Freedom Conference 2025 In Review!

 

The Freedom curriculum starts out with a reintroduction to our Lord; it helps us to see Him as our beloved, faithful Pursuer and to stop viewing Him as an angry God looking for a reason to damn us. The 12 week course teaches us to live a transparent, repentant, relationship fueled lifestyle; a lifestyle Freedom describes as living in “the Tree of Life.” Every week, my wife, Amber and I have had the pleasure of teaching, using the format of fellowship, prayer, worship, discussion, and Holy Spirit inspired, intentional individual prayer. 

We were able to bring a group to the Freedom Conference in Midlothian, VA. To use a coffee metaphor, the curriculum is like good old fashioned drip coffee, picking up strength over time. The conference was like a few shots of espresso—strong and concentrated in a small amount of time. It was so powerful. The format was similar to the curriculum; praise, a teaching, a group agreement with truth and disagreement with lies, and individual prayer.

This curriculum alongside the conference was so powerful! The testimonies were abundant. Our group has unburied and repented of old weights and hindrances, forgiven wrongs, and had our eyes open to the promises of scripture. This is how God designed us to live. Freedom.

The Freedom Conference 2025 was a powerful weekend of growth, rediscovery, and healing. Sixteen members of the Cathedral Church of Reconciliation joined together at a church near Richmond, VA for nine deeply focused sessions aimed at uncovering the past and present burdens that can keep believers from fully experiencing the abundant life promised in Jesus Christ. Teams of believers—each of whom had previously walked their own journey of healing through past Freedom Conferences—devoted their time, prayers, and gifts to serve. They covered the event in intercession and led the room in heartfelt praise and worship. From the very beginning, the atmosphere was filled with expectation and reverence. 

Throughout the weekend, participants were invited to lay down emotional baggage and trust that Christ—through His Word, united with faith and prayer—can truly transform anything. Many were profoundly touched and left feeling lighter, freer, and renewed. Praise God for the freedom found only in the Holy Name of Jesus!

Men’s Retreat 2025

The Mid-Atlantic Diocese Men’s Retreat was a time of teaching and growth filled with the Holy Spirit. 

We were honored to have Father Nick Navarro from The Cathedral Church of the Intercessor come and teach us his simple Gospel. Through a series of talks and teachings by not only Father Nick, but other members of our clergy, the retreat proved to be both encouraging and empowering to the men who attended.

The weekend kicked off with a mass and sermon by Bishop Rob Northwood and Spirit led worship through some of the men here at The Cathedral Church of Reconciliation. Many who came, felt refreshed and renewed with a new understanding of God’s unending grace and holiness. Father Nick’s unique and wonderful perspective on God, our relationship with Him and how we are to walk out His Will in our lives, ignited the hearts of all who heard him speak!

All glory to God!

 

Kingdom Life Youth and Young Adult Retreat

Kingdom Life Youth and Young Adult Retreat

This past October, 60 young persons and leaders gathered at a Christian camp in Forest Hill, MD for two days of praise, prayer, fun, and teaching. With the question of Covid still looming and rainy weather threatening, the young people came from New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, some with 8-hour drives. They gathered together and called on the Lord as one to move in their lives and God did not disappoint.

The testimonies that came back from this retreat were witness to the move of God on the lives of willing people. Prior to the retreat, many of the leaders and youth reported strain, stress, personal doubts, and major inconvenience: all common signs of our enemy’s attempts to subvert a major act of God.

At the retreat, we saw young people prophesy, speak in tongues, experience life changing healing, deliverance, and direction. There were testimonies of physical healing, emotional healing including depression being lifted and anxiety calmed, and young hearts rededicated to the purpose of God.

Many of the leaders were encouraged by the response of the young people to the teaching and the retreat itself. “Father Jeffery Welch’s lesson entitled ‘Obstacles To Grace’ was mind-blowing” said one high school male. Another said he would come back if this were a monthly event. Still others expressed their desire for the retreat to be longer and occur more often. All were blessed in some way and eager for another similar experience.

Bishop Rob is intent on hosting another event of this kind in the coming year and has said that even with the tremendous amount of preparation required for a retreat such as this, God’s move always makes it more than worthwhile.