Fall Camp 2021
October 25 – 28
Fall Camp is a four day adult conference sponsored by the Tri-Diocesan Council on Aging, which represents all three Episcopal dioceses in Virginia: Dioceses of Virginia, Southwestern Virginia, and Southern Virginia. It is held Mon-Thurs each year in late October at Shrine Mont Conference Center, in Orkney Springs, VA. More information on Shrine Mont itself is available at shrinemont.com.
Fall Camp is an opportunity to spend time in the mountains of Virginia with other seniors (but we don’t have an age limit) from across the Commonwealth and from other states. The Camp is an attempt to take seriously the spiritual needs and journeys primarily of retired people. We attempt to challenge participants through keynote speakers, workshops, worship and interaction with one another.
We worship together in daily sessions, explore various issues, and participate in one or two session workshops (each session is an hour and a half) on a variety of topics. We always have a keynoter, a chaplain and our folk theologian, Ed Kilbourne, who leads us musically and tells amazing stories.
A social “half-hour” is held before dinner each evening.
In addition to the scheduled activities, there is plenty of time to sit on the porches, visit with friends, relax, enjoy the amazing scenery, and explore the area.
Keynote Speaker – Terry Hershey
Terry is an inspirational speaker, humorist, author, organizational consultant and designer of sanctuary gardens. Terry holds a mirror up to our fast-forward, disconnected lives and offers us the power of pause—the wisdom of slowing down and the permission to take an intentional Sabbath moment to regain emotional and spiritual balance and find the sacred in every single day. Read more about Terry at www.terryhershey.com.
Chaplain – Martin Townsend
The Rt. Rev. Martin Townsend is the retired Bishop of the Diocese of Easton, Maryland. He was born in England and emigrated to the United States in 1957. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Central New York in 1969, serving as Rector in several parishes. In 1992 he was consecrated Bishop of the Diocese of Easton where he served until his retirement in 2001.
Folk Theologian – Ed Kilbourne
As always, we will be entertained by Ed Kilbourne. Ed is known for his collections of moving music, quirky humor, and insightful monologues. He has earned a reputation as one of America’s cutting edge religious communicators, a folk theologian if you will, offering his teaching in story and song. Ed combines acoustic guitar, singing and commentary. Ed also offers a half hour devotional each morning before breakfast. To read more about Ed, go to www.edkilbourne.com.
Special Guest Speaker – Frances Fuller
Our speaker Tuesday evening, author Frances Fuller, writes out of the overflow of a long, varied life. A child of the depression, she has earned degrees in journalism, English and religious education, traveled extensively, built a publishing house in the Middle East, survived several wars, and written numerous books. Her latest book, Helping Yourself Grow Old. is a guidebook to aging.