MONTREAT, NC — Montreat Conference Center has been awarded a nearly $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of its Thriving Congregations Initiative 2025 Scaling Program to continue its work on congregational vitality.
This new four-year grant will enable Montreat to work with 75 congregations, building on the success of its initial phase, which concludes this year. That phase supported 30 congregations across three cohorts. The expanded program will welcome additional congregations into the full cohort experience and establish two regional hubs to broaden the initiative’s reach and impact.
“This generous support from Lilly Endowment affirms the importance of our work with congregations and provides us with the resources to deepen the impact of the program,” said Richard DuBose, president of the Mountain Retreat Association. “We are honored to be part of this initiative and excited about the opportunities it creates for congregational renewal and vitality.”
The initiative will engage churches across the region through training events, consulting partnerships, and collaborative learning experiences. It reflects Montreat’s long-standing commitment to spiritual formation and leadership development within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and beyond. Montreat Conference Center will continue its partnership with the Black Mountain School of Theology and Community, a platform for collaborative inquiry and shared action that equips congregations and communities to build knowledge, conduct research, and cultivate the power to effect meaningful change in their local contexts. Learn more at blackmountainschool.org.
Montreat Conference Center is a private, non-profit national conference center rooted in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Known simply as “Montreat” to the more than 30,000 guests, conferees, and cottagers who pass through its gates each year, the center welcomes individuals and groups from all backgrounds to experience its unique setting for renewal, reflection, and community. More information about the initiative and its progress will be available at montreat.org.