On April 9, the executive directors of the four Tennessee Episcopal camp, retreat and conference centers met at St. Mary’s Sewanee and DuBose Conference Center to establish contact and exchange ideas.
The group began with lunch and a tour of St. Mary’s Sewanee, then moved to DuBose, where the group met and the out-of-town guests lodged for the two-day meeting.
Until the 1980s, there was only one Episcopal diocese of Tennessee, and DuBose was the diocesan camp and conference center. Then the diocese split into three autonomous dioceses, all of which now (in addition to sharing ownership of DuBose) operate their own camp and retreat centers. Both St. Mary’s Sewanee and DuBose are governed by independent boards of directors; St. Columba Episcopal Center Memphis in West Tennessee and Grace Point Camp on Watts Bar Lake in East Tennessee are diocesan centers.
“We were delighted to participate in this collaboration of organizations. I believe this was the first time ever that all of the directors from the four Tennessee Episcopal retreat centers were together in one place,” said David Ramsey of DuBose.
“The whole visit was marked by a spirit of goodwill and cooperation as we discussed many of the issues of providing hospitality shared by all,” said Ramsey.
”Like siblings, each retreat center is different and has its own personality,” said John Runkle, executive director of St. Mary’s Sewanee. “Each of us attracts folks with different programs and interests, but ultimately we all are here for the same purpose: love of God and love of neighbor.”
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