Nov 9th, 2026 - Nov 10th, 2026MCEC Pastors Fall Retreat 2026
Anabaptist Spiritual Leadership
with David Boshart, AMBS President
What is Anabaptist leadership? How does it differ from leadership in general? What makes leadership spiritual? How do we ground ourselves in God’s presence amid the demands of ministry? How do we lead from our centre as leaders loved, gifted and called by God?
This retreat offers a sacred space for pastors within the MCEC to explore these questions and more with David Boshart of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), to deepen their understanding of leadership in today's ministry contexts. The MCEC Congregational Ministries Team invites MCEC pastors to come to Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp to pause, reflect and be renewed in their calling to be Anabaptist spiritual leaders.
The retreat will also offer meaningful opportunities to connect with colleagues, fostering mutual encouragement, honest conversation and the strengthening of relationships within the MCEC pastoral community. Participants are invited to share their stories, challenges and hopes through small-group discussions and informal conversations.
This gathering is both formative and restorative—a time to listen deeply, reconnect with vocation and call, and return to ministry renewed in spirit and vision.
November 9, 2026 at 4 p.m. -
November 10, 2026 at 3:30 p.m.
Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp, New Hamburg
___________________
Monday, November 9
Evening session 7-8:30 pm
Loved, Gifted, and Called: Leading from Our Centre in God’s Presence
How do we ground ourselves in God’s presence amid the demands of ministry? How do we lead from our centre as leaders loved, gifted and called by God? In this opening session we will gather in a sacred space to quiet the noise of pastoral expectations. We will focus on internal orientation—exploring what makes leadership truly spiritual when rooted in deep awareness of God’s presence. Participants will reflect on their core identity in Christ, anchoring their pastoral vocation in divine love and grace before stepping into outward ministry task-scapes.
Tuesday, November 10
Morning session 10 am -12 noon
Is Anabaptist Leadership a Thing?
What is Anabaptist leadership? How does it differ from leadership in general? This session digs into the theological and practical markers that set Anabaptist leadership apart. We will contrast prevailing secular and institutional leadership models—often centered on individual authority, efficiency, and status—with an Anabaptist commitment to communal discernment, mutual accountability, non-coercive power, and Jesus-centered servant leadership.
Tuesday, November 10
Afternoon session 2-4 pm
What Makes Leadership Spiritual?
What makes leadership spiritual? This final session offers an open, reflective space to listen deeply to one another and process the ongoing demands of ministry. Through informal conversation, small-group reflection, and shared stories of hope and struggle, we will consider how spiritual leadership is sustained in community.
Our Speaker: