Please join SCLRC in officially welcoming Lori Bode as its new Executive Director!

“I look forward to telling the stories of those who have grown through time spent at Camp Kinard & Coastal Retreat,” shares Lori. “Stories that are a testimony-of-place, stories of stillness, healing, calling, renewal, and moments where ‘something happened here.’”

Lori officially started in her new role on April 1, 2026. We look forward to this next chapter and the many gifts she brings to SCLRC’s ministry!

Make new friends and learn something new at our annual Laugh, Learn, & Lunch program at on April 21, 2026 at Camp Kinard. Hosted by Pegi Roberts, guest speaker Pastor Jim Kinsler will share more about his adventure hiking the entire Appalachian Trail and his quest to complete the 2,197 mile footpath in the slowest known time (SKT) in recorded history. 

Pastor Jim started hiking the AT before he graduated high school in 1973. He reached Katahdin on August 19, 2025, but he is still not finished! Bring a friend or register as a group and join us for this fun event! Sign Up TODAY → 

For a limited time, use the code “SLOW” and receive $5 off your registration, which includes lunch and all program materials.

From hosting special week-long camps for youth with disabilities to weekend gatherings to life-long learning events for adults – impactful memories which last a lifetime are made here at the South Carolina Lutheran Retreat Centers.

For many, some of the most impactful times on retreat are when friends gather together around the table for shared meals and good conversation. Because meals (and food) are a vital part of each retreat – we are asking for YOUR help during this year’s Midlands Gives to upgrade Camp Kinard’s Caughman Center Kitchenette and the appliances in Coastal Retreat’s main kitchen area.

These holy spaces welcome thousands of individuals on retreat, which means there are countless meals and snacks that are prepared in each of these spaces throughout the year!

We thank you in advance for your partnership with the South Carolina Lutheran Retreat Centers and supporting this place of welcome for all those we serve! Learn more →

This month, Terry Shealy – a familiar face around Camp Kinard for the last 20 years – will be retiring from his role as Bookkeeper. Terry has been an invaluable asset to SCLRC’s ministry over the last two decades having served as Business Manager and Camp Kinard’s Director. 

Those wishing to honor his time at SCLRC are invited to make a gift to the Building+Renewing+Believing: Holy Spaces campaign in his honor. 

On behalf of the SCLRC Staff and Board of Trustees, we give thanks for his lasting impact on these holy spaces! Give Here → 

When: May 15-17, 2026
Where: Coastal Retreat (Isle of Palms, SC)
Cost: $120/per person

Theme: Discipleship – Join us for a weekend of learning more about faith practices, fun, and friendship! Register Now →

The following groups have recently hosted events or are scheduled to stay at Camp Kinard or Coastal Retreat this month. We appreciate their support of this ministry of hospitality!

Asheville Christian Academy (Swannanoa, NC)
Cooley Springs Baptist Church (Chesnee, SC)
Ebenezer Lutheran Church (Columbia, SC)
For Keeps Sake Crafting Retreat (Aiken, SC)
Grace Presbyterian Church (Fort Mill, SC)
HCU co-op & Hybrid Academy (Irmo, SC)
Island Turtle Team (Isle of Palms, SC)
Laugh, Learn, & Lunch
NC Synod Women of the ELCA
St. John’s Lutheran Church (Spartanburg, SC)