During this retreat, we will center the voices of adrienne maree brown, Grace Lee Boggs, and bell hooks to examine their practices to live authentically, build community and belonging, and expand our capacity to engage, fuel, lead, and sustain transformational change within ourselves and community. Resilience is a key capacity that each of us can build through our thoughts, behaviors, habits and actions. Our explorations will be anchored in reflections on their written works and speeches, and will be further supported by poetry and artistic works to help us explore the relationship between resilience, social justice, and transformational change.
GilChrist Retreat Center, located on 67 acres of rolling hills, meadows, and forest, is intentionally designed to foster meditation, contemplative practice, and engagement with nature. We will fully engage our surroundings to help us craft strategies for creative engagement and personal resilience to embolden leadership, strategic patience, and action to build inclusive cultures. Our deep dives will explore the connection between mind, heart, and soul through journaling, labyrinth walking, mindfulness work, and historical reflection. At the end of the retreat, participants will be encouraged to do a self-tour of historical sites commemorating the lives of local 19th-century activists who expanded freedom through the Underground Railroad.
About the Facilitator
Kathy Purnell, Esq., Ph.D., has over two decades of professional experience as a lawyer, professor, and nonprofit administrator. She is a graduate of Harvard University (A.B.), Cornell University (Ph.D.) and the DePaul University College of Law (J.D.). She is trained in philosophical counseling techniques from the American Philosophical Practitioners Association and is an affiliate of the organization. Dr. Purnell is a licensed attorney in the State of Michigan and is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, where she served as the Diversity Chair of AILA’s Michigan chapter. Her current practice is focused on civil and human legal practice as well as mindfulness and resilience for transformative justice. She has also used her advanced training in political philosophy, law, and ethics to teach students at seven different universities including Kalamazoo College, Western Michigan University, and DePaul University, has led “Resilience Retreats” at GilChrist, the public retreat center of the Fetzer Institute, and has been a member of both the Kalamazoo Truth Racial Healing and Transformation’s (TRHT) Law Design Team and its Racial Healing Circle Practitioner Cohort. She currently serves as an affiliate of the Western Michigan University Center for the Study of Ethics in Society and is a regular leader of their Ethics Book Clubs for challenging public dialogues on topics such as immigration, racial equity, hate speech in democratic community, and housing as a human right.
Retreat Schedule
Friday, July 10, 2026, 6:00 p.m. – Sunday, July 12, 2026, 12:00 p.m.
Registration and Lodging Details
First, complete this form (click here) to register for the retreat. The cost for the retreat program is $250 and includes all books and materials. Space is limited. Please inquire about options for financial accessibility.
Once you have registered and arranged to pay the program fee with the facilitator, contact GilChrist to reserve your cabin using the online registration form (or by calling the main office at 269-244-1130 with any questions). Lodging is $75/night per person in addition to the program fee.
Financial accessibility: The GilChrist Retreat Center, in addition to a free-will policy for payment for accommodations, offers support to retreatants through its Retreat Equity Fund. For full details, please click here.
Guests should check into their cabins between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 10, so that staff may assist you with transportation between the parking lot and cabins before our first session begins promptly at 6:00 p.m. Cabin check-out is at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 12.
Light snacks will be provided throughout the retreat, and a communal dinner will take place on Saturday evening, so please let Kathy know if you have any dietary restrictions. Other than Saturday evening, individuals are responsible for their own meals. Each guest space at GilChrist is equipped with a complete kitchen. See the complete GilChrist FAQ for more information about the facility.
