We are excited to announce that Gwen Gustafson-Zook will be serving as our new program director, starting in early September! Gwen is a gifted storyteller, musician, generative leader, administrator, and pastor in the Anabaptist faith tradition.
She most recently completed a year as interim lead pastor at Manchester Church of the Brethren and brings a wealth of wisdom and experience working with young adults and engaging with people from diverse cultural and theological backgrounds. She is no stranger to Camp Friedenswald, having served as a resource person and musician throughout the years, and on summer staff in the early 1990s. Gwen holds a Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Direction from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and an MDiv from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary.
Gwen enjoys spending time in nature, knitting, and playing disc golf – all things that she looks forward to integrating into her life at Friedenswald.
Gwen is eager to “Join with others in making the exploration of Anabaptist faith, sustainability, and creation-centered Spirituality available to others through the programming of Camp Friedenswald. I see this as a holy task; a kind of sacred calling for ‘such a time as this’.”
And we at Camp look forward to welcoming her, along with her husband Les Gustafson-Zook, to the Camp Friedenswald community! We hope you will join us.
Gwen offers the following haiku and reflection at this time of transition:
Life in Haiku: Integration Season
I sit on the edge
of land, sea, and sky, waiting…
for integration.
This Haiku marks the beginning of a new season of life/work/reflection for me; a time to integrate a wide variety of thoughts and experiences that have brought me to this place in my life. It is quite a gift to have the good fortune of being invited to think deeply about (and work toward) the integration of
the wisdom of creation,
the mystery of spirituality,
the vocation of hospitality,
the solace of beauty,
the embodiment of faith,
and the love of the Holy.
And I joyfully and gratefully embrace this gift!
So I will soon move to join the dedicated and delightful “unintentional community” that is Camp Friedenswald: “The Peaceful Woods” – where I will serve as the Program Director (infused with a bit of Spiritual Director and Public Theologian!). I look forward to joining the community there and continuing the work of integrating programming with creation-inspired spirituality, embodied faith, and robust & earthy theology, as I lean into this season of INTEGRATION…in the pursuit of all that is Holy; all that is Divine. And all in the context of a great group of people!