Kanuga Fellows Program demonstrates early impact in first year
United by purpose and grounded in community, the Kanuga Fellows continue shaping leadership that endures.
Kanuga has launched the inaugural cohort of the Kanuga Fellows Program, a new leadership formation initiative rooted in the Episcopal tradition and shaped by the organization’s 1,400-acre mountain setting in Western North Carolina.
Designed for clergy and lay leaders seeking deeper spiritual grounding and renewed clarity in their call to lead, the Kanuga Fellows Program blends immersive residential retreats with sustained virtual engagement throughout the year. The inaugural cohort has completed its first in-person residency and is continuing its work through structured online formation and peer collaboration.
“The Church is asking new questions of its leaders,” said Michael Sullivan, President of Kanuga. “The Fellows Program creates intentional space for reflection, courage, and community while also providing entrepreneurial leadership skill development. It is leadership formation shaped by tradition, strengthened by nature, and grounded in faithful discernment.”
A Model of Ongoing Formation
The program’s first residency brought together Fellows from diverse ministry contexts for a week of theological reflection, leadership development, and community building. Participants engaged in facilitated dialogue, spiritual practices, and peer learning — all shaped by Kanuga’s longstanding values of hospitality, lifelong learning, and formation.
Following the residency, Fellows have continued meeting virtually, maintaining a steady rhythm of conversation and accountability as they integrate learning into their ministry contexts. The blended format ensures that formation is not episodic, but sustained.
Early Impact
Participant feedback from the first months of the program reflects meaningful personal and professional renewal.
“Participating in the Fellowship has been very enriching,” said Sarah Bolt, a member of the inaugural cohort. “We have continued to grow and learn together over the last five months online. The cohort is such a beautiful blend of caring and knowledgeable leaders from a great variety of churches and ministries.”
Martha MacGill, also a member of Cohort One, shared, “As retired clergy who spent 30 years in parish ministry, the Kanuga Fellows program has given me the support to have the courage to live into a life beyond the parish walls and, as John O’Donohue says, ‘honor the possibilities that were placed in me when I was so carefully fashioned out of clay.’”
A Strategic Investment in Leadership
With additional residencies planned and ongoing formation work ahead, the Kanuga Fellows Program represents a long-term investment in the future of faithful leadership within the Episcopal Church and beyond. It’s ultimate goal is to identify gifts for leadership, provide skillsets for risk-taking and experimentation, all while stressing the importance of individual vocation within the community.
The initiative is made possible through the generous support of Trinity Church NYC. Kanuga leaders expressed deep gratitude for Trinity’s partnership in strengthening leadership development at a time of significant change across the Church.
To learn more about the Kanuga Fellows Program and meet the initial cohort, visit kanuga.org/fellows. Kanuga will also be present at EPN, where attendees may connect with Fellows and Kanuga staff.