The Founding Revival · August 6, 2026
The family returns to the ground.
"Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?"
Jeremiah 8:22 (NLT)
THE GROUND REMEMBERS
Come Home
Mount Gilead Retreat Village rises on 17.1 acres of historic African American church land in Olmstead, Logan County, Kentucky, ground tied to Mount Gilead Baptist Church and to the families who cleared it, prayed on it, and kept it.
It is a place of rest, renewal, reunion, and return: cabins and lodges set in a forest sanctuary where families heal, marriages are restored, leaders are formed, and a new generation discovers its roots. We are building a balm, a place where the wounded come for healing and the scattered come home.
Mount Gilead Baptist Church, Founded 1894 · Established 1906, still stands at the heart of this land. The Village rises around it, so that what our ancestors planted keeps bearing fruit.
A Cloud of Witnesses
The Cage Family
Sylvester "Babe" & Willa Dean Cage
The Cage, Spencer, Hardesty, Kimbrough, Sydnor, and Grinter families cleared this ground, prayed on it, taught in its school, and kept it through every season. Their names are our foundation.
"The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers."
1 Kings 8:57 (NLT)
OUR FOUNDATION
The Four Pillars
I
Faith
Rooted in Christ and shaped by the Black church tradition that carried us. Everything flows from worship, the chapel at the center, prayer in the woods, scripture at the table.
II
Education
Honoring the Rosenwald legacy, learning that liberates. The Rosenwald Institute will host teaching residencies, heritage scholarship, and leadership formation.
III
Heritage
Remembering the land, the names, and the families. Through oral history, genealogy, and engraved bricks, every generation will find itself here.
IV
Community
A village where the wounded are tended and the scattered come home. Retreats, reunions, camp meetings, and the Gilead Network bind us into one beloved community.
THE VISION TAKES SHAPE
The Village
A healing village set in the trees, a chapel, cabins, lodges, and gathering grounds, rooted in heritage and built for renewal.
Retreat Cabin · Tiny-Home Model · Elevated on Piers · ~400–500 sq ft
Heritage Chapel
Rosenwald Institute
The Balm House
Guest Lodge & Cohort House
PHASE ONE · YEARS 1–2
Sacred Foundations
Land stewardship, chapel restoration, first cabins and infrastructure for the heart of the village.
PHASE TWO · YEARS 2–4
Infrastructure & Program
Guest lodge, the Balm House wellness center, signature retreats and the Rosenwald Institute.
PHASE THREE · YEARS 4–7
National Destination
A homecoming destination for the diaspora, convenings, residencies, and legacy giving.
STAY & RETREAT
Come and Be Restored
CLERGY & SOLO
The Jubilee
A private wooded retreat for silence, scripture, and Sabbath rest for the shepherd who has poured out.
NAKED & UNASHAMED
The Secret Garden
A couples retreat for intimacy, healing, and covenant renewal in a private sanctuary for two.
HERITAGE & HEALING
Sankofa
For descendants and heritage seekers returning to reclaim what was left behind. Come trace your names.
PRAYER & FASTING
The Watchtower
The most secluded cabin. No noise, no distraction, just prayer, fasting, scripture, and the trees.
GROUP RETREATS
Group Lodge
Sleeps 16–24. Built for marriage intensives, clergy cohorts, family reunions, and seminary groups.
WELLNESS
The Balm House
Wellness center for massage, sauna, soaking, and sound, a sabbath for the body.
JOIN THE WORK
This Village Needs Builders.
Mount Gilead is rising, on sacred land, for sacred purpose. Join the builders who are making it possible. Name a cabin. Fund a ministry. Sponsor a heritage brick. Every gift leaves a legacy in the red clay.
Mount Gilead Retreat Village Foundation's 501(c)(3) public charity status is confirmed. Tax-deductible gifts are received through the Foundation.
Join the Journey Home.
Be the first to know when the cabins open, when the chapel doors swing wide, and when the village is ready to receive you.