By Pat Centner, AFAJ staff writer
January 2003 – Dawn breaks across Reflection Lake, and mist rises as the sun warms the icy water. Heavy frost glitters on the ground, and everywhere it is quiet. Eventually, the silence is broken by a rain crow whose distinctive call echoes across the water, alerting creation that a new day has begun.
On a small rise overlooking the lake, cozy guest cottages reflect the morning light, while near the water's edge, a large white cross serves as a reminder of the purpose for this ministry and whom it serves.
Inside "The Shepherd," one of the beautifully-appointed guest rooms, a pastor and his wife sleep peacefully, taking full advantage of this opportunity to leave the stresses of life behind and meld their hearts together as they fellowship with the Lord.
You can see the spark of appreciation in Pastor Bert Harper's eyes as he recalls the blessings he and his wife, Jan, have experienced at Gilead Retreat Center in Northeast Mississippi. Harper, who pastors West Jackson Street Baptist Church in Tupelo, smiles faintly.
"I know this sounds like an advertisement, but Gilead really is a balm for the weary and a place where pastors and their wives can draw aside and literally rest in the Lord. Jan and I were privileged to attend one of the Gilead Getaways. Being alone together in that beautiful setting gave us time for conversation and enjoying one another. And after every meal, Lanny [Autry] shared some Scripture and uplifting words as a part of Gilead's ministry to us. The whole experience made us know we wanted to bring other pastors there."
Gilead Retreat Center is located halfway between New Albany and Oxford, Mississippi. Nestled beside Reflection Lake, the facility includes a 10,000 square foot conference center, two guest cottages with five sleeping rooms each, an outdoor meeting area, numerous hiking trails and unparalleled peace and serenity.
Founded in 1995 by Lanny and Deborah Autry of New Albany, Gilead represents the harvest from a tiny seed God planted more than 20 years ago. While growing up as a preacher's kid, Lanny had watched his father (who ultimately pastored nearly 60 years), and then his own local minister, struggle with the stringent demands of a pastor's life.
"I saw my dad minister to many, many people," he explains, "yet saw almost no one minister to him. Sometime after he died, the Lord began to focus my heart on the need to minister to ministers."
And at Gilead, the Autrys more than meet that need. Jan Harper sums it up in three simple words: "They pamper you." Her husband adds, "Compassionate love for ministers and their wives is so obvious in everything they do at Gilead from the small touches like home-baked cookies in the rooms, to the listening ear they offer to anyone who might have a need."
Because the Harpers also realize that couples in ministry deeply need time "away from it all," once or twice a year they take nine couples and their spouses to Gilead for a "Fish Bowl Retreat" (because pastors "live in a fishbowl," laughs Harper).
"What we do goes hand-in-hand with Gilead's ministry," he explains. "We wouldn't do our Fish Bowl Retreats anywhere but there. The biggest challenge we have, though, is getting pastors to block their schedules for this much-needed time away from church pressures, phones, and kids. And it's sad, but true, that many pastors' wives need to get away from the demands as much or more than their husbands."
Harper adds that he has it "on good authority" that pastors need to frequently separate themselves totally from the pressures of their ministry. He cites Jesus as the number one example. "Scripture confirms that Jesus often went aside to rest and commune with His Father.
"The bottom line is this: We as ministers are called on to be stewards, and part of that stewardship is our emotional well-being. And we all need, every once in a while, for someone to pour out their love to us. Nobody does that better than Gilead." 
