Gender Justice Retreat

Oct 11 at 6 PM – Oct 12 at 5 PM

The “Women’s Leaders Retreat” is now the “Gender Justice Retreat”! 

Having deeply considered the implications of this change and having reflected on the purpose of this retreat and the needs of our congregation, the retreat planning team has determined it best to change the name of our gathering. What was previously known as the Women’s Leaders Retreat will now be called the Gender Justice Retreat. 

Here are some of the reasons for this change: 

  • The Women’s Leader’s Retreat was originally founded as an opportunity to gather those affected by gender injustice, with the hope of providing a place for solace and learning so that we might work together to achieve better ends as leaders in our congregation. 
  • As we all learn and grow, we expand our understanding of who is affected by gender injustice and how they are affected by it. 
  • This retreat is not only for cisgender women but for all who are of oppressed gender identities. Non-binary people and transgender people have important and unique experiences and perspectives on gender identity, gender discrimination and gender violence. We do not want our retreat to exclude by name or purpose these experiences and perspectives. 
  • In exploring interpersonal and institutional sexism/gender discrimination, we want to center those of oppressed gender identities, making room for people of oppressed gender identities to have a place in gender activism and leadership in our congregation. 

Our retreat will be held at the Murray Grove Retreat and Renewal Center in Lanoka Harbor, NJ (https://www.murraygrove.org). Full and Half Scholarships will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Registration opens on July 1, 2019 and closes on September 15, 2019. Click here to register.

If you have questions or would like to learn more about this year’s retreat led by the Rev. Kimberly Quinn Johnson, please feel welcome to reach out to our planning team members: Deb Ellis, Johanna Foster, Shirley Matthews, and Becca Seibert.