Summer programs have been offered at Ring Lake Ranch, near Dubois, Wyo., an ecumenical conference and retreat center east of Grand Teton National Park in the foothills of the Wind River Mountains, since the 1960s.
Its founder, the late Maggie Kahin, a graduate of Iliff School of Theology in Denver, envisioned a place where clergy and other religious leaders could refresh and renew themselves physically and spiritually.
Participants are encouraged to seek God “in the wilderness,” much like God speaking to Israel in the Book of Hosea, says Joan Guntzelman, program director (“…bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.” Hosea 2:14).
Participants at seminars are encouraged to hike, go on horseback rides, canoe or participate in other activities during the day. Late afternoons or evenings are reserved for program sessions. Presenters receive no stipend or honoraria other than room and board.
Accommodations are rustic cabins with no phones, television, radio or computer connections. Surroundings of mountains, lakes, pine trees and sage brush make for a very different environment for those coming from urban settings.
People attending programs may receive continuing education units through Iliff Seminary. More information is available at http://www.ringlake.org/ or by mail at Ring Lake Ranch, P.O. Box 806, Dubois, WY 82513.
