Pastors and others in full-time Christian ministry have challenging responsibilities that can be spiritually and emotionally draining. Time away from ministry—and away from home—is an important tool for recharging the batteries and regaining perspective.
That time can be hard to come by, however. Most pastors earn a modest salary, and many are bivocational.
I learned from Dad's example, and I make it a point to plan weekend (or, in our case, weekday) getaways with Heather at least three or four times per year. Time away really clears the head, centers the spirit, and helps us reconnect with each other and God's vision for our life and ministry.
Here is a list of Christian ministries that offer guest, retreat, or vacation accommodations for those in ministry. Some are simply guest houses, others are full-blown conference centers, and a few offer counseling and or other therapeutic services. A few of them are free for clergy.
I've done my best to present accurate information, but I make not guarantee that it is either correct or current. Contact the ministries themselves to confirm details. Be sure to identify yourself as a pastor or full-time Christian servant.
Hopefully, you enjoy a few days away to rest and rekindle your passion for ministry.
$ Free or offered for a donation
$$ Inexpensive to moderately priced
$$$ Moderately priced to more costly
♥ Counseling, mentoring, or coaching available
ALABAMA
363 Victory Circle,
Samson, AL 36477
334-898-7948
Contact Bill Richoux
CALIFORNIA
39451 Comptche Ukiah
Rd,
Mendocino, CA 95460
877-460-7095
Contact Jerry and Pat Westfall
40,000 Valley of the
Falls Dr.,
Forest Falls, CA
92339
909-389-3485,
Contact Michael
Stanley, Guest Conferences Sales Manager
$$
7202 Genesee Road,
Taylorsville, CA 95983
530-284-1082
Contact Charley or Bev Blom, Host Couple
$$
2650 Amalfi, Chowchilla, CA 93610
360-929-2207
$$$
1140 Pinecrest Rd., P.O. Box 409, Twin Peaks, CA 92391
909-338-4243
Contact Doug Schlemmer, Director
$$
29251 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
949-347-4000
PO Box 1388, Lake Elsinore, CA 92530
951-245-4082
Contact Pete or Bev Caruso, Directors
$$ ♥
261 ‘H’ Avenue,
Coronado, CA 92118
877-472-9333
Contact Dr. Walter Becker
$$$ ♥
P.O. Box 437, 18651
Pine Canyon Rd., Lake Hughes, CA 93532
661-724-1018
Contact Paul
Crockett, director of guest relations
$
CANADA
PO Box 155, Vernon,
BC V1T 6M2, Canada
250-260-1616
Contact Rev. Len Frank, director
$
P.O. Box 300 Station
A, Vancouver, BC V6C 2X3 Canada (near Sumas, WA)
604-850-8795, E-mail
♥
COLORADO
900 Red Mountain Rd, Livermore, CO 80536
970-495-0920
Contact Dr. John Walker, Executive Director
$$$ ♥
PO Box 476, Buena
Vista, CO 81211
719-395-4673, E-mail
$$$ ♥
Eagles Nest Retreat
P.O. Box 1165;
Ouray, CO 81427
800-533-4049
Contact
Dr. and Mrs. (Kay) John Gowins,
Directors
$$
Location: Twin
Lakes, CO
Home Office: PO Box
91224, Austin, TX 78709
(office) 512-288-7580
(camp) 719-486-2208, E-mail
$$
181 Bannockburn,
Marble, CO 81623
888-216-2725
$$$ ♥
9185 East Kenyon
Avenue, Suite 150, Denver, CO 80237
866-5-waters
(866-592-8377)
Contact James L. Schlottman, Executive Director
$$$ ♥
P.O. Box 740100,
Arvada, CO 80006
Contact J. Blair and Wendy L. Dalton, Founders/Directors
1-888-277-7256 or 303-467-0777
$$$ ♥
Rocky Mountain Renewal
3115 Castle Woods
Ln, Dubuque, IA 52001
Two locations:
Rancho Mira Sol,
4425 CR 228, Durango, CO 81301
Rio Grande/Living
Water, Creede, CO 81130
Contact Gail Formby,
Assistant Ministry Coordinator, Dubuque, IA
$
1207 Carnahan Court,
Monument, CO 80132
719-487-1221
Contact Sherryll R. Parker, Owner and Hostess
$$
Shining Mountain Ranch
PO Box 926,
Westcliffe, CO 81252
719-783-2627
Contact Glenn and Doreen Seibel, Owners
$$
PO Box 7777,
Woodland Park, CO 80866
719-687-7007 or 888-766-7227
Contact Connie Paul,
Ministry Coordinator
$$$ ♥
11509 Palmer Divide
Road, Larkspur, CO 80118
888-575-3030 or 303-688-5680,
Also see restoringsexualpurity.org
Contact Dr. Harry W. Schaumburg, Executive Director
♥
FLORIDA
Manatee Religious
Services, 3111 29th Ave E, Bradenton, FL 34208
877-608-0999
Contact Mary Moore
$
4020 58th Ave. N.,
St. Petersburg, FL 33714
727-522-0522, E-mail
$$
14520 Perdido Key
Dr, Pensacola, FL 32507
850-492-3682 (DOVE)
Contact Rev. Mike or
Dr. Sharon Hill
$$ ♥
GEORGIA
Restoration Road
7969 Restoration
Rd., Blairsville, GA 30512
706-745-7411
Contact Joann Earl,
host and founder
$
PO Box 1907,
Cleveland, GA 30528
404-474-0686 or
770-316-9665
Contact Ruedi and Sandy Mettler, Host Couple
$
58 Misty Ln,
Cleveland, GA 30528 (90 min north of Atlanta airport)
678-596-3916
Contact Jerry and Denise Basel, Counselors and Co-Directors
$$ ♥
IDAHO
5361 River Road,
Clark Fork, ID 83811
208-266-0490
Contact Tom and Brenda Wagoner
$$
ILLINOIS
Cedar Creek Retreat Center
3549 E. 25th Rd.,
Marseilles, IL 61341
1-877-833-2272
(reservations); 815-496-9481 (information)
Contact Harold or Janice Meaux
$$
401 Meadows Street,
Polo, IL 61064
Retreat Location:
Freeport, IL
815-543-6250
Contact David or Louise Decker, Directors
$
PO Box 620, 17280
Lakeside Dr., Carlinville, IL 62626
217-854-4824
Contact Activities Center staff
$$
INDIANA
King’s Ranch
8173 Davison Road, Oldenburg,
IN 47036
812-527-2138, E-mail
$$
KANSAS
Mailing: PO Box 400,
Ottawa, KS 66095
Location: 1203
Finney Rd, Williamsburg, KS 66095
785-746-5418, E-mail
$$
MASSACHUSETTS
The Escape House
c/o Rev. Rob and Debbie Killeffer, 192 West St., Braintree, MA 02184
781-356-8286
$
MICHIGAN
Alongside, Inc.
P.O. Box 587,
Richland, MI 49083
269-671-4809
Contact Steve Maybee, care coordinator
$$$ ♥
Assemblies of God
Michigan District
3000 Mount Hope
Road, Grass Lake, MI 49240
517-522-6800
$
MISSOURI
170 Deckard Lane, Kimberling
City, MO 65686
(o) 417-739-9017,
(h) 417-739-1642, E-mail
Contact Harvey and Linda Goodman; Chris and Sonya Goodman
$
1461 Elkhorn Rd,
Stella, MO 64867
417-628-3041 or
417-483-5458
Contact Gaines or Sandy Dittrich
$
Little House in the Hollow
119 White Ash Rd.,
Highlandville, MO 65669
417-725-2494
Contact Paul and Naomi Rees, Owners
$$
MONTANA
Elijah’s Brook
PO Box 447, Glasgow,
MT 59230
406-228-2694
Contact Alan Pine, Director (PO Box 20, St.
Marie, MT 59231; 406-524-3700)
$
13705 Cottonwood
Canyon, Dr., Bozeman, MT 59718
406-763-4566
Contact Ted and Laura Roth
NEBRASKA
The Marie House
202 Broadway,
Naponee, NE 68960
308-269-2015
Contact Pastor Duane Lauber
11 State Rd. 50, Glorieta, NM 87535 (near Santa Fe)
800-797-4222
$$
800-797-4222
$$
NORTH CAROLINA
Renewal Ministries
2010 Midland Rd.,
Southern Pines, NC 28387
910-692-4060
Contact Rev. David
Hicks
$
6701 Lewisburg Ozias
Rd, Lewisburg, OH 45338
937-962-8312 (9:00
a.m.-5:00 p.m. Mon-Fri)
Contact Bob and Jan Hartenstein
$
3069 State Route 3, Loudonville,
OH 44842
419-994-5204 or 800-682-2663
Contact Rev. Sheila Bechtel, Overseer
Ridgecrest Conference Center
PO Box 128, Ridgecrest, NC 28770 (near Asheville)
800-588-7222
$$
Ridgecrest Conference Center
PO Box 128, Ridgecrest, NC 28770 (near Asheville)
800-588-7222
$$
3069 State Route 3, Loudonville,
OH 44842
419-994-5204 or 800-682-2663
Contact Rev. Sheila Bechtel, Overseer
$$
PENNSYLVANIA
Life Ministries
P.O. Box 311,
Franklin, PA 16323
814-437-6251
Contact Rich Tygert,
Administrator
$$
SOUTH CAROLINA
PO Box 283, Landrum,
SC 29356
864-977-8020
Contact Pastor Daniel L. Garvin
$$$ ♥
TENNESSEE
Pigeon Forge, TN, 800-835-6780
Contact Michael and Pamela Thompson
$$
2198 Roaring Creek
Road, Roan Mountain, TN 37687
423-772-4269
Contact Calvin Swanson, Director
$$
TEXAS
35A Hidden Manna, New
Waverly, TX 77358
936-295-9413
Contact Louise Looney
24657 CR448, Van, TX
75790
800-962-2267 x221 or
903-569-3482 x221, E-mail
$
VIRGINIA
Bethany House Ministries (Meadows of Dan, Virginia)
Contact address:
P.O. Box 14853, Greensboro, NC 27415
336-272-4766
Contact Jim and Karon Storment
$
WASHINGTON
19830 SE 328th
Place, Auburn, WA 98092
253-939-0488 or
1-800-859-2267
Contact Guest Host
(Randy or Diana)
$$
8 Hosanna Way,
Republic, WA 99166
509-775-2967
Contact Carl and Tammy Stevens
8609 182nd Place SW,
Edmonds, WA 98026
425-774-4118
Contact Rev. Ted or Jane Hutchinson
$$
WEST VIRGINIA
HC 73, Box 18C,
Rosedale, WV 26636
304-364-4019
Contact Herb or Kathy Miller, Directors
$$
WISCONSIN
Ministries Resource Center, Inc.
14190 Barker Hollow
Rd., Woodman, WI 53827
608-988-4326 or
608-988-4649
Contact Rev. Gerald
and Alita Robertson, executive program director
$$
MULTIPLE LOCATION
A network of over
900 national and international participating lodging
properties
Office: PO Box
12303, Knoxville, TN 37912 (office)
865-376-7546
Contact Paul Cowell,
founder
P.O. Box 415,
Mariposa, CA 95338
209-966-2988, E-mail
$$
PO Box 180455,
Delafield, WI 53018-0455
866-703-9544
$
P.O. Box 52044,
Raleigh, NC 27612
919-787-7024
Do you know of a place that offers retreat or vacation accommodations for pastors?
