Drawing Back, Drawing On Others

Robert D. Dale

Retreat---from a French word meaning, literally, 'to drawback.' The Gospels show us Jesus retreating regularly. Jesus' life and ministry also demonstrate to us that retreat can happen anywhere---by the seashore, in the desert, on the mountain's top--as long as we offer ourselves to God for rejuvenation. Retreat isn't a place - but an attitude.

In practical terms, retreat for us generally means to withdraw, to go to a safe place, or to seclude ourselves in order to think something through. We usually 'retreat' to refresh ourselves, to rest up, to 'get our heads together,' or---in the case of retreats with a specifically religious intent---to let our souls heal.

The retreats sponsored by the MTM Foundation intend to do 'all of the above.' Ministers and spouses who have experienced forced termination in ministry gather to get away from it all, to be cared for in a healthy community, to have their pain shared and interpreted, to find God in their 'desert times,' and to discover healing and renewal for both individuals and groups. I've had the privilege of serving on the staff of MTM's retreats and watched in awe as God gave wholeness again.

The personal stories that follow chronicle hope and growth emerging out of disappointment and pain. Read on to learn more about how MTM has provided one needed resource for ministers who have been broken. It's a resource for you as well as a resource you can help provide for other ministers like you.

Robert D. Dale is Director, Center for Creative Church Leadership Development, Richmond, Virginia.