Stony Point Center — Stony Point, United States

A 32-acre multi-faith retreat campus in the lower Hudson Valley, Stony Point, New York

Stony Point Center sits on land the site's own history ties to the Ramapough Lenape, Tappan, Rumanchenak and later Nyack peoples. Evidence suggests it was a meeting and trading place, where the narrows of the Hudson River made a natural crossing. The Ramapough Lenape remain a presence in Rockland County and recently opened the Sweetwater Cultural Center a few blocks from the campus. In 1885 the property belonged to the family of Rev. John Gilmor, and his daughters lived in the house all their lives. In 1949 they willed it to the National Mission Agency of the Presbyterian Church. Since then the campus has passed through five distinct generations: an international gathering place for ecumenical church leaders in the 1950s; the Missionary Orientation Center of the 1960s and early 1970s, which trained outgoing mission workers from seven denominations; a justice and peace conference centre from the mid-1970s, remembered for its Global Village events; and a retreat centre for culturally diverse faith communities of the New York area. In 2008, Co-Directors Rick and Kitty Ufford-Chase began the fifth generation, with a vision of a multifaith Community of Living Traditions. They repaired the physical campus with new roofs, windows and heating and cooling systems, and built the Art Space, believing art to be a channel for faith and social action. The 2020 pandemic sharply reduced staff and hospitality, and the Center reopened in July 2021. Today the Gilmor Sloane House, an 1856 Victorian with twelve bedrooms, a Tiffany pendant chandelier in its large dining room and a baby grand Steinway in its parlor, anchors the campus alongside Maple Lodge, three mid-century lodges, Allison House and the Stone House apartments. The 560-square-foot Meditation Space is described as the campus's heart and spiritual soul and is held open to all guests, with exclusive bookings limited to one-to-three-hour blocks. The Art Space Great Room, with a loft and a working weaving loom, suits yoga and dance workshops. A labyrinth, a fire pit and a deliberately uneven wi-fi signal in the lodge bedrooms encourage presence. The Center's programs reflect its mission: housing justice, bias interruption, camp ministry and a theology-of-play gathering built around board games. Proyecto Faro, an immigrant-led organizing effort, is based on campus and distributes surplus fresh food to local families.

Traditions: Multi-faith practice, Presbyterian (PC(USA)), Meditation, Labyrinth walking, Yoga, Dance

Programs: Interrupting Everyday Bias, Homelessness to Housing: A Justice Summit, Now to Wow! Excellence in Camping, TopCon! 2027: Theology of Play, Overbrook Conversations, ROOTS: Retreat-based Organizing and Outreach Training School, Rooted and Rising Podcast Series, Sojourners