Had Norman Rockwell ever spent the Fourth of July in the mountains of North Carolina, I suspect he would have found his way to Montreat.  Each year, a surprisingly large crowd gathers for Montreat’s Independence Day parade. Clubs groups paint faces and wear costumes while decorated bicycles and vintage cars navigate the route and crowds. Neighbors and friends greet one another along sidewalks lined with chairs. Thousands watch, celebrating a tradition that reminds us of what can be sustained – relationships, community, patriotism – by simple rituals repeated year after year.  Preserving that spirit is not always as simple as it sounds. Several years ago, a group of young adults registered to participate in the parade, arriving in a classic convertible and taking …

A month ago, I came across a worn and tattered field guide that sat for generations in our family home: Birds: A Guide to the Most Familiar American Birds. Now literally in pieces held together by a rubber band, the book brought back a flood of memories.   As a small child, I would comb the pages of this field guide to identify each visitor to the bird feeder placed just beyond a nearby kitchen window. I’d check out the picture of the bald eagle and imagine the day a member of this majestic species would pick our bird feeder for his noonday lunch. (Still waiting).   So taken with nostalgia, I impulsively ordered a new one on Amazon. By new, I mean I ordered the exact same 1960s-era edition. Not until the new purchase …

As we move through another summer season in Montreat, it’s timely to provide an update on the conference center’s continued recovery from Hurricane Helene. While much progress has been made, recovery from a storm of this magnitude requires persistence and significant coordination, to which details below attest. Regardless, there is much reason for gratitude.   First, we have recently reached a final resolution of our insurance claims related to the storm, which totaled approximately $2.4 million. As a reminder, twenty-two buildings across our campus were impacted in some way by Hurricane Helene. Insurance proceeds have been instrumental in helping restore facilities and infrastructure and have provided critical support throughout the recovery process. Many individuals worked hard for this successful outcome, but …

There are at least two buildings on the campus of the Montreat Conference Center that have achieved some notoriety in architectural circles, and I love asking longtime Montreaters: Can you name the two buildings?1 I’ll give you the easy one: Anderson Auditorium, originally designed by Richard Sharp Smith. North Carolina historians describe Smith as one of the architects who most shaped the visual identity of Asheville and western North Carolina in the early twentieth century. You can read more about Smith’s influence on Montreat architecture in the article “If These Stones Could Talk: A History of Montreat through its Stone Architecture” by Grambling, Slusser, and Thomas which can be found in the …

The summer has arrived! Once again, representing months of preparation by staff and volunteers both here and afar, a promising season is coming into view, filled with opportunities for fellowship and renewal, recreation, worship, and creative expression — and more.   As we prepare for the season ahead, there is much to note:  As we’ve noted in the past, summer in Montreat means a town transformed. Staff, residents, volunteers, and town staff all rise to meet the surging activity that comes each June. It feels familiar, and yet each year we begin anew, mindful that Montreat’s greatest strengths have never been its buildings, programs, or traditions, but the people who gather here. May we approach this summer with gratitude for …