Downing Ministries to Dissolve Annual Event but Continue Limited Travel Schedule

After much prayer and more than one candid conversation with the Middle Tennessee Women’s Retreat planning committee, Ann Downing announces that she has hosted her last retreat. “28 retreats was a great run, but times have changed, the world has changed, and finances have definitely changed. Downing Ministries has always helped underwrite the cost of the retreat and simply isn’t able to do that anymore. COVID and other health concerns did a number on changing circumstances for many of our regular attendees, and the cost of preparing proper advertising and mailers has risen beyond all reason. 1992-2019. We didn’t know that would be the last one, but God did, and we do have peace about this decision… a peace we’ve not had about this possibility before. I am thankful I will still be able to travel, but as announced at the end of last year, I’ll be doing that on a more limited basis for many of the same reasons that the retreat is coming to an end.”

“To those of you who have prayed over the years… THANK YOU! To those of you who have saved your pennies, nickels, and dimes over the years to be able to attend… THANK YOU!

To those of you who volunteered at the retreat in any capacity… THANK YOU!”

“Middle Tennessee Women’s Retreat as an event is dissolving, but the real success of the retreat has always been the strong bonds of friendship and kinship forged among attendees and the opportunity God gave us to walk out the mission statement each year… ‘to provide an atmosphere of encouragement and emotional safety for women of all ages, denominations, and cultures while learning more about themselves and the grace, hope, and love of God.’ Through every woman who ever attended, Middle Tennessee Women’s Retreat will live on.”

“Most of all, Karissa and I want to clearly and publicly thank our Lord, Jesus Christ, for entrusting the planning, running, programming, and ministry of such an event to two willing yet woefully inadequate vessels. To every speaker and staff member through the years… THANK YOU! To every MTWR committee member who has served through the years… THANK YOU! He helped us all, and we did it together.”

Anyone who has already registered for the 2022 retreat will be contacted about refunding fees. Hotel reservations will automatically be cancelled if the room was booked as part of the MTWR room block. Questions may be directed to Karissa@anndowning.com.