A Seasons Within Retreat
Monday, December 21, 3:00–9:00 pm
Avila Center for Community Leadership, Durham NC
Join us for a time of reflection and connection on the shortest day and longest night of the year. In community, we will explore ways that cultures have gathered to honor the Winter Solstice and engage in poetry, selected readings, musical selections and meditative journaling. In the business of the holiday season and amidst the pressures of holiday cheer, we will reflect on the wisdom of writer Annie Dillard, who reminds us that:
“You do not have to sit outside in the dark. If, however, you want to look at the stars, you will find that the darkness is necessary.”
Retreat Facilitator
The winter retreat will be led by Peace Hill Colleague of Counsel Rev. Racquel C.N. Gill. Racquel is a native of Winnsboro, SC. Having begun her preaching ministry as a teenager, Racquel was ordained in 2008 at the St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church in Winnsboro under the leadership of the late Rev. Roy C. Jeffcoat. Racquel is a 2012 graduate of Columbia College in Columbia, SC where she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Education. Racquel received her Masters of Divinity in May of 2015 from Duke Divinity School in Durham, NC.
Racquel served faithfully as the Lilly Pastor In Residence on the pastoral staff at the St. Paul Community Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York, under the leadership of Dr. David K. Brawley. After her time in Brooklyn, Racquel transitioned into higher education and served as the Associate Chaplain at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC and as the Minister for Intercultural Engagement at her alma mater, Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, for six years. After a season of working in local government for the City of Raleigh, Racquel transitioned back into congregational ministry. She currently serves as the Pastor of Community Life and Engagement at the Southeast Raleigh Table United Methodist Church alongside the Lead Pastor, the Rev. Lisa Yebuah.
In addition to her professional commitments, Racquel is a proud member of the Board of Directors for the Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice. She lives in Durham with her spouse the Reverend Chelsea Brooke Yarborough, PhD. She enjoys local library visits with Chelsea, visiting record stores, great coffee, learning pickleball, and traveling to visit her nephew(s) and niece.