Friends, Greetings from Montreat! I’m writing this morning to provide you updates on happenings this spring and on preparations for another busy summer in the valley. The MRA Board of Directors/Trustees met in March to consider matters both routine and forward-thinking. The Board heard the staff’s report on the fiscal year 2018-2019, which concluded on April 30th. Once the books are finalized we expect to have achieved a small operating surplus thanks to strong performance from the summer of 2018 against budgeted expectations. The Board also passed a $7.9 million budget for 2019-2020, in which staff is forecasting slight …
Robert Lake Park – May 2019 Update
Dear friends of Robert Lake Park, With great excitement, I write to share that the construction phase of the Robert Lake Park restoration has begun. On April 29, we received final approval and permitting from the Corps of Engineers, and our contractor began work the same day. We are grateful for the hard work of the many engineers, government officials, Montreat staff and donors who have helped us reach this point. The entirety of the park will be closed until mid-June, but the plans that have been developed should provide a more secure and flood-resistant park for years to come. …
Robert Lake Park – March 2019 Update
Robert Lake Park sustained significant damage last May due to heavy rains and flooding. This project has been and remains our highest capital priority.
Mike Morse, Retiring VP for Hospitality and Facilities, Honored with Tribute Resolution
As Mike Morse, Vice President for Hospitality and Facilities, nears his retirement at the end of December, the entire Montreat community has joined in demonstrating deep appreciation for all he has contributed both personally and professionally for almost 14 years. On December 13, 2018, the Town of Montreat honored Mike with a Tribute Resolution, which you can read below. From Tim Helms, Mayor of the Town of Montreat: A Tribute Resolution of Heartfelt Appreciation Whereas Mike Morse has served the Mountain Retreat Association with distinction since April 8, 2005; Whereas Mike has demonstrated vision and leadership, faith, good humor, and an …
“Montreat Mural” Rededication
On December 12, 2018, Montreat Conference Center hosted a service of rededication for the “Montreat Mural,” a gift to the conference center from the family of Margaret Willcox and Wilbur Hoke Currie. This unique work of art was designed and created by James David (Jim) Southerland, Assistant Professor of Art at Montreat College and former Director of the Wilbur Hoke Currie Craft Center in Montreat. The mural is made of stoneware clay, multi-fired, multi-glazed, and lustered and features the following Montreat Motifs: Water–lake and streams; Trees–woods and forests; and Flora–dogwood, azalea, rhododendron. The “Montreat Mural” was commissioned in loving memory …
Montreat Conference Center Hires New Vice President for Hospitality
MONTREAT, NC – Montreat Conference Center is pleased to announce that Emily Causey has been appointed as the new vice president for hospitality. Causey will oversee all hospitality operations for the conference center and lead a team committed to delivering excellent customer service to Montreat guests. The conference center has ten housing facilities, including the historic Assembly Inn, forty meeting spaces, several recreation areas, and dining facilities. “Emily has excelled as a member of our staff over the past fourteen years,” says Richard DuBose, president of the conference center. “She understands the great progress made by her predecessors in hospitality …
May 2018 Rainfall Update
Montreat residents and guests continue to feel the effects of record rainfall over the past three weeks. The impact of overnight flooding was evident around town on Wednesday morning. The Town of Montreat public works crews are already working hard to restore roads, while the conference center is assessing damage to MRA property. At present, Robert Lake Park has sustained significant damage and is closed to the public. The Montreat Campground is also closed due to the closure of Calvin Trail. The conference center cooperates with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR) and follows assigned protocols …
On Remembering and Repentance
As we prepare for the coming summer, I offer the following statement to remind all who love Montreat of the MRA’s continuing commitment to become more hospitable to all of its guests and conferees. Richard DuBose, President, Mountain Retreat Association “And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’” (Matthew 13:52) This passage suggests that Christian community has a treasure, a gift of God that contains both what is old and what is new. We …
Montreat Conference Center Remembers Rev. Billy Graham
We are deeply grateful for the Reverend Billy Graham and his life in ministry, which stands as a testament to the power of Christ, evangelized honestly and authentically by a man so gifted for that purpose. To millions, Reverend Graham was the world’s most famous and influential Christian leader. Montreat, however, was home; he and wife Ruth chose this valley to raise their family and to rest and retreat from the rigors of their very public lives. Here in the valley, on those occasions that he ventured into town, Reverend Graham’s reputation as a neighbor of humility and warmth had …
Montreat Conference Center Hires New Vice President for Development
MONTREAT, NC – Montreat Conference Center is pleased to announce that Seth Hagler has been appointed as the new vice president for development. Hagler will be responsible for guiding the institution’s fundraising and developmental initiatives and will begin his work in early 2018. “Seth Hagler possesses a wonderful blend of professional expertise and an authentic appreciation for Montreat and the conference center’s mission,” said Richard DuBose, president of the conference center. “We are delighted that he is joining our team.” A resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, Hagler most recently served as senior class officer at Tulane University. He holds a …
Glen Rock & Winsborough To Be Renovated
Have you ever stayed at The Winsborough or Glen Rock Inn? If you have, it’s likely you’ve noticed our two largest lodges are a little, well, out of date. Good news: we are currently renovating the two lodges! This post includes information about ongoing, planned, and proposed renovations to The Winsborough (capacity: 61) and Glen Rock Inn (capacity: 33). To support these renovations, visit montreat.org/givenow. The Winsborough Paint A little fresh paint will revitalize any room! We’re planning to paint each of the 31 guest rooms in Winsborough. Curtains & Bedding Floral is timeless, but maybe not this particular floral. …
Montreat Conference Center Celebrates Successful $18M Fundraising Campaign
MONTREAT, NC – Montreat Conference Center held a reception in Anderson Auditorium to celebrate the successful conclusion of its comprehensive fundraising campaign. The Building On The Tradition campaign ran from May 2011 through April of 2017 and received $18.1 million dollars in commitments, $1.1 million over its projected target. Over 2,500 people from forty-three states and two Canadian provinces contributed to this campaign, as did 209 churches and presbyteries. Richard DuBose, president of the conference center, had this to say about the completion of the campaign: “This campaign has been transformational for our ministry and mission. The generous response speaks …
All Are Welcome Here: A Few Things To Know About Montreat Conference Center
Montreat Conference Center hosts over 30,000 guests in Montreat each year. We are fond of saying “All are welcome here.” Below is an FAQ that helps to explain the commonalities, distinctions, and differences of the three largest institutions that inhabit the Montreat valley. As Montreat Conference Center, we continue to strive to demonstrate intentional hospitality to all who enter the Montreat gate and to be good neighbors to everyone in the valley. 1. Okay, first things first. Who are you? We are the Montreat Conference Center. You may sometimes hear of us as the “Mountain Retreat Association,” our corporate/legal name …
6 Radically Beautiful Things Happening Right Now
What does it really mean to be, or to create something that is, radically beautiful? Can art change the world? We don’t totally know the answer to these questions, but we do know that art can change us. Art makes us human; it nourishes our souls and it challenges us to grow in our faith. There is beauty all around us, every day, sometimes we just need to find it. Check out these six things happening all over the country right now, and visit us in October for four full days of #RadicalBeauty. 1. This group of artists preserving Nina …
Assembly Inn Room Dedication Honors Lives of Service
Members of First Presbyterian in Church Charleston, WV, and friends recently honored Dean and Rebecca Thompson by dedicating a guest room in their honor at the historic Assembly Inn, Montreat Conference Center’s iconic hotel located in Montreat, NC. Dean and Rebecca were much loved in Charleston where they served at First Presbyterian Church from1996 until 2004. Known as both an innovator and bridge builder in Charleston, Dean was awarded the 2004 Martin Luther King Award by the WV Chapter of the NAACP. Dean is a distinguished scholar, preacher, and pastor having also served pastorates in Montgomery, WV; Austin, TX; and …
Montreat to Provide Staging Area and Housing for WNC Firefighters
Montreat Conference Center is working with the North Carolina Forestry Service to provide a staging area and housing for approximately 47 firefighters who have been dispatched to Western North Carolina during this extremely dry period. The crews will be here for a 14-day rotation, beginning Saturday, November 5. You will likely notice Forestry Service equipment and personnel in Montreat throughout this period. As a reminder, there is a burn ban in effect for Buncombe County. If you see a fire, please call 911. We will keep you updated as relevant information becomes available.
Campaign to Include Anderson Renovation
An update from Montreat Conference Center’s president Richard DuBose Greetings! With summer around the corner in Montreat and the 2016-2017 fiscal year beginning, I want to provide you a progress report on the Montreat Conference Center and express gratitude to all who have made the successes of this past year possible. In addition, I want to update you on the status of the Building on the Tradition campaign, whose goal is now in sight. Vital Signs Grow Stronger: While way too early to report audited figures, the Montreat Conference Center closed a solid 2015-2016 fiscal year on April 30, thanks …
All are welcome here.
As you may have heard, on Wednesday the “Public Facilities and Private Security Act” was passed and signed into state law. The Montreat Conference Center is a private Christian institution that strives to demonstrate intentional hospitality to all. As a key part of that commitment, we will not tolerate on our campus discrimination against any child of God, including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. We will continue to invite our conferees, guests, and visitors to use the restrooms in which they feel most comfortable. Personally, I am dismayed that making such a statement is even …