Annual Clergy Retreat CANCELLED

 

Hello Fellow Michigan ABC Pastors, It is probably not a surprise to any of you that we need to cancel the ABC-MI Clergy Retreat scheduled for April 19-21, 2020 due to social distancing recommendations to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.  I know that those of us who were registered or planning to register for the event are saddened by this cancelation  — but our first priority is to keep everyone safe and healthy and not gathering together will help.   Practically speaking, those who have registered and submitted monies will receive a full refund.  The Region Office staff is currently working from home with limited resources, so the time-frame for refunds is unknown.  If you received a Cultivating New Life grant to offset the cost of the registration fee, the ABHMS office will contact you with instructions.  While the clergy retreat planning team has worked hard to create an outstanding program for this retreat, we have every intention to build on what we have done to create an exceptional retreat experience at a later date when it is safe and social distancing is not the mode of life.  Considering everything that we are now going through with shutting down our sanctuaries and moving to digital platforms for worship, it is likely that our next retreat schedule will adjust somewhat to address our new ministry issues and concerns. Let us now continue to find ways to connect and support each other in this challenging time of ministry. Grace and Peace, 2020 Clergy Retreat Planning Team Karen Henderlong, Carol McCleary, Scott Runyon, Elaine Thomas, Theodore Turman