Boynton Beach Retreat
Bruce Henderson
T
he Boynton Beach Retreat in South Florida has a new name but the same
lively spirit and distinctive mission. It was founded in 1995 by the Rev.
Fred Schnarr as Eldergarten – designed for “students” in “the age of wisdom.”
Now it is casting a wider net as a Retreat, but with the same appeal: three
inspiring presentations, an impressive banquet address, and lots of good
socializing with New Church friends.
The Retreat attracted a record 130 people from 17 states and Canada to the
Duncan Center in Delray Beach, January 20-23. And even though the locals
complained of the “cold” – temperatures “dropping”
into the 60s and 70s – many of the attendees were
WELL REPRESENTED
happy to retreat from the Arctic vortex gripping the
The 130 attendees at the
north for any of that Florida sunshine.
Boynton Beach Retreat
This year’s program – with summaries below –
hailed from 17 states:
included:
California
• A question-and-answer session with the Rt.
Colorado
Rev. Brian W. Keith on the Church and the
Connecticut
Academy
Florida
Georgia
• Dr. Wendy Closterman on Ancient Greek and
Illinois
Roman Religion
Louisiana
• Dr. James de Maine on End-of-Life Issues and
Massachusetts
Medical Ethics
Maryland
• The Rev. Dr. Jonathan S. Rose on
Michigan
Swedenborg, Scripture, and what the New
North Carolina
Church is Going to be Like
Dr. Kristin King, President of Bryn Athyn
College of the New Church, gave the b [