Embodying Hospitality - Visiting Montreat for the first time? Here’s what to expect.

A First-Time Visitor’s Guide For over 125 years, Montreat Conference Center has been a place where groups and individuals have come to experience recreation, rest, and renewal. But what, specifically, should you expect if you are visiting for the first time? While all events differ in their focus and programming, there are a few key aspects of the Montreat experience that ring true no matter how you engage with our mission and ministry. When you visit Montreat, you are given an opportunity to step away from the hectic pace of everyday life and finding time instead to engage in community, explore creation, and reflect on God’s presence in your life… READ THE FULL ARTICLE NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS Kirkin’ o’ Tartan Service and Luncheon On May 24, the Montreat Scottish Society and Montreat Presbyterian Church will host their annual Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan service in Anderson Auditorium. Pipin’ o’ the Green will start at 10:15 am, followed by the worship service at 11:00 am. Rev. Cecelia Armstrong, co-moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will be preaching. Tickets for lunch can be purchased online. New Offering During Fall Craft Week! This September we will be offering a new beginner-level class as part of our annual Fall Craft Week. Jacob Pappert will instruct participants in creating traditional linoleum prints with a fun twist: he will show you how to turn your prints into cards! Come, learn the basics of printmaking and discover how easy it can be to transform you work into something that can be shared with others. Register now. Spend a Few Nights in Reynolds Lodge One of our most popular lodges for groups, Reynolds Lodge features a fully-equiped kitchen, large common space for meetings and meals, double-occupany guest rooms, and a rocking chair porch. Consider taking advantage of this lodge during your next event or retreat! Learn more on our website. Your Montreat experience doesn’t have to end when you return home! Montreat relies on churches and congregations who make gifts to the Montreat Fund to continue bringing insightful speakers to conferences, maintain facilities, and provide recreational activities all year long! Join over 220 other churches in 25 states who financially supported Montreat last year and make a gift to the Montreat Fund before fiscal year end on April 30th! LEARN MORE ABOUT CHURCH PATRONS MAKE A GIFT TO THE MONTREAT FUND Start Planning Your Next Event Montreat hosts a variety of groups for retreats and other events from mid-August through mid-May. Are you interested in being one of them? Visit our new “Retreat at Montreat” webpage to learn more about what we offer or to reach out to a member of our team. RETREAT AT MONTREAT One of Montreat Conference Center’s core values, “embodying hospitality” refers to our belief that our witness is grounded in welcome and belonging and that all people are created in the image of God and possess great capacity for growth and transformation. You can learn more about Montreat’s mission and values by clicking here.

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WCC News: WCC deeply aggrieved by desecration of Jesus statue in southern Lebanon

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay said that he was deeply aggrieved by the desecration of a statue of Jesus on the cross by an Israeli soldier in southern Lebanon, depicted in a widely-circulated image.  A crucifix in the Cathedral Church of Saint George the Martyr, Jerusalem. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 22 April 2026 “We join Christians in the region and around the world in their outrage and denunciation of this affront to the dignity and feelings of Christians everywhere, and in calling for accountability for those involved in perpetrating this act,” he said. “We are very grateful for the expressions of solidarity and support received from many Jewish counterparts and the subsequent effort to restore the statue.” Sadly, this act is not an isolated incident, but reflective of a wider and growing trend, Pillay noted. “Church leaders of the region confirm this troubling and destabilizing reality, as well as persistent and increasing constraints on freedom of worship,” he said. “Moreover, this incident took place in the context of Israeli military incursions in southern Lebanon which have not only led to this desecration of religious symbols but to the displacement and traumatization of entire communities, many of them Christian.” Pillay called for an end to the Israeli military action in Lebanon, the swift withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon so that the displaced communities may return to their homes and places of worship, and sustained and effective action to turn the toxic tide of anti-Christian animosity in Israel. WCC statement on the desecration of a statue of Jesus in Lebanon See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland

WCC news: Global Christian Forum International Committee convening in Rome

The Global Christian Forum International Committee is convening in Rome from 21-23 April. Photo: WCC 22 April 2026 Rev. Prof. Dr Billy Gama, professor of Theology and Development at the University of Blantyre Synod, and a World Council of  Churches (WCC) central committee member, and Rev. Father Prof. Dr. Vasile-Octavian Mihoc, WCC programme executive for Ecumenical Relations and Faith and Order, shared a WCC report on activities which took place since April 2025 when the committee met in Taize, France.  The report, a comprehensive overview noted that, during 2025, the WCC’s ministry was marked by both commemoration and renewal. “Through the Ecumenical Year, the Nicaea anniversary, and the Faith and Order Conference, the fellowship celebrated its shared faith and deepened its theological and missional commitment,” read the report. “The Global Christian Forum International Committee Meeting in Rome brings together representatives of Christian world communions, the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, Focolare Movement, megachurches, Pentecostal World Fellowship, Taizé Community, World Evangelical Alliance, World Council of Churches, and other Christian leaders,” said Gama. “Together, they discern the mission and charism of the Global Christian Forum, while receiving reports from its four foundational pillars – the World Council of Churches, Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, World Evangelical Alliance, and Pentecostal World Fellowship – as well as updates from working groups on communication strategy, youth participation, and financial matters.” The Global Christian Forum offers a space for spiritual encounter rooted in the sharing of faith stories, highlighting what it means to be Christian today amid the many challenges facing the world.  “As an open platform for dialogue and encounter, it fosters growing trust and mutual respect among historic churches, newer ecclesial communities, megachurches, and migrant churches,” said Mihoc. “In this way, it embodies a distinctive and valuable ecumenical charism.”  The gathering will be a combination of business, faith sharing, building relationships, and learning.  See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland