DioWis Clergy Retreat 2026
Time: April 28-30, 2026
Location: Green Lake Conference Center
W2511 WI-23, Green Lake, WI 54941
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We’re glad to gather with you again at beautiful Green Lake for our second year together — a time of renewal, rest, and reflection. This retreat is a sacred pause in the rhythm of ministry: space to breathe deeply, pray honestly, reconnect with one another, and listen for where God is leading next.
We meet at a moment of profound change. Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping how people relate, work, and understand what it means to be human. The Church has faced turning points like this before — and responded with courage, compassion, and the Social Gospel.
Now it’s our turn.
Together, we’ll explore what faithful leadership looks like in this new landscape and how we remain deeply, incarnationally Church in a digital age.
Come ready to unplug and reconnect, to wonder and wrestle, and to leave restored — and equipped.
Our Speaker:
Featured Speaker: Kate Ott, PhD
Dr. Kate Ott is a feminist, Christian ethicist addressing the formation of moral communities with specializations in technology, sexuality, pedagogy, professional ethics, and youth and young adults. She is the author of Christian Ethics for a Digital Society and Sex, Tech, and Faith: Ethics for a Digital Age in addition to edited volumes, numerous chapters and articles. Ott regularly lectures and leads trainings for university, religious leadership, and parent and teen audiences. She is Jerre and Mary Joy Stead Professor of Christian Social Ethics and the director of the Stead Center for Ethics and Values (steadcenter.com) at Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL. For more visit kateott.org.
Our Subject:
Religious Leadership in a Technological Revolution
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is changing relational patterns, redefining human capabilities, and altering systems of labor. Religious communities and leaders faced a similar historical shift during the industrial revolution that birthed the social gospel movement. Learning from that history, we will lean into a concrete social ethic approach that calls for community engagement, moral discernment, and shared advocacy. With this model in mind, we will pay specific attention to how faith leaders and congregations can respond to social divides exacerbated by AI and the impact of agentic AI partnerships.
Our Location:
Green Lake Conference Center
W2511 WI-23, Green Lake, WI 54941
Our Schedule:
Plans evolve as we gather. Note that this schedule may shift slightly before or during the event — we’ll keep this page updated with the latest details.
Tuesday:
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Check-in – Kern Building Lobby
12:00 PM | Lunch – Dining Room
1:00 PM | Welcome & Bishop’s Remarks – Brayton Case Room
2:30 PM | Session 1: Church & AI – Social Gospel 2.0 with Katie Ott
4:00 PM | Move into rooms
5:00 PM | Dinner - Dining Room
7:30 PM | Social Time – Snacks & Drinks – Brayton Case Room
9:00 PM | Compline – Brayton Case Room
Wednesday:
7:30 AM | Breakfast – Dining Room
9:00 AM | Eucharist – Brayton Case Room
10:15 AM | Session 2: Networked Theology Facing Social Divides with Katie Ott
12:00 PM | Lunch – Dining Room
1:00 PM | Free Time / Spiritual Conversations by Appointment
4:00 PM | Mission Action Team Conveners Gathering – Brayton Case Room
5:00 PM | Dinner – Dining Room
7:00 PM | Social Time – Snacks & Drinks – Brayton Case Room
9:00 PM | Compline – Brayton Case Room
Thursday:
7:30 AM | Breakfast – Dining Room
9:30 AM | Session 3: Being Church in an Age of AI Companions, Guides, Healers, and Lovers with Katie Ott
10:45 AM | Closing Eucharist – Brayton Case Room
12:00 PM | Lunch – Dining Room
1:00 PM | Departure