hurricane Helene in Review
In the days leading up to Hurricane Helene’s arrival, Montreat experienced heavy rainfall from an unrelated storm system. Knowing that even more rain was on the way, Town of Montreat Public Works staff and Montreat Conference Center Maintenance staff worked to keep storm drains clear, in hopes that this would keep potential flooding under control. An emergency release valve was also opened on the Lake Susan Dam – preemptively lowering the water level by 17 inches. By Thursday evening, Lake Susan was already nearing capacity. Programs that were taking place the week of September 22-28 were shortened due to weather …
Sowing Seed of Understanding
Being Renewed for Ministry in a Changing Global World Written by John McCall, PC(USA) Mission Worker in Taiwan, September 2024 I have served in Taiwan as a Presbyterian Mission Coworker for 27 years. Prior to serving in Taiwan, I was pastor of the Black Mountain Presbyterian Church just outside the gates of Montreat. Almost all of the Presbyterian pastors in Taiwan live in the church building. They are expected to be on call 24 hours a day and church members often stop by the pastor’s residence to ask questions or just chat. In the busy life of serving and also …
MRA Board of Directors: Meeting Summary for Spring 2025
An update and overview of the spring board meeting of the Mountain Retreat Association (MRA, d.b.a. Montreat Conference Center), held in November 2024.
Montreat Status Update 12/13/2024
Greetings! Here’s a mid-December update on news and progress taking place in Montreat. Exciting Progress on the Renovation of Lake Susan in Montreat The renovation of Lake Susan is nearing a major milestone: the refilling of the lake, which should begin by the end of the calendar year. Over the past several weeks, some 22,000 cubic yards of sediment have been removed, more than three times the pre-hurricane estimate. Carried downstream by Flat Creek over twenty years (or, during the hurricane, over a few hours), the sediment had reduced the lake’s depth and compromised its beauty and functionality. The restored …
MRA Board of Directors: Meeting Summary for Fall 2024
An update and overview of the spring board meeting of the Mountain Retreat Association (MRA, d.b.a. Montreat Conference Center), held in November 2024.
Montreat Status Update 11/15/2024
Greetings from Montreat! Seven weeks since Hurricane Helene, we continue to have much of interest to report. On Progress Signs of slow-but-steady progress continue to define our days in Montreat: The upcoming board meeting represents a small but important benchmark in our efforts to return to normal programming. Accompanying that preparation is a shift in the focus of our relief efforts, from simply housing first responders and storing supplies to longer-term service. The initial draft of our focus includes three points: 1) supporting continuing recovery efforts in Montreat, 2) supporting recovery efforts in the Swannanoa Valley, and 3) offering Montreat’s …
Montreat Status Update 11/1/2024
Greetings from Montreat! The one-month anniversary of Hurricane Helene’s visit to Montreat passed this week and we continue to experience good news in our ongoing efforts to return to normal programming here at the Montreat Conference Center. As stated in our last communication, we are looking forward to hosting our annual College Conference @ Montreat during the first week of January as scheduled. In addition, though the Assembly Inn is not ready to receive guest groups, our staff is preparing to host our traditional Thanksgiving dinner for the community in the Galax Dining Room. Progress toward normalcy continues to be …
Press Release: Renovation of Lake Susan Begins
On October 31, 2024, the Mountain Retreat Association (MRA) dba Montreat Conference Center began a project to restore and revitalize the much beloved Lake Susan on its campus in Montreat. The lake and accompanying dam have long served as an important stormwater reservoir and flood control device. During Hurricane Helene and its aftermath, significant amounts of sediment and debris were captured in Lake Susan, only increasing the importance of the previously scheduled dredging. Equipment staging and site preparations began on October 30, 2024. Parking on Assembly Drive above the lake will be closed until project completion, scheduled for the end …
Hurricane Update 10/18/2024
Greetings! It’s been an eventful week in Montreat. This update will focus primarily on events unfolding here at Montreat Conference Center, with some additional community news posted below. First, this is the first storm update written from our offices here at Freeland Hall. Power, water, and internet access returned to the building this week. Every step forward boosts our productivity and – perhaps more importantly – our spirits as we continue our drive to return to normal programming. Speaking of… In previous public communications over the past few weeks, I have referred to “reopening” as our primary goal but have …
Hurricane Update 10/11/2024
Greetings from Montreat! As we approach the two-week mark since Helene passed through Western North Carolina, I share further updates from our perch here at Assembly Inn. We continue to seek ways to support the community. The Cajun Navy 2016 remains on our campus at their temporary command center on Collegiate Circle. In addition, the conference center made further commitments this week to support ongoing recovery efforts in the Swannanoa Valley. We are providing storage space for Black Mountain Presbyterian Church for donated supplies they have received and other needs. We are housing a small team of law enforcement sent …
Hurricane Update 10/7/2024
Greetings from Montreat! Here is an update on activities taking place here over the past few days: On Friday, shortly after noon, power was restored to Assembly Inn, well in advance of estimates, and water was restored soon after. In addition, some homes had one or both restored as Duke Power and Town of Montreat personnel continued to work. Late in the week, Montreat’s Post Office was closed temporarily, with mail being routed to the Post Office in Ridgecrest. In the meantime, mail intended for Montreat may continue to use the usual addresses. (For Montreaters: I have been told that …
Hurricane Update 10/3/2024
Greetings from Montreat! This is to give you an assessment of the situation here on a busy Thursday afternoon. First, the Town of Montreat continues to make remarkable progress on the repair of roads and bridges that were compromised by water and treefall in last week’s storm. Their Public Works team has made a priority of restoring vehicular access, and as a result, most of Montreat’s residents have been able to evacuate safely to neighboring locations with power and water. Restoring power and water remain priorities here, too, but it is too early to predict how long that will take. …
Hurricane Update 10/1/2024
Greetings from Montreat! Nearly 48 hours after our last report, we bring news that progress continues on recovery efforts in Montreat. Town staff and recovery teams are working diligently to address roads and other infrastructure challenges. The Town hosted a town meeting at the conference center yesterday with representatives from the Town, conference center, Montreat College, and the community. Attendees received an update on the work that Barry Creasman, public works director for the Town of Montreat, and the entire Montreat Public Works department are doing work to restore roads, power, and water. Further, Montreat institutions and residents are supporting …
Hurricane Update 9/29/2024
As we learn and know more about the status of Montreat – town, college, and conference center – we are continually grateful for all those who love this place. We give thanks for all those working tirelessly in the aftermath of this catastrophic event. For your support and prayers, thank you. Please continue to keep Montreat, the remainder of Western NC and all those dealing with the effects of this storm in your prayers. Amidst all that we are dealing with, we realize we also have much to be grateful for. Those walking around Montreat today will quickly realize that …