You Spend Your Life Caring for Others.
This Place Was Created to Care for You.
The Pastor’s Refuge creates life-giving space for pastors, ministry leaders and their spouses to step away from the relentless demands of ministry, breathe deeply, reconnect with what matters and return renewed.
Signature Experience
4-Day Reset
Funded by donors, 100% free for pastors.
A place to breathe, reconnect and remember what matters.
The work of ministry can be deeply rewarding. It can also be relentless, isolating, and quietly exhausting.
The Pastor’s Refuge exists to create space for pastors and ministry leaders to step away from the noise, reconnect with God, themselves, and their spouses, and experience meaningful rest alongside people who understand the unique weight of leadership.
“We want to help ministry leaders live well and finish strong.”
The people who care for others need care, too.
Ministry leaders carry responsibilities that directly affect churches, families, communities, and countless souls. Rest should not have to wait until someone reaches a breaking point.
The Invisible Weight
Pastoral leaders carry round-the-clock emotional and spiritual burdens. Studies historically show that up to 42% of pastoral leaders report severe burnout, carrying the isolation of leadership without a safe outlet.
*Historical pastoral research benchmarks across Christian denominations.
Spouses & Families
A pastor's spouse often absorbs the unspoken pressures of congregational expectations. The Pastor's Refuge is intentionally designed to hold, honor, and restore marriages and ministry partners.
A Proactive Rhythm
We believe rest is not an emergency bailout; it is a sacred Kingdom rhythm. Stepping away before you are broken preserves families, protects callings, and strengthens churches.
Rest. ReFocus. ReEngage.
These are not three unrelated ideas. They are the deliberate stages of one restorative journey.
REST
Step Away.
Create space to breathe, sleep, fish, read, reflect, and simply be. No conference agenda. No performance required. Days that belong completely to your renewal.
REFOCUS
Get Clear.
Rest creates margin. Refocusing helps you reconnect with God, yourself, your spouse, and what truly matters most before entering everyday pressures again.
REENGAGE
Move Forward.
Return to your family, your church, and your calling healthier and more intentional than before — sustained by monthly Encounter Connections small groups.
Your retreat. Your pace.
There is no packed conference schedule waiting for you. There are no mandatory workshops, no lectures, and no forced icebreakers.
There is room to breathe. Fish. Golf. Hunt. Read. Sleep. Laugh around the table with new friends. Enjoy a restorative massage. Have a conversation that does not need to lead anywhere.
Choose what restores you.
Fly & Lake Fishing
Cast clear waters at dawn without rushing anywhere.
Ranch & Mountain Golf
Unwind on pristine fairways alongside kindred leaders.
Hunting & Trap Shooting
Outdoor camaraderie and focus in nature's timber.
Restorative Massage
Release the physical tension ministry leadership carries.
Reading & Puzzles
Unhurried hours with a book, a puzzle, or an open journal.
Deep Sleep & Stillness
Undisturbed nights and quiet afternoon naps in total peace.
Table Fellowship
Shared feasts and genuine laughter with friends who understand.
Nature & Hiking
Gentle mountain and meadow trails that clear the heart.
Find your place to get away.
From Texas ranches to Colorado Rockies, Tennessee plateaus to the Alaskan coastline — pick the setting where you can exhale.
EdenRidge
High mountain peace in the Cumberland Plateau
Nestled in the tranquil mountains of eastern Tennessee, EdenRidge offers breathtaking views, mountain air, and unhurried rest designed for weary ministry leaders.
Tarryall River Ranch
Rugged wilderness meets Western hospitality
Experience the stillness of the Rockies. Surrounded by towering pines and the rushing Tarryall River, leaders find genuine peace in crisp Colorado wilderness.
The Retreat at Willow Wood Ranch
Rolling Texas acreage, open skies, and deep stillness
Minutes from the heart of North Texas, Willow Wood Ranch offers sprawling green pastures, quiet fishing ponds, and the unhurried warmth of home.
The Alaska Vision Retreat
The world-famous Kenai River wilderness
Immerse yourself along the turquoise waters of the Kenai Peninsula. An extraordinary setting to renew vision, share brotherhood, and encounter God in wild grandeur.
The Outdoor Country Adventure
Brotherhood, outdoor recreation, and soul refreshment
For leaders who connect with God and good friends through the outdoors — seasonal turkey & deer hunts, trap shooting, and hearty meals around camp.
One Day Sabbatical
A dedicated 24-hour reset for local leaders
Can’t step away for four days right now? The One Day Sabbatical gives you a sacred 24-hour window to pause, exhale, rest, and reset your rhythms.
Sometimes You Just Need to Get Away.
Four days away from the demands of ministry.
Four days to breathe.
Four days to reconnect.
Four days to remember that you do not have to carry everything alone.
Rest is the beginning.
A retreat gives you space. ReFocus helps you reconnect with what matters. ReEngage helps you carry that renewed perspective back into your everyday calling.
REST
Step away.
Drop the weight, sleep through the night, laugh freely, and unplug completely.
REFOCUS
Get clear.
Quiet reflection, spiritual perspective, renewed marital alignment, and fresh priorities.
REENGAGE
Move forward.
Monthly Encounter Connections cohorts ensure you never lead in isolated silence again.
You don’t have to take our word for it.
"One of the many things I've learned over 30 years of full-time ministry is that I'm at my best when I'm at rest. Pastors and leaders who continually serve and care for others simply must make time not only to slow down, but to pause for rest and refreshment. When you spend time with Chris, you get both. He never makes your time together about schedules, but serving. His highest goal is helping pastors and leaders become (or stay) spiritually and emotionally healthy so that they can finish strong. I highly encourage you to take the opportunity to connect with Chris and his ministry!"
Pastor Justin Chambers
Pastor, New Song Church • Plymouth, IN
See what happens when leaders get room to breathe.
Watch founders Chris & Tracy Binion and pastoral leaders explain why space away from the front lines of ministry is crucial to lasting health.
Help more ministry leaders live well and finish strong.
Every retreat represents more than four days away. It represents an opportunity for an exhausted pastor to return to their spouse, their children, and their congregation with renewed perspective, restored joy, and clear vision.
MINISTRY VISION TARGET
500
Pastoral Leaders & Spouses by 2028
100% funded through the generosity of Kingdom donors and church partners.
Your generosity gives a pastor permission to rest.
Because of generous supporters, The Pastor’s Refuge can provide restorative experiences free of charge for pastors and ministry leaders who need space to step away, reconnect and renew.
YES! Moving Forward in Your Kingdom Assignment
Pay Whatever You Want • YesBookOffer.com
Written by Pastor Chris Binion, founder of The Pastor’s Refuge, this powerful resource is crafted to help pastors and Christian leaders overcome burnout, regain alignment with God's heart, and take their next faithful steps forward.
Carry the mission with you.
Support The Pastor’s Refuge with official shirts, hats, and merchandise through Lone Star Print House.
Stay connected.
Receive updates from The Pastor’s Refuge, including stories of renewal, upcoming retreat openings, soul-care resources, and ways to support ministry leaders.
You spend your life pouring into others.
Let someone pour into you.
Take the first step toward rest, renewal and meaningful connection. Your family, your church, and your soul will thank you.