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The Western Territory’s Holiness Retreat, “Thirst,” took place March 7-9, on the Crestmont Campus in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. The weekend encouraged 174 attendees—delegates and guests—from around the West to take time away from their typical routines to consider holiness—to be set apart for God.
The weekend marked the fifth year of the retreat—the largest territorial event outside of Commissioning. It was led by Territorial Secretary for Spiritual Life Development Commissioner Colleen Riley, and centered on the message found in Matthew 5:6: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Riley said, from a spiritual perspective, gathering at events like the Holiness Retreat is essential because it creates space for God to move in our hearts and deepen our relationship with him.
“Holiness is not something we achieve on our own; it is the work of the Holy Spirit transforming us into the likeness of Christ,” Riley said. “When we come together in unity, seeking God’s presence, we open ourselves to his refining power. Just as iron sharpens iron, the fellowship of believers encourages and strengthens our faith, helping us to grow in grace and truth.”
Pursuing holiness—continually seeking to be in communion with Jesus, allowing him to fill us and refine us with his holy love and the Holy Spirit—is an integral part of the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition, of which The Salvation Army belongs.
Among The Salvation Army’s doctrines (beliefs), sanctification, the process of becoming holy, is referenced in Doctrine 10: “We believe that it is the privilege of all believers to be wholly sanctified, and that their whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The Salvation Army USA National Ambassadors for Holiness Bill and Diane Ury were the weekend’s guest speakers, covering seven sessions.
One thing Bill Ury hopes attendees remember? “Holiness is the only way to quench our thirst,” he said.
“The holiness we thirst for is the Holy One himself. He is holy and love in essence and thus, everything we learn about who we truly are must come from him and through him,” he said. “The ‘separation’ portion of our definition of holiness must be seen through the revelation of a God who wants us to know him face to face. He has risked everything on his heart’s desire to invite us to quench our thirsty, broken hearts and lives in his life-giving flow.”
Attendee Melissa Helms, a soldier from the San Francisco South of Market (SOMA) Corps, said she was encouraged to attend the weekend by her corps officer—it was her first Holiness Retreat. A big takeaway? Holiness is not complicated, she said.
“Holiness always sounded like something lofty and somewhat unattainable to me, like something that is for prominent spiritual leaders or saints like Mother Teresa,” she said. “However, that is not the case. Holiness is for every person who has been saved, and is as simple as receiving and allowing the presence of the Lord to live within me.”
That simplicity is something Diane Ury said she hopes people remember.
“Their constant sense of being needy, of having longings and desires is the way that God created us to be,” she said. “That is not a result of sin; that is our created nature because he made us not to be self-sufficient, but to be filled with himself. Every longing is a symbol built into our beings to constantly remind us that we are not intended to live without him flooding our dusty, thirsty lives. Without him in our minds, hearts, souls and bodies, we are as dry as death, and it’s not possible to flourish as a human person…
“All we must do to be holy is to continuously posture ourselves in utter dependence so that we can receive his transforming love and goodness. This is a life of obedient, surrendered, face to face abiding love with the only one who can satisfy.”
During the worship time, led by guest Phil Laeger, Bill Ury said he turned from his seat in the front several times to bask in the “tangible glory of the worshipful countenances of every participant.” The word he used to describe the group? Beauty.
“It was in the beauty of holiness that we were invited into by the Triune God,” he said.
Unlike many gatherings, the retreat took a casual approach, and many attendees wore sweatshirts and jeans.
“Commissioner Colleen’s humble and wise leadership set the tone,” Diane Ury said. “It wasn’t until Sunday that I even knew who were officers.”
Throughout the weekend, attendees gathered for the sessions, meals and workshops, and enjoyed dedicated personal reflection and free times.
Workshops included “Revealing Holiness through Soul Care,” led by Major Millie Bearchell; “God Demands Holiness” with Majors Lex and Patricia Girion; “Revealing Holiness through Discipleship” with Majors Phil and Debbie Lum; and “Revealing Holiness through Bible Study” with Envoy David Witthoff.
Prescott (Arizona) Corps Officer Lt. Emily Reed said the “Revealing Holiness through Soul Care” workshop was particularly impactful to her current season of life.
“Obviously, as an officer, we want to bear good fruit and hope it flourishes where we are at,” she said. “The thing that I learned or was reminded of is that fruit bearing shouldn’t burn or wear us out. We need to take care of our souls and just be present with Jesus.”
For Reed, who traveled to the retreat with her newborn, Judah, the weekend also served as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and holy love.
“Judah is a miracle baby,” she said. “Seeing those who prayed over us while I was pregnant with him hold and love on him…made me think that is probably how God reacts to us when we come into a relationship with him.”
For Helms, the weekend was filled with good information to digest. She said the most impactful time was being able to talk through some of what was taught with her friends from the corps who also attended.
“We were able to encourage each other to better foster a holiness culture in our circles of influence, whether that be our own families, groups we lead or our church community,” she said.
And that’s really what the Holiness Retreat is all about.
“In gathering, we experience the beauty of the body of Christ—supporting one another, confessing our struggles and celebrating the victories of a life fully surrendered to God. It is in this sacred space that the Holy Spirit can stir within us a deeper hunger for righteousness and empower us to live lives that reflect the holiness of Christ to a broken world,” Riley said.
“Ultimately, these gatherings are not just about learning more about holiness; they are about encountering the Holy One himself and allowing him to transform us from the inside out.”
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