When I signed up to attend my first Gathering of Leaders I had no clue that I was about to accept a new call, to leave the place where I had rector for the first time. At the time, I signed up to be inspired, to meet people across the church, to breathe in some…
I attended my first Gathering in Orlando in 2012. At the time, I was 49 years old and the rector of St. Francis Church in Holden, MA. I’m pretty sure there was a requirement that first-timers be under fifty, so I made it in just in the nick of time. At the time GOL was…
Unlike the 1990s song by Marc Cohn, “Walking in Memphis,” I did not don my blue suede shoes before boarding my plane, nor did I touch down in the land of the delta blues in the middle of the pouring rain. Instead, I wore my favorite pair of professional-looking Rothy’s and my first experience of…
Gathering of Leaders offers a community–not just for validation–but for bold exploration. At the April retreat, we were invited to explore our leadership roles through examples of ministry, fellowship with other leaders, and selections of Scripture. One of my biggest takeaways from this retreat was the opportunity to step back and see the dynamically fluid…
When I arrive at my first-ever Gathering of Leaders at St. Columba Episcopal Camp and Conference Center in Memphis, Tennessee last month, I do so with my eyes shut. In many ways, I know this place. I live in Memphis and serve the Diocese of West Tennessee, and St. Columba is an essential part of…
The Rev. Glenna Huber offered this reflection after her first Gathering in Maryland, which took place in October of 2023. In October of 2023 I was finally able to attend my first Gathering of Leaders. A confluence of life events had caused me to cancel or pass on previous invitations, but this year the time…
David Hoover attended our Lay Gathering Chicago in the Spring of 2023 and offers this excellent reflection on his experience: A priest friend invited me. I had never heard of the Gathering of Leaders. She said this was something that I would love and was eligible for since lay people were now also gathering. I…
Canon Katie Clark offers this insightful reflection after attending the Chicago Lay Leader Gathering. “How did you get invited into the secret society?” This question came from a clergy colleague who has always wanted to attend Gathering of Leaders. While we both had a great laugh about her question, I had to admit that I…
The Rev. Jen Fulton offers this essay on her experience at the 2023 Kanuga Clergy Gathering: A wise woman once said to me, “I love Jesus, but I don’t always care for His fan club.” It is probably not very priestly to admit this, but I completely empathize with this sentiment. I don’t care for…
At breakfast the morning the conference started, those of us who had arrived the day before gathered at tables and began the joy of what I call ‘Episcopal Tag’, our version of the Kevin Bacon game, but with usually no more than two degrees of separation. When Presiding Bishop Curry came into the dining area…