Wonder, Hope, Surprise Mark First Nollau Leadership Retreat of Class of 2027

The first retreat of CHHSM’s Nollau Leadership Institute’s class of 2027 met May 18-21, 2026, at Bellwether Farm in Wakeman, Ohio. Participants arrived with feelings of anticipation and not quite knowing what to expect. By week’s end, classmates departed for home filled with wonder and hope.

“Walking into the Nollau retreat, I was not sure what to expect,” said Emma Sancomb, director of spiritual care at Cedar Community in West Bend, Wis. “Two colleagues from my organization, both Nollau alumni, had described the experience as transformative. Even with their strong endorsements, I was still amazed by the beauty of what I encountered. From the content to the facilitators and conversations, to the space itself, the entire experience felt like a breath of sacred, fresh air.”

Monte Mister, managing director of congregate care at Hoyleton Youth and Family Services in Fairview Heights, Ill., had a similar initial reaction. “My expectation going into the session was that we would have a surface-level discussion on leadership and ways to improve as a leader,” he said. “What I learned and experienced was far more meaningful. I instantly felt a true connection with the entire group, and that sense of trust created space for deeper conversations and personal reflection.”

Part of the year-long leadership development program run by the UCC Council for Health and Human Service Ministries, the first retreat emphasizes the personal realm of leadership. Participants reflect on their own leadership experiences and understanding, what influences have shaped them, and what other ways of thinking and being can expand their leadership. The retreat includes whole class discussions and small group conversations on various topics, activities, contemplative listening circles, an introduction to the Enneagram, personal reflection time, and more.

Each year, during opening worship, current Nollau participants take a card bearing a message from a previous Nollau class member, an activity many of this year’s class found particularly meaningful.

“For the past several years, I have invited the graduating Nollau cohort to write a note to the folks in the upcoming one,” said the Rev. Dr. Elyse Berry, CHHSM’s associate for advocacy and leadership development, who runs the program. “I save them … and invite the new cohort to each take a card during opening worship. It is a way to tether the classes together, add a personal touch of support, and remind us how this work is shared together.”

“Something this year’s class did, which I have never seen before, was to keep their cards out and propped up at their tables the entire week. It felt really tender and special,” Berry added. “There is a beautiful energy of intentionality with the class, and of being ready to engage in really meaningful ways. I experienced them as very open and grounded.”

In addition to Berry, other CHHSM colleagues participate as presenters and small group facilitators, with occasional guest speakers. Matt Bishop, vice president and COO, was attending his first Nollau class, and served as a small group facilitator.

“It was such an honor to meet all the members of the new Nollau class,” Bishop said. “I’m excited to walk alongside them in their leadership development journey.”

Cynthia McKenzie, associate for business operations and one of CHHSM’s newest employees, is part of this year’s Nollau class. “This was my first retreat as part of this year’s Nollau class,” said McKenzie, “and I found it self-reflecting and very inspirational, and left feeling inspired and motivated. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the classes teach me.”

Several sessions during the week were particularly meaningful for participants. Schmian Evans, minister for women and gender justice in the UCC’s national setting, found the contemplative circles, the small group dialogue, and the Enneagram materials especially poignant.

“I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the experience, not because I expected it to be mundane—I simply was not prepared for how much the experience would impact me and how much I’d genuinely enjoy it, Evans said. “Part of this is because of Elyse’s background in the Enneagram and trauma informed care. Magic happens when a person curating an experience for others has a certain mix of wisdom, experience, and expertise.”

Sancomb concurred. The Enneagram, particularly reading Chichi Agorom’s The Enneagram for Black Liberation: Return to Who You are Beneath the Armor you Carry, “invited me into deeper reflection,” she said, “not only on who I am, but on how I show up in the world and in relationship with others.”

One feature of the first retreat is a tour of the setting, Bellwether Farm, a 137-acre regenerative camp, retreat and education center, where hospitality, sustainability, and community come together. Bellwether features farm-to-table cuisine, and the Nollau class was invited to feed the goats, visit honeybee hives, and learn how Bellwether makes decisions as both an active farm and a retreat center. Several retreat activities included outdoor time.

“Bellwether Farm was an excellent host site for the retreat,” Mister said. “Everyone there was more than accommodating, and the environment added so much to the overall experience. It truly felt like a place designed for reflection.”

The retreat also included an introduction to CHHSM, sections on spirituality in the workplace, grounding one’s self, beginning and belonging, and resilience; and a special session on RDEI (Race, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and leadership. At both retreats, participants explore RDEI work from personal, relational, organizational, and structural perspectives and discuss how this understanding is vital for all levels of leadership.

“It’s always a joy getting to know the new class of Nollau leaders,” said Jamar Doyle, CHHSM’s president and CEO. “I look forward to working with the current class throughout the coming year.”

After the final lunch and send-off, participants returned home excited for the activities ahead. In the days afterward, some classmates shared deeply personal reflections.

“The program made room for me, and I’ve always thought I was a bit of an oddball, a bit of an outlier, easily misunderstood,” said Schmian Evans. “The experience made me feel like I was home, and for that reason, I found myself opening up, making connections—simply because someone created a space where I could simply ‘be’ without questions, without judgement, without pressure: the ultimate invitation. And when that happens, sometimes people make different decisions, they choose to stretch because there’s no pressure.”

Monte Mister found the interactions with other participants particularly poignant. “I was surprised by how many good people I met throughout the week,” he said. “With so many participants coming from across the country, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But everyone was open, willing to share their experiences, and ready to support one another. That level of honest and connection was powerful, and it made the entire experience far more meaningful than I anticipated.”

For Emma Sancomb, too, it was all about inspiration and gratitude. 

“One of the biggest surprises for me was how ‘otherworldly’ the experience felt,” she said. “It reminded me of the Lord’s Prayer— ‘on earth as it is in heaven … give us this day our daily bread.’ Nollau felt like a glimpse of that kind of sacred reality, an invitation to cultivate heaven here on earth. It reminded me that we have a responsibility to nurture environments that are joyful, life-giving, and grounded in care.

“I came home feeling refreshed and inspired, which only left me filled with more gratitude for this experience. I look forward with deep joy and curiosity to all that the coming year will hold.”

Photos by Elyse Berry and Zaria Davis.