A retreat is your chance to step aside from life for a while, to rest and just 'be' in a welcoming, peaceful place.
Our Patrons
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Revd Graham Sparkes
Graham Sparkes is a Baptist minister who served in local ministry for a number of years before taking on responsibility for the denomination’s Faith and Unity Department.
In 2011 he became President of Luther King House Educational Trust in Manchester, an ecumenical partnership for theological education, where he teaches Christian spirituality.
Graham’s current activities include regularly leading retreats, being involved in the life and work of Manchester Cathedral and serving as Moderator of the Trustees for Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI).
Since first becoming a patron for the Retreat Association in 2013, Graham has actively contributed to the life and work of the charity, including helping to organise, present and speak at our Conferences and Summer Events, also participating in gatherings of spiritual direction trainers.
Graham has co-authored God and the Art of Seeing: visual resources for a journey of faith (Smyth & Helwys, 2003).
For the lead article in our 2025 Retreats handbook, Graham reflected on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
