Nearly 30 years has passed since the first senior adult retreat for the Church of God was held in the mountains of East Tennessee. Since then the event for retired ministers, widows, and senior adults has grown to become an anticipated gathering with fellowship, worship, and an abundance of talent.
What was formerly known as the Smoky Mountain Jubilee will receive a makeover when it debuts April 30 – May 2, 2019 as Smoky Mountain Gathering and will be held at the Gatlinburg Convention Center in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
“Church of God senior adults have found a ‘home away from home’ where some friendships have been found and others renewed,” stated Dusty Wilson, coordinator of the event. “The opportunities encountered at the annual senior adult retreat include times of worship, fun and lots of laughter. There’s never a dull moment.”
This year Smoky Mountain Gathering will focus on “reaching a Jubilee Generation.” According to Wilson, the newly appointed steering committee wanted to express their desire to see the “jubilee age” (50 and up) to be considered as a part of the Smoky Mountain Gathering.
“There will be the same attention given to fun, festivities and the quality of programming but with some new experiences,” says Wilson who also serves as the committee chairperson.
Special guests for Smoky Mountain Gathering include Church of God General Overseer Dr. Tim Hill, The Perrys, The Pickerings, Goodman Revival, The Looney Brothers, Phil Stacey, and worship led by Jim Milligan. There will be a special emphasis, honoring war veterans, on Thursday morning, and Wednesday afternoon SpiritCare is sponsoring a banquet for retired ministers and widows of retired ministers with special guest Dr. Raymond Culpepper, first assistant general overseer. Other highlights will include group games and contests among states, prizes, giveaways, and especially the Talent Showcase Competition, perhaps the most anticipated portion of the Gathering.
The three days will conclude on Thursday, May 2 with an optional Church of God Smoky Mountain Gathering at Dollywood theme park (park fee in addition to retreat cost). The Dollywood experience will include a buffet meal and concert featuring selected Talent Showcase winners, Looney Brothers, Phil Stacey and The Pickering’s.
A new web site has been launched especially for the event and can be found at www.smokymountaingathering.com [1]. Here potential delegates can explore more information on all of the guest artists, listen to their music, read bios of special speakers, review the schedule, and watch a short video from General Overseer Tim Hill. Perhaps the most important aspect of the website is registration. Early registration is encouraged for individuals and groups alike to be sure their place is reserved for this anticipated event in the Church of God. Registration can be accomplished online at the website, or by downloading a registration form.